Indie smash hit Dave The Diver has caused a tsunami-like splash in the gaming community. It's already being considered a possible Game of the Year contender in an already-stacked 2023. The appeal of the game comes from a smooth blending of genres. Dave the Diver incorporates elements of a restaurant and farming simulator with an underwater exploration adventure, with plenty of fish in the sea for Dave to get his hands on.
Ttle character Dave must dive into the ever-changing sea in search of delicious, exotic fish to use in his restaurant with Chef Bancho. The game requires Dave's attention in a variety of areas, from catching fish, to managing staff, to farming fresh produce. As such, there is a multitude of considerations to make to ensure his success. Here are some of the most common mistakes that players make in Dave The Diver.
8 Attachment To Low-Value Recipes
The shallow sections where Dave can dive are riddled with an abundance of fish that are easy to catch and light-weight, meaning they can be harvested in mass quantities. While it is a great way to start a campaign by stocking the restaurant with various shallow-dwelling fish dishes, players should be wary not to grow attached to how easily these fish can be caught.
The value of fish and other sea creatures increases the deeper Dave dives, which makes sense given the additional challenges players must overcome to first get to deeper waters and catch the fish themselves. As higher-value fish become easier to obtain, players should move on from the lower-value alternatives to ensure Bancho's continues to make a healthy profit.
7 Not Looting Diving Caches
As Dave's dive gets deeper, so do the toughness levels of the ocean's more aggressive fish. To combat the ongoing threat of sharks, rays, and angry fish, Dave will need to keep up with the best weapons to defend himself. Since weapon enhancements are lost at the end of each dive, players need to regularly loot underwater caches for supplies.
Players who do not make use of the supply boxes found throughout dives will be depriving themselves of harpoon tips, secondary weapons, and gadgets that can make Dave's life easier and make the tougher fish easier to catch. What's more, the weapon blueprints found in the caches will allow Dave to unlock more powerful and effective secondary weapons.
6 Not Preparing Enough For Events
Events are sporadically announced throughout Dave The Diver via his email app. Each focuses on a particular theme of celebration, from tuna to cucumber and everything in between. These are excellent ways to make a huge income in a single night. However, poor preparation for these events can also hurt Bancho's overall star rating.
Players are generally given three days to prepare for an upcoming themed event, which in some cases may be longer if the night if an event clashes with a significant part of the main story. It is recommended that players acquire as much of the required star resource as possible and spend the first one or two nights enhancing any relevant dishes to maximize profit. However, be wary of how many resources are required for each enhancement so that there is enough to get through a successful night service.
5 Not Managing Staff
In the early goings, Dave is the sole server in Bancho's. However, as the restaurant gets busier, Dave's poor fitness catches up with him and he needs help. With the right helping hands, Dave can focus on doing tasks at his pace. With the help of Yoshie, players are able to post different forms of job advertisements to attract potential staff. Each staff member comes with unlockable skills that can make dinner service a far smoother experience.
The right combination of staff is crucial for a faultless customer experienc. Tthis is particularly important when it comes to servers. The wait staff assisting Dave can take over some specific jobs that Dave would otherwise have to manage himself: drink pouring, table clearing, and replenishing wasabi supplies. Players should take careful note of what skills a staff member can do to balance out Dave's physical hindrances.
4 Taking Risks With A Full Inventory
The depths that Dave travels during his time underwater are filled with a great variety of marine life, some of which can pose a significant threat to the success of his dive. If Dave character fails to make it to the surface before his oxygen runs out, the player will give up their entire inventory except for one item.
Given the risk that comes with running out of oxygen, it is important that players pick their battles and do not fall into the trap of taking an unnecessary risk when they have a full inventory. If players encounter a particularly difficult fish that may be too much to handle, avoiding the creature is the priority, for the sake of not undoing all the fishing already done.
3 Lack Of Escape Pod Awareness
Should players be daring enough to take a risk on a tougher, more valuable fish, be aware of the positioning of escape pods. These are quick tickets out of the water and back into the boat, which allow players to the stock of fish and supplies collected on the dive.
Escape pods are particularly useful as the game progresses and dives become deeper. They ensure that Dave can safely bring the fruits of his labor back to the boat without facing any potential hiccups on the way back up. Additionally, they provide a safety net to allow players to dive deeper without worrying about running out of oxygen.
2 Getting Too Adventurous Too Early
The underwater expanse in Dave The Diver is unexpectedly big, to the extent that it can seem endless at the start of the game. For new players, it can be tempting to try their luck and venture into deeper waters, but it is advised to ensure Dave has the right equipment to handle any potential challenges before doing so.
While it is appealing to tempt fate and try to explore unchartered territory before Dave is equipped to do so, this can be a costly mistake that will wind up with players losing all the fish they caught on the dive. Before testing deeper waters, make sure to consult the iDiver app and ensure Dave has the right gear to handle the depths.
1 Poor Oxygen Management
Oxygen serves two purposes in Dave The Diver, as it is both an indicator of health and a timer while Dave is underwater. While the timer aspect of the oxygen supply is more pressing in the early stages of the game, it is the most important component of each dive. There are two key mistakes to avoid when it comes to oxygen management: not knowing where to find oxygen supplies, and failing to note the penalties in oxygen levels when Dave is attacked.
Oxygen supplies are easy enough to identify and are evenly spread throughout the world, so players should note their current levels when encountering one. When it comes to being attacked, more powerful fish will invoke the greatest oxygen penalties, so failure to recognize this can end in a quick failed dive.
Dave The Diver is now available on PC via Steam.