Dave the Diver – A Parent’s Review

By a parent who games between coffee breaks and trips to the pool

Reviewed on: Steam Deck

Available on: PC/MAC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation (PS4 | PS5)

The Quick Take

Dave the Diver is an absolute gem and casual, single player adventure game about a character named Dave who is asked by a friend to catch fish for a failing sushi restaurant during the day and then help manage the restaurant during the night.

This game is a lower-stress adventure RPG game that is based off of day and night cycles so it is perfect for playing a quick 20 minutes and then putting it down. The story is whimsical and the characters are so off the wall amazing.

The Parent Perspective

When I sit down to play, I’m usually juggling real-life to-do lists and trying not to fall asleep. So here’s what I look at as a parent:

Can I play in short bursts? Yes, this game has a day/night cycles that allow you to play for a bit and then put it down.
Can I pause/save easily? You can either save it manually or when it cycles to the next day, it will save automatically.
Attention required: Medium attention required unless you forget the story and then you might need to go and look at your goals
Stress level: Medium to low stress level. There are parts that are a little stressful and you encounter a super strong shark or something like that but you can pretty easily avoid them.
Content concerns: You are shooting fish to collect them and turn them into Sushi. It’s not super graphical but you do see some pixelated blood and you are using weapons like a harpoon and guns. I would say that this is fictional violence because yes people do use harpoons but shooting a gun underwater is totally unrealistic.

Kid-Friendly? Let’s Talk

Depending on your household rules and the age of your kids, this game may or may not make the cut. Here’s what I noticed:

Good for kids? I would say that this game is good for a kid who is 9+. Mostly because of the shooting of the fish.
Stuff they might love: Catching of the different types of fish and then turning that into sushi is really fun.
Stuff to talk about first: The expectation that this is a fantasy RPG game and that people shouldn’t be going around and trying to shoot fish. There are more sustainable ways to catch fish and treating them with the respect that they deserve.

How It Fits Into a Parent’s Life

Works in 15–30 min chunks? Yes, this is a perfect game to play in short chunks.
Okay to step away mid-session? Not really, you only have so much air in your scuba tank so if you walk away you will drown. If you are managing the restaurant and walk away, your customers will walk out and you won’t get any money for the day.
Mentally exhausting or easy to sink into? Easy to sink into. The graphics are so good for being pixelated and it just makes you feel like you are down in the ocean.

Learning Curve & Controls

Easy to learn? The game is very easy to pick up, swim around in the water and start catching fish. The phone apps get to be a little much but you really don’t have to use them that often. Creating the sushi with the ingredients that you catch is pretty simple. Serving your guests is also not that difficult but it can be a bit fast paced once the restaurant opens.
Control scheme: I would that it is pretty simple. There were a few times that I didn’t hit the right button when shooting at a fish but the game is super forgiving.
Tutorial quality: Not your typical tutorial but it does walk you through things so that you’ll have the game mechanics down before the main story begins.

Vibe Check

Visual style: Pixel-Style
Soundtrack: Super chill soundtrack.
Overall mood: Overall it feels like a cozy quirky game that pulls you in and makes you want to keep fishing.

So… Is It Worth My Rare Free Time?

Great for parents who love: Great for parents who love games like Stardew Valley and Terraria.
Will I keep playing? Yes, after Stardew Valley I wanted a game that have the same vibe and for the longest time I could not get into another game until I played Dave the Diver. This game sucked me in and in no time I had played almost 18 hours.
Recommend to other parents? Honestly, when I bought this game I wasn’t expecting much. As a parent you don’t have a lot of time to learn a new game so it has to be engaging and fun right off the bat and this was. This game ticked off all of the boxes that pulled me back into gaming. The game is also perfect for the Steam Deck which is where I played most of my time on.

Parent Score

My very official, highly subjective rating:

☕☕☕☕☕/5 out of 5 cups of coffee – Great for winding down and super easy to pick up between cooking dinner and putting the kiddo down for bed.

Final Thoughts

Dave the Diver is one of those games that is just so much fun to play. You see it and think that it would be way to complicated. Not only are you catching the fish and exploring the ocean, but you are also managing the restaurant. It’s not though, everything is laid out in a super simple way to play and really enjoy it. The writing is so good and the graphics are pixel perfect. If you enjoyed Stardew Valley even a little bit then you will enjoy Dave the Diver.

If you’ve played Dave the Diver or have questions, drop them in the comments—I’d love to hear from you!