Dave the Diver

Dave the Diver Mobile Review: The Whole Game for $9.99, Minus a Real Stick

Dive by Day, Serve by Night — a Full Port, Not a Remix

The loop is unchanged from the 2023 PC hit: by day Dave descends into the Blue Hole, a reef that rearranges itself every dive, harpooning fish among more than 200 species while an oxygen gauge decides how much he brings back — run out and the catch stays below; by night the same fish become the menu at Bancho Sushi, where you serve, pour tea and hire staff, and the profits buy gear for deeper dives. Around that sit the sea people's village, a story of in-jokes and spoofs, mini-games and side quests across seven chapters. Mintrocket, Nexon's independent sub-brand, calls the mobile build a full port of a game past 10 million copies; the additions are gyro tilt to pour tea, a three-level view-distance option, fast travel to villagers and the bundled Digital Extra. One omission Rogueliker noted: the Sega Like a Dragon collaboration did not make the crossing.

Invisible Joystick, a Surprise D-Pad and a Controller That Fixes Both

Touch is the argument. Pocket Tactics' Quinn Collins, on an iPhone 15 on September 20, 2026, scored the port 9/10 and called the invisible joystick and pop-up buttons simple and effective; the three Google Play reviews from September 17–19, all four stars, are less forgiving. One found the harpoon mini-game for stronger fish so fast that a second d-pad appearing on the right went unnoticed until the fish was gone — it can be switched off. Another, a PC owner, says virtual sticks are not fit for a game of timing and reflexes. The fix both stores agree on: a Retroid Pocket Flip 2 owner reports flawless controller support and 30, 60 and 90 fps options; Collins tested a GameSir X5s. Collins' costs: about 40% battery per hour, a rendering bug on rotation, rare text hiccups. Version 1.0.37 on iOS fixed a Chapter 6 mission that blocked the story.

One Purchase — $9.99, $7.99 Until September 30 — and the Jungle for $4.99

A demo and a price, not a shop. The download is free and covers the opening chapter of seven; the full game is a single in-app purchase listed at $9.99, marked down to $7.99 on both stores in a launch discount Google Play dates to September 30, 2026 — against $19.99 for the base game on Steam. The In the Jungle content pack is $4.99, half its PC price, and the Dredge pack is included. No advertising badge on either store, no currency, no loot-box flag; Google's data-safety card lists App activity, App info and performance and Device IDs shared, nothing collected. The size is the catch: 3.7 GB on iPhone, iOS 15 or newer, Android 6.0 or newer, Apple Silicon Macs supported; 13+ by Apple, Teen on Play, in English. Four days in: 4.3 from 179 App Store ratings, 4.9 from 555 Play reviews. Prices are regional.