Dave the Diveris a gem. You have calm, relaxing fishing that can occasionally get chaotic if large, aggressive fish catch you. During the night, you experience the joys of managing a sushi restaurant during peak times. It’s a lot, but that’s what makes it fun.
While it’s certainly a unique game, it’s still possible to fill the void left after finishing yourDave the Diverplaythrough. Whether you like the sushi restaurant aspects, deep ocean diving, or management mechanics, we’ve developed a list of the best games likeDave the Diverthat you can play right now.
Moonlighter
One of the closest matches you’ll find on this list isMoonlighter, a game that has you dungeon-crawling at night and selling your wares during the day. With a similar gameplay loop toDave the Diverand asequel planned for Summer 2025,Moonlighteris one of your best bets if you want a mix of shopkeeping and, in this case, dungeon diving, all while learning valuable lessons about chasing your dreams.
Luna’s Fishing Garden
What if you’re only interested in some fishing and adorable pixelated graphics and don’t want the stress ofDave the Diver’scombat?Luna’s Fishing Gardenis a short and sweet fishing game where your goal as the game’s protagonist, Luna, is to clean up nearby islands and deliver fish to spirits that reside on them.
You won’t find any complex gameplay mechanics or deep lore here. You’re here to fish, clean up some trash, and decorate your islands to transform them from empty lands to beautiful, lush environments. If you want a short game that you may finish in one night after yourDave the Diverplaythrough,Luna’s Fishing Gardenmight be just what you’re looking for.
Dredge
On the other side of the fishing game spectrum isDREDGE, a single-player adventure that focuses on intricate exploration and mechanics alongside a fascinatingly unique art style. While it has a noticeably grittier vibe thanDave the Diver,it’s another perfect choice if you enjoyed the game’s fishing half but want something a little different.
Chef RPG
Chef RPGhas it all. Whether you likeDave the Diver’srestaurant management system, resource gathering, or its graphics, you’ll find many of these aspects and more in this title.
Taking place in White Ash Harbor, your goal is to revive a local restaurant, Le Sequoia, across seasons while befriending the town’s locals and discovering hundreds of cooking recipes. There’s friendship and romance along the way, giving you plenty of side goals to unlock as you focus on your primary goal of restoring a rundown restaurant to its former glory. Regardless of which part ofDave the Diver’sstory and gameplay was your favorite, you’re likely to find plenty of similarities between it andChef RPG.
SteamWorld Dig
How do you feel about a game that has the same feel-good energy asDave the Diverbut with a completely different premise and gameplay loop?SteamWorld Digis all about heading into some mines, collecting resources to sell, and uncovering secrets within the world. There’s more than meets the eye here, much like inDave the Diver’suniverse.
Better yet, there are multiple of these games, including aSteamWorld Dig 2sequel andSteamWorld Heistif you want to change genres for a bit. If you want a mix of resource gathering, questing, and combat that you’re able to spend anywhere from a few to dozens of hours playing, this is certainly a worthwhile pickup.
Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale
It’s time to jump into the oldest entry on this list,Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale. At its core, your goal is to venture into dungeons, collect loot, and make a ton of money through your item shop. While it may seem simplistic at first,Recettear’smechanics delve a little deeper with features like haggling, varying buying habits among customers, and item upgrades to make dungeon diving easier. All the while, you have a cute anime art style from the early 2000s, creating a peaceful and familiar vibe.
Between all that and anHD Editionplanned to release sometime in 2025,Recettear: An Item Shop’s Taleis a great choice if you want to jump into the past with a surprisingly complex shop management game with dungeon-diving mechanics.
Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends
Most of these entries so far have focused onDave the Diver’sdeep-sea diving and shop (well, restaurant) management systems without looking at one of its most important parts: sushi. If your favorite part of the playthrough was owning a sushi restaurant and learning more about different fish,Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friendsis a great next choice.
Rolling Hillshas you playing as an adorable robot who, you guessed it, runs a sushi restaurant. Over time, you’ll unlock new recipes, purchase items to upgrade your dishes, and buy furniture to improve your restaurant’s ambience for customers. These features andDave the Diver’ssushi restaurant share multiple parallels, with enough differences to distinguish the two in their respective genres.
Doloc Town
A newer entry in this list isDoloc Town, a post-apocalyptic farming simulator game with cooking, fishing, structure building, and more. For a world following apocalyptic events, it’s surprisingly cozy and peaceful beyond the ruins you find throughout your playthrough. Whether you prefer more modern takes onDave the Diver’sgameplay loops, want to try something within its genre but need a little change, or just like pixelated graphics,Doloc Townis a solid choice, especially if you also enjoy games likeTerraria, Stardew Valley,or evenMinecraft.
At the time of writing,Doloc Townis currently in Early Access, giving even more opportunities for its story to grow and develop over time. However, that also means it’s subject to change, which can influence its spot on this list. We’ll continue to update this information over time as more details become available.
Travellers Rest
What’s more satisfying than running a tavern built on your own hard work and dedication and watching your patrons relax for the night? Much likeDave the Diver,Travellers Resthas a resource gathering and shop management gameplay loop, with your primary purpose to make the best tavern around.
Throughout your playthrough, you’ll create workshop structures, gather materials, and decorate your shop to make your customers happy, all while discovering new recipes to better your establishment.Travellers Restis another great option if you enjoyed bothDave the Diver’sworld exploration and restaurant management mechanics alongside its satisfying art style.
While the Iron’s Hot
We’ve talked a lot about food in this list, but what about owning your own blacksmith’s workshop?While the Iron’s Hothas you playing as a young smithing expert who’s goal is to travel around Ellian, a land known for gathering and developing legendary artisans, to collect resources and hone his smithing skills. Along the way, you’ll rebuild an abandoned village through your blacksmithing skills while discovering various secrets scattered throughout the world.
If you enjoy seeing your actions directly impact the world around you,While the Iron’s Hotis a great pick.
Cult of the Lamb
Am I comparingDave the Diverto a game about creating a cult? You bet I am, even if it’s not for that particular reason.Cult of the Lambis all about running around and defeating heretics in hopes of recruiting various animals to your cult. Looking past the noticeable differences in art style and vibe, the gameplay loop between it andDave the Diveris shockingly similar.
Outside of finding new followers for your cult, you and your members will also collect resources and build a base of operations during the day, while nighttime is when you venture out into the woods to slay monsters, collect gold, and recruit new cult members. There’s a lot more to this story than it initially presents to you, and it’s certainly worth picking up after concluding yourDave the Diverplaythrough.
Honorable Mention – Subnautica
We can’t have a list of games involving deep-sea exploration without mentioningSubnautica. As one of the most well-known and in-depth aquatic exploration games out there, you’re in for a treat with this one.
However, comparing this toDave the Diveris a bit of a stretch, especially since it’s geared more toward open-world survival and occasional horror elements than restaurant management and relaxing ocean exploration. Nonetheless, if your favorite part ofDave the Diverwas exploring deep sea depths and you want more of a challenge,Subnauticais here to get your heart racing.
What’s your favorite game that creates a unique experience by combining multiple genres? Let us know in the comments below!
