W
Will Fulton, Xbox Wire Editor
Guest
November 20, 2025
Dave the Diver finally lands on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox PC today, and to celebrate, we’re thrilled to share the story of how it was made.
Today, I want to share the simple idea that started it all, and the thoughts we had while creating this one-of-a-kind experience for you.
Everything began with a very simple concept. I’d long wanted to create a game about exploring a mysterious underwater world and catching fish, but the initial prototype felt incomplete. It was missing a key anchor point.
Then, by chance, while I was on Jeju Island (often called the “Hawaii of Korea”) I visited a small seaside restaurant. The owner would catch fish in the sea every morning and then use those fresh catches to run the restaurant in the evening.
The moment I saw that, two ideas instantly merged in my head:
“That’s it! Let’s make a game where you dive during the day and run a sushi shop at night. Fish to sushi… very intuitive, right?”
This slightly quirky but intuitive pairing was the very moment Dave the Diver began.
With the core structure (‘dive by day, serve by night’) established we decided to tell our characters’ diverse and cheerful stories through various game mechanics and mini-games. By day, you’ll be exploring the Blue Hole, sourcing and catching fish using a variety of abilities. The deeper you dive, the greater the rewards. By night, you’ll assist in running a sushi restaurant up on land, frantically preparing dishes, pouring tea and cleaning up plates.
You’ll quickly find yourself involved in story-driven adventures ranging from mini-games reflecting the quirks of characters like Duff the eccentric otaku, to dramatic missions like Dave rescuing a dolphin captured by pirates.
In earlier testing, we received feedback that our ambition to include so many elements right from the start made the game feel overwhelming. However, those test phases were crucial; they allowed us to strike the right balance ensuring the game felt rich and rewarding, not cluttered.
To successfully tie all these diverse elements together, we knew we had to minimize explicit explanations. Your immersion would break if we bombarded you with too many tutorials, so we created mechanics that felt naturally intuitive while you’re playing.
For example: You instinctively understand that air decreases underwater, so you’ll need to upgrade your air tank in order to dive deeper into the Blue Hole. Similarly, you quickly figure out that dishes from a large shark, that are much harder to weaken and catch, are more valuable than small tropical fish that don’t put up a fight. We leveraged these inherent understandings to minimize the learning curve and let players simply engross themselves in the gameplay loop. The characters’ distinct looks and roles were also designed to be instantly memorable, reducing any confusion about who does what.
When all these large and small gears clicked into a perfectly functioning, self-reinforcing loop, I knew we had created an experience that you would find truly captivating.
Another core element of Dave the Diver is its unique sense of humor. We didn’t want to create a perfect, serious hero set on saving the world. Our protagonist, Dave, is a bit plump and slightly clumsy (just an ordinary man that you might encounter anywhere).
From the stoic, bushido-driven master chef, Bancho, to the quirky weapons dealer, Cobra, and the eccentric otaku, Duff, these imperfect characters create a world of kitschy charm. This is the lighthearted fun we wanted to deliver, and we are thrilled that players have embraced it.
We worked hard to maintain this humorous atmosphere, often using exaggerated and unpredictable cutscenes realized through pixel art. Get ready for you to chuckle at outlandish situations popping up in the most serious moments or sudden parody elements. We hope you enjoy the laughs we’ve hidden in every corner of the game.
My small idea met a fantastic team, resulting in Dave the Diver, and now we get to share it with Xbox community. We invite you to dive into the mysterious Blue Hole and discover your own special adventure!
Dave the Diver is available today for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox PC!
The post Xbox Partner Preview | Dave the Diver Arrives on Xbox Today – Uncover the Inspiration Behind This Deep-Sea Adventure appeared first on Xbox Wire.
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Xbox Partner Preview | Dave the Diver Arrives on Xbox Today – Uncover the Inspiration Behind This Deep-Sea Adventure
- Jaeho Hwang,CEO, Mintrocket
Summary
- Dave the Diver is available today for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox PC.
- Learn about the unexpected inspiration that led to the creation of Dave the Diver, the setting and the characters you’ll meet.
- Discover how the team blended deep-sea diving and sushi restaurant management into one seamless experience.
Dave the Diver finally lands on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox PC today, and to celebrate, we’re thrilled to share the story of how it was made.
Today, I want to share the simple idea that started it all, and the thoughts we had while creating this one-of-a-kind experience for you.
The Spark: A Sushi Bar in Jeju Island
Everything began with a very simple concept. I’d long wanted to create a game about exploring a mysterious underwater world and catching fish, but the initial prototype felt incomplete. It was missing a key anchor point.
Then, by chance, while I was on Jeju Island (often called the “Hawaii of Korea”) I visited a small seaside restaurant. The owner would catch fish in the sea every morning and then use those fresh catches to run the restaurant in the evening.
The moment I saw that, two ideas instantly merged in my head:
“That’s it! Let’s make a game where you dive during the day and run a sushi shop at night. Fish to sushi… very intuitive, right?”
This slightly quirky but intuitive pairing was the very moment Dave the Diver began.
Fusing Two Worlds: Dive Deep and Serve Fresh
With the core structure (‘dive by day, serve by night’) established we decided to tell our characters’ diverse and cheerful stories through various game mechanics and mini-games. By day, you’ll be exploring the Blue Hole, sourcing and catching fish using a variety of abilities. The deeper you dive, the greater the rewards. By night, you’ll assist in running a sushi restaurant up on land, frantically preparing dishes, pouring tea and cleaning up plates.
You’ll quickly find yourself involved in story-driven adventures ranging from mini-games reflecting the quirks of characters like Duff the eccentric otaku, to dramatic missions like Dave rescuing a dolphin captured by pirates.
In earlier testing, we received feedback that our ambition to include so many elements right from the start made the game feel overwhelming. However, those test phases were crucial; they allowed us to strike the right balance ensuring the game felt rich and rewarding, not cluttered.
Intuitiveness is the Secret Ingredient
To successfully tie all these diverse elements together, we knew we had to minimize explicit explanations. Your immersion would break if we bombarded you with too many tutorials, so we created mechanics that felt naturally intuitive while you’re playing.
For example: You instinctively understand that air decreases underwater, so you’ll need to upgrade your air tank in order to dive deeper into the Blue Hole. Similarly, you quickly figure out that dishes from a large shark, that are much harder to weaken and catch, are more valuable than small tropical fish that don’t put up a fight. We leveraged these inherent understandings to minimize the learning curve and let players simply engross themselves in the gameplay loop. The characters’ distinct looks and roles were also designed to be instantly memorable, reducing any confusion about who does what.
When all these large and small gears clicked into a perfectly functioning, self-reinforcing loop, I knew we had created an experience that you would find truly captivating.
Meet the Faces Behind the Fun
Another core element of Dave the Diver is its unique sense of humor. We didn’t want to create a perfect, serious hero set on saving the world. Our protagonist, Dave, is a bit plump and slightly clumsy (just an ordinary man that you might encounter anywhere).
From the stoic, bushido-driven master chef, Bancho, to the quirky weapons dealer, Cobra, and the eccentric otaku, Duff, these imperfect characters create a world of kitschy charm. This is the lighthearted fun we wanted to deliver, and we are thrilled that players have embraced it.
We worked hard to maintain this humorous atmosphere, often using exaggerated and unpredictable cutscenes realized through pixel art. Get ready for you to chuckle at outlandish situations popping up in the most serious moments or sudden parody elements. We hope you enjoy the laughs we’ve hidden in every corner of the game.
Your Next Catch Awaits
My small idea met a fantastic team, resulting in Dave the Diver, and now we get to share it with Xbox community. We invite you to dive into the mysterious Blue Hole and discover your own special adventure!
Dave the Diver is available today for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox PC!
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The post Xbox Partner Preview | Dave the Diver Arrives on Xbox Today – Uncover the Inspiration Behind This Deep-Sea Adventure appeared first on Xbox Wire.
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