How Unity and Early Access Contributed to Dave the Diver's Success as a Top 2023 Indie Game

Dave The Diver is one of the standout indie games of the year. Developed by MINTROCKET, it offers a unique blend of underwater exploration, resource collection, crafting, and restaurant management. Players must gather fish to supply a sushi restaurant, all while battling giant sea creatures, completing quests, and managing the eatery. This distinctive concept has resonated with gamers. The idea for the game came from director Jaeho Hwang's visit to a Japanese-style pub on Jeju Island, where the owner would dive for fish in the morning and serve them at night. Hwang was also inspired by the manga 'Blue Hole', which features a mysterious underwater hole connected to an ancient world. The game has garnered critical acclaim, boasting a Metacritic score of 89 and a 100% recommendation rate on OpenCritic. It has also achieved an 'Overwhelmingly Positive' rating from over 45,000 Steam players. Within ten days of its release, the game sold one million units worldwide, making it one of the top 20 new releases on Steam in June. Hwang attributes the game's success to its unique concept, lighthearted humor, and quirky characters. The intuitive gameplay has also helped attract casual players. However, the biggest challenge the developers faced was balancing the various elements of the game. To overcome this, the team relied on trial and error, as well as guidance from Unity's engineers. The game was built using the Unity engine, which provided access to a wealth of resources and plugins. The Unity Asset Store, in particular, was instrumental in streamlining the development process. The team also utilized the popular Odin Inspector plugin to create tools for game designers and artists. The success of Dave the Diver is a testament to the effectiveness of Unity's engine and the benefits of Early Access. By releasing the game in Early Access, MINTROCKET was able to gather feedback from players, identify areas for improvement, and refine the game to meet the community's needs. As Hwang notes, 'Once the game is out, you are actually making the game with the players together.' This collaborative approach has been instrumental in shaping Dave the Diver into the engaging and immersive experience it is today.