The Gaming World Is In Serious Need Of Calming Games Like Dave The Diver

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Shahmeer Sarfaraz

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In the past decade or so, gaming has elevated itself into a medium where artistic stories can be told with as much satisfaction as movies or TV shows. Games with overarching storytelling and mature themes have become a common trend, with AAA titles giving us stories as poignant and touching as Oscar-winning pictures. 

Sometimes, one doesn’t want to figure out the cure to brain-eating fungi or travel across dimensions to solve a murder but just relax while playing through a simple and less mind-consuming storyline.

That is exactly why we need more relaxing games with less world-ending consequences and more laid-back fun, like Dave the Diver.

Why It Matters: We all love overarching storytelling in games, but sometimes you just want to lay back and experience a simple arcade title with engaging gameplay and that is why we need more games like Dave the Diver.

Why Dave The Diver Is So Fun

The evolution of gaming over the past few decades has certainly made it more expressive and artistically viable. But, even at its simplest, gaming is really enjoyable, and nothing proves that better than Dave the Diver.

The indie title truly captures the fun and carefree soul of early-era video games with a simple premise, basic controls, and fun challenges. In the game, you take control of the titular character, Dave, who is unsurprisingly a deep sea diver.

Mintrocket’s indie title has a pretty basic gameplay loop, you dive in the blue hole to hunt for fish in addition to completing other challenges during the day, and at night Dave helps run the Sushi Restauraunt he is working for.

Despite the simplicity, Dave the Diver never gets repetitive or dull as it keeps putting you into interesting situations and consistently thickens the plot.

Every new day brings fresh in-game challenges, side quests, more dangerous fish, and impatient customers, keeping the experience lively and engaging but with the same controls you learned during the tutorial.

The Indie Game Is Built To Calm You Down

Arguably the best thing about Dave the Diver is how calming playing the title actually is. Its serene and oceanic music score, which makes you feel like an actual deep sea explorer, makes the title an utterly relaxing experience.

Its humorous cutscenes, fun minigames, whacky characters, and wholesome moments make playing through Dave the Diver rather soothing.

Unlike most modern AAA games, where you have to stress about a maniacal villain and your complex power set, Dave the Diver is made to alleviate your worries.

You can just put it on after a busy day and lose yourself in the simple yet charming mechanics of the title while not having to worry about any overarching storyline.

For sure, Dave the Diver’s plot is a little convoluted but it’s simple enough that one can enjoy the game without paying much attention to what’s going on.

And, because of its length, you can take your time to finish the Mintrocket title and immerse yourself in Dave’s adventurous world. Dave the Diver is a beautiful love letter to a time when video games were a lot more primitive but still a bundle of joy.

The title’s pixelated graphics, 2D gameplay combined with 3D art, and a basic yet very appealing gameplay loop make the indie title a fun and laid-back experience you can have any time without needing to remember any details, just like older video games.

We Need More Titles Like Dave The Diver

The gaming world is in dire need of more indie flicks like Dave the Diver, which allow players to take a seat and immerse themselves in the game world through interesting mechanics without hours of backstory.

No one has anything against the current trend of story-based AAA titles, but sometimes players don’t want to play through something heavy and want an uncomplicated gaming experience that engages them.

In addition, gaming has always taken pride in the variety it provides to the players and that is why the industry needs more Dave the Diver’s to counteract the more stressful experiences like Elden Ring. 

Shahmeer Sarfaraz

Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.