Dive Deep into Dave's World: Uncover the Enchanting Sea of Fun and Adventure

Dave The Diver has been praised as one of the top indie games of 2023 by many. This video game takes players on a thrilling adventure with Dave, a deep sea diver and sushi restaurant worker. Despite his inability to say no to requests, Dave's journey and growth alongside his friends are revealed in the game.

Jaeho Hwang, the director of Dave The Diver, discusses the studio's process of trial and error in creating their debut single-player game for Steam. He analyzes what aspects of Dave's story may resonate the most with players and discusses future possibilities for the game. The following transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

Q: For our readers, please tell us a bit about yourself and Dave the Diver.

Hwang: My name is Jaeho Hwang. I am the director of the game Dave the Diver. It’s nice to meet you!

Q: Let's discuss the game's protagonist and central character, Dave. How would you characterize him?

Hwang: Dave is an easygoing and amiable individual. He possesses the qualities of a universal friend - slightly indolent, yet optimistically inclined. He struggles to decline requests made by others, thus finding it difficult to resist lending a helping hand. However, his most admirable attribute is his unwavering dedication to his work, allowing him to wholeheartedly commit and complete tasks without complaint.

Q: Is there anything about Dave that you think has resonated the most with players?

A: MINTROCKET settled on the humorous and light-hearted tone of the game, particularly in its cutscenes, to enhance the overall experience. This approach adds a playful and enjoyable element to the title, making it more engaging and entertaining for players.

Hwang: Sea-themed games often exude a sincere and poetic atmosphere. However, with our game employing pixel art, we aimed for a distinctive approach. The sea holds an enigmatic and occasionally alarming nature, and we aimed to leverage the idiosyncratic charm of pixel art to fashion a realm that captures the essence of "amusement and exploration."

Q: Is there a particular rationale behind labeling the depths Dave delves into as the "Blue Hole"?

Hwang: Once I watched a captivating documentary on a phenomenon called a 'blue hole' - a deep sea pit with its own ecosystem. There were even whispers of undiscovered creatures dwelling in this abyss, adding to its allure. Recognizing its potential, I found it to be an impeccable source for game material. Moreover, considering our relatively small development team, the constrained nature of this setting became an advantage in designing our game.

Q: How were the adventure, RPG, and management elements incorporated into the game and what was the initial inspiration?

Hwang: The initial inspiration for the game came from a visit to a Japanese pub near the sea, where the concept of serving fish caught in the morning fascinated me. This led me to envision a game that combined adventure and management elements. The game initially started as a casual experience, but as development progressed, we gradually added more RPG features. Furthermore, due to the lovable characters, there was a natural desire to further expand their narratives.

Q: Have you received any noteworthy praise or feedback regarding the features you have implemented? Are there any specific comments that have made a significant impact on your considerations for an upcoming patch or as a valuable lesson?

Hwang: Dave the Diver incorporates certain elements that resonate with older gamers. On Steam, a middle-aged user shared his experience of losing interest in games as he grew older. However, upon discovering Dave the Diver, he found himself reminiscing about the joy of playing games in his youth. It had been a long time since he genuinely enjoyed playing a game, and this feedback has deeply resonated with me.

Naturally, there has been both positive and negative feedback. We took note of the criticism regarding key binding, an aspect that we initially overlooked but promptly addressed during the Early Access phase. Additionally, we introduced an event in Early Access that forcibly removes Dave from the water; however, it did not resonate with users as anticipated. As a result, we reworked the event's structure and made some adjustments to shorten it.

Q: Dave the Diver has achieved impressive sales and received positive reviews. How does this reception align with MINTROCKET's expectations?

Hwang: I must confess, I never anticipated this level of success. Despite making numerous enhancements during the Early Access phase, there were still certain aspects that needed improvement. However, I am immensely grateful for the enthusiastic reception of our new story content and missions that were introduced post-EA. We have been incredibly fortunate to receive abundant encouragement and constructive suggestions for further enhancements. We remain attentive to all suggestions, as we strive to deliver a refined game experience and incorporate additional content.

Q: What, in your opinion, accounts for the remarkable success of Dave the Diver?

Hwang: Firstly, the secret to Dave the Diver’s success lies in the development team’s unwavering belief in a truly novel approach, blending genres in a completely distinctive manner from existing games, and continuously infusing innovative elements like unique spices. Their unwavering dedication and diligent efforts have truly made all the difference. Secondly, I attribute our current positive feedback to the invaluable advice and support we received from the community during the Early Access period. Undoubtedly, the high level of refinement achieved during EA is a direct outcome of the diligent polishing endeavors. On a daily basis, I am constantly learning through open communication with users on Discord, and thanks to their feedback, we are consistently incorporating aspects that the development team had not previously considered.

Q: Has the reception of Dave the Diver affected future plans for the game?

Hwang: At the moment, we don't have any plans to expand our development team, so there won't be any major changes to our development schedule going forward. Currently, our main focus is on implementing quality of life improvements and fixing bugs based on user feedback. Once that is complete, our next step is to introduce new content. Since we've received a positive response, we are also open to the possibility of collaborating with other games or having crossovers. It would be exciting to see Dave the Diver make an appearance in other enjoyable games!

Q: Is there any information you can share about the upcoming Switch version of Dave the Diver?

Hwang: Our current priority is optimizing the game for the Switch. As we initially focused on PC development, the performance on the Switch suffered from lag in some areas. We are actively working on resolving these issues to provide a smoother gameplay experience. Additionally, we are considering enhancing the UI to ensure better compatibility with gamepads and exploring features like vibration feedback. Further details about future developments will be revealed at a later date. We appreciate your interest and look forward to another interview in the future!

Q: Are there any other topics you would like to discuss?

Hwang: Our team has faced challenges and made mistakes during the development of our first single-player game for Steam. Despite setbacks, we persevered and continuously improved the game to reach the finished product we have today. The overwhelming support and affection we have received inspire us to continue creating new, untold stories for Dave in the future. Thank you for your tremendous support!

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