Dave the Diver Gets Early Access Release Info

Tycoon games are all over the place, but few of them break the usual formula. However, MINTROCKET’s Dave the Diver seems to be taking this concept and running with it in an interesting way. Dave the Diver will be coming to Early Access later this Fall. However, MINTROCKET’s parent company Nexon, and the developer themselves, have announced a demo as well.

According to the press release: “Dave the Diver will be showcased during Steam Next Fest this summer along with its first-ever demo allowing players to get their hands on the game ahead of its early access launch. Steam Next Fest takes place from June 13th-20th. In the meantime, gamers can head to Steam now to Wishlist Dave the Diver and stay on top of all upcoming news.”

Dave the Diver diverges from typical tycoon games in two ways, specifically in that you start out with beautiful deep-sea exploration. This combines with RPG mechanics where you will need to upgrade your equipment to be able to survive underwater threats. However, after a successful expedition, you can return to the surface and run a restaurant, selling special sushi dishes.

Earning money from the restaurant to fund future dives is a great way to tie both concepts together. It feels like a very symbiotic relationship. The exploration mechanics can’t exist without the restaurant to give you a purpose and a way to gain money for upgrades. I just hope both aspects of gameplay are equally deep. There’s nothing worse than a promising idea that ends up only wading into shallow waters on both sides of its premise.

With the game coming to Early Access though, there will be plenty of time to work through bugs and flesh out various things. If they take community feedback, there is always a possibility that fleshing out the game on both ends will be easier to do, since people can point out areas that need depth. Either way, I’m excited to keep an eye on Dave the Diver’s development.