This four-year-old game still hooks me every time I pick it up, and it’s somehow better than I remember

I'm sure most gamers have that one title that just sticks with them throughout the years. Most of us probably have several. You know the type: we stop playing them, even forget about them for a while, but then one day, there it is. You pick it up to have a quick go, and boom, fifty hours later, you're as hooked as day one and can't get enough. As someone who plays a lot of games (obviously), I have plenty of these games in my library, but few are more fascinating than Dave the Diver. I know, it's a story-driven game, and you'd expect a sandbox to have the lead here. If Kenshi 2 were out yet, that would likely be the number one game here. But with the first game starting to really age now, Dave the Diver edges it.Self-limiting challenges help keep things fun Every year or so since launch, I revisit Dave the Diver. The art style is so incredibly unique, and the pixel art is gorgeous. And sure, diving down and fishing up whatever you find gets boring after a while, but self-limiting challenges can re-ignite the fun. One such challenge I like is to set my menu in the morning, then hunt specifically for what I need to make those dishes. Everything else gets ignored. I'll also often time-limit my dives when I can, and try to be in and out within ten minutes. Finally, in the Sushi restaurant in the evenings, I like to relax and only worry about the menu and the wasabi. It can get pretty stressful when your staff isn't up for the challenge, but you'll just have to spend extra on staff upgrades, as I do. The best part is the nightmares What I love most about Dave the Diver is the sheer amount of diligence that went into this game. As far as I can tell, all the fish are based on real-world counterparts. So, unless you're already a marine biologist, you'll have the opportunity to learn all about a whole new world. Image via Mintrocket I like to look up the fish every time I find a new one, and boy, do some of these creatures fuel my nightmares. Go ahead, look up goblin shark. Look up frilled shark. See my point? Okay, so maybe the nightmares it can induce aren't really the best part about the game. It's more the game itself. The loop is intensely satisfying. The daytime fishing is a blast, and running the restaurant at night is a great change of pace. Dave the Diver has also been getting regular updates, so it being better than I remember (as I stated in the title) isn't all that weird. Finding Balatro in Dave the Diver this year was probably my all-time favorite gaming moment for a long, long while. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, yeah, a collab means you can play a limited version of Balatro in Dave the Diver, around the time you're unlocking the Glacial Passage. But enough about me and my love for this amazing game. I'd love to hear from you! What's the top game that you revisit every year? I bet it's Skyrim, isn't it? Drop it down in the comments and let's compare games, shall we? The post This four-year-old game still hooks me every time I pick it up, and it’s somehow better than I remember appeared first on Destructoid.

Mar 11, 2026 - 01:36

This four-year-old game still hooks me every time I pick it up, and it’s somehow better than I remember

I'm sure most gamers have that one title that just sticks with them throughout the years. Most of us probably have several. You know the type: we stop playing them, even forget about them for a while, but then one day, there it is.

You pick it up to have a quick go, and boom, fifty hours later, you're as hooked as day one and can't get enough.

As someone who plays a lot of games (obviously), I have plenty of these games in my library, but few are more fascinating than Dave the Diver.

I know, it's a story-driven game, and you'd expect a sandbox to have the lead here. If Kenshi 2 were out yet, that would likely be the number one game here. But with the first game starting to really age now, Dave the Diver edges it.

Self-limiting challenges help keep things fun

Every year or so since launch, I revisit Dave the Diver. The art style is so incredibly unique, and the pixel art is gorgeous. And sure, diving down and fishing up whatever you find gets boring after a while, but self-limiting challenges can re-ignite the fun.

One such challenge I like is to set my menu in the morning, then hunt specifically for what I need to make those dishes. Everything else gets ignored. I'll also often time-limit my dives when I can, and try to be in and out within ten minutes.

Finally, in the Sushi restaurant in the evenings, I like to relax and only worry about the menu and the wasabi. It can get pretty stressful when your staff isn't up for the challenge, but you'll just have to spend extra on staff upgrades, as I do.

The best part is the nightmares

What I love most about Dave the Diver is the sheer amount of diligence that went into this game. As far as I can tell, all the fish are based on real-world counterparts. So, unless you're already a marine biologist, you'll have the opportunity to learn all about a whole new world.

Image via Mintrocket I like to look up the fish every time I find a new one, and boy, do some of these creatures fuel my nightmares.

Go ahead, look up goblin shark. Look up frilled shark. See my point?

Okay, so maybe the nightmares it can induce aren't really the best part about the game. It's more the game itself. The loop is intensely satisfying. The daytime fishing is a blast, and running the restaurant at night is a great change of pace.

Dave the Diver has also been getting regular updates, so it being better than I remember (as I stated in the title) isn't all that weird. Finding Balatro in Dave the Diver this year was probably my all-time favorite gaming moment for a long, long while.

And if you don't know what I'm talking about, yeah, a collab means you can play a limited version of Balatro in Dave the Diver, around the time you're unlocking the Glacial Passage.

But enough about me and my love for this amazing game. I'd love to hear from you! What's the top game that you revisit every year? I bet it's Skyrim, isn't it?

Drop it down in the comments and let's compare games, shall we?

The post This four-year-old game still hooks me every time I pick it up, and it’s somehow better than I remember appeared first on Destructoid.

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