This tips and tricks list in Dave the Diver will go through some of the best beginner advice to help you get started and progress through the early game easily. Since the game has a lot of depth, it’s impossible to have a tutorial for everything. Thankfully, with the right tips and tricks, you don’t have to worry about missing any key early-game mechanics. With this beginner’s guide, you’ll be able to make the most out of the early game. Without further delay, here are the best tips and tricks in Dave the Diver.
Prioritize upgrades
The best way to progress in Dave the Diver is by prioritizing weapon upgrades. Whether we’re talking about temporary upgrades from Cobra’s shop, or permanent upgrades from Duff’s shop, these will allow you to explore deeper in the ocean and find better materials for your restaurant.
Hoard everything
In the early game, it can be tempting to sell some of your extra materials for money. However, you’ll need everything sooner or later, so one of the best tips and tricks in Dave the Diver is to hoard everything. You should only sell items that you have a lot of extra copies; otherwise, you’re better off keeping them as you’ll need them later.
Always aim for three stars when catching fish
While diving, your main task will be to catch fish. However, each fish will range from one to three stars, based on how you caught it. To get three stars every time (which means more money when making it into a dish and selling it), you must catch the fish without hurting it. This means using a Net Gun or a tranquilizer.
Don’t get too greedy while diving
Diving is the main activity in Dave the Diver, but it’s important not to get too greedy while diving. Always keep track of your oxygen, and don’t go too deep early on. There will be dangerous fish that will take you down, and it’s not worth the risk when you can find all the ingredients you need near the surface. Explore the ocean slowly, step by step.
Check your best-selling dishes daily
After each night at the restaurant, you’ll get an info screen that reveals which dish made the most money from your menu. While these will change daily, and customers will have new requests, you’ll notice that some dishes will consistently be on the best-selling list. Make sure you always have these dishes in supply, and you’ll make a lot of money daily.
Train and level up your staff
At first, your staff won’t be good enough to do most things, regardless of which staff members you choose. Thus, the important thing is to train them early on. They will unlock new abilities and learn recipes that will, in turn, let you earn more money. For more on upgrades, check out our guide on the light bulb icon in Dave the Diver.
Enhance your menu
While variety and adding more meals are important, at first, you should focus on enhancing your menu. Other than the cool cutscene, you’ll increase the price of your menu items and allow you to earn more money every day. Also, it will allow you to rank up your restaurant and attract more food critics.
Beware of night diving
Early on, you’ll unlock the ability to dive at night. However, while night diving, all fish will have twice the health of their daytime equivalents. For instance, the shark will require six hits to take down instead of three, which can make exploration extremely challenging. Due to that, I recommend night diving only after upgrading your weapons and only if you’re confident enough.
Keep an eye on operational costs
Upgrading your restaurant is essential if you want to make more money. However, you shouldn’t spend all your money on upgrades immediately. Your restaurant has certain operational costs per night (2,000 gold per night, depending on rank), and ranking up will increase those costs. Make sure you have enough money to cover operational costs before upgrading.
To summarize, these are the best tips and tricks in Dave the Diver. With these, you’ll be able to progress through the early game and not miss any essential mechanics. This includes maximizing your profits early on, making the most out of early-game ingredients, and spending your resources wisely. And that’s all! For more content, here’s our guide on how to find the Delivery Shipment in Dave the Diver.
