Dave the Diver has now sold more than 10 million copies, developer Mintrocket confirmed, and the studio says it “can’t wait to share our future plans.”
The deep-sea exploration and restaurant management game crossed the milestone across all platforms. The In the Jungle expansion, which launched in June, has also moved past one million sales on its own.
A Surprise Hit From 2023
Dave the Diver arrived in 2023 as what the source calls an “out-of-nowhere hit.” PC Gamer gave it a 91% review score, a rarity for the site, and the game sold more than a million copies in just 10 days.
The game earned a nomination at the 2023 Game Awards in the Best Indie Game category. That nomination sparked a small controversy: Mintrocket is a division of Nexon, and so very much not an indie studio.
The impact seemed minimal, though. Dave the Diver didn’t win, and game director Jaeho Hwang has been clear that he doesn’t think of it as an indie game either.
In the Jungle Keeps Selling
The game continued to get better with post-launch updates and crossovers. In the Jungle, the DLC released earlier this year, earned a 90% score from PC Gamer’s Chris Livingston, who called it “just as charming and surprising as the base game.”
“Everyone here at Mintrocket continues to be blown away by the passion and love that Dave the Diver attracts even years after launch,” Hwang said of the sales milestone.
“We are looking forward to expanding the Dave the Diver franchise in the future, including the upcoming cooking simulation and adventure spin-off, Bancho The Chef. We want to thank everyone who has shown their faith in us, and we can’t wait to share our future plans.”
Bancho the Chef Comes Next
Bancho the Chef is a prequel to Dave the Diver. It’s a cooking simulation adventure game that follows Bancho, the chef at Dave’s restaurant, in his younger days, when he was “on the road to becoming a sushi master.”
A release date hasn’t been set yet, but the game is up for pre-purchase now on Steam.
“Everyone here at Mintrocket continues to be blown away by the passion and love that Dave the Diver attracts even years after launch.”
The game’s success is notable for a few reasons:
- It sold more than a million copies in its first 10 days
- It earned a 91% review score at PC Gamer
- It was nominated for Best Indie Game at the 2023 Game Awards
- Its expansion, In the Jungle, has sold more than one million copies
Longevity and Momentum
Dave the Diver’s longevity is part of its story. The game kept growing after launch with updates and crossovers that actually made sense.
Mintrocket’s next move is Bancho the Chef, which will explore the backstory of Bancho, the chef at Dave’s restaurant. The prequel is set during Bancho’s younger days, on the road to becoming a sushi master.
The studio hasn’t said when Bancho the Chef will launch, but it’s available for pre-purchase on Steam now. Fans of the original game can lock in their copy ahead of the release date announcement.
Dave the Diver’s journey from surprise hit to multi-million seller shows how a well-made game can find an audience. The combination of solid gameplay, regular updates, and thoughtful crossovers kept players coming back.
Hwang’s quote about sharing future plans suggests more details are coming soon.
For now, the milestone stands. Dave the Diver has sold more than 10 million copies, and the In the Jungle expansion has added another million sales.
Source: pcgamer.com
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