Dave the Diver adds automated farming, crab catching and whatever a “Lobster Party” is in a hefty update

Fishing sim-cross-deep sea exploration game-cross-restaurant management gem Dave the Diver has reeled in a fairly expansive update, with new content updates, performance improvements and various bug fixes.

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The major update is headlined by a host of new things to do in the 2023 indie standout, including adding a bunch of new sub-missions to later-game regions, which were previously more focused on wrapping up its main story.

There’s also new mechanics in the form of crabs and lobsters, plus crab traps for catching them. There’s apparently a dedicated crab-catching system to play with as you wait for a crustacean to bite.

Arguably the most exciting/mysterious addition is an event referred to only as a “Lobster Party”, which promises to show off new species but is otherwise left for us to discover for ourselves.

Most useful, perhaps, is the option to automate your farming using a helpful MC Sammy to help out with chores. On top of that, there are new devices that will aid with storing eggs and feeding chickens, turning your farm into a ruthlessly efficient machine. (Probably.)

Out on the water, you’ll be able to encounter a new event boss when all Marinca cards have been collected. Those cards are also split into a new Nocturnal category, with the addition of new fish that will only appear at night to balance the fact that many daytime fish show up once the sun is down regardless.

Elsewhere, there’s a Wandering Merchant, who will return to your Bancho Sushi restaurant if served a “special” dish, selling items including new ingredients.

Behind the scenes there’ll be improvements including overall performance improvements and faster loading times, the option to buy seeds from Gumo at the seaweed farm and various bug fixes. Oh, and you’ll now be able to get Steam trading cards too, which is nice.

The chunky update is live now, delivering on devs Mintrocket’s promise in August to add some new content after some quality-of-life improvements including the option to turn off button-mashing and resize the game’s UI for the Steam Deck and smaller screens.

Dave the Diver has already hooked in over a million players since it released earlier this year, so it’s nice to see it continue to expand and improve – even as its creators move on to something decidedly less wholesome.