I absolutely love Dave the Diver. It’s one of my favourite indie games… ever. I reviewed it a while back right here, and now developer/publisher Mintrocket has returned with even more Dave in the form of a slice of DLC: Dave the Diver: In the Jungle.

“Dave’s adventure continues, this time in the heart of the jungle. Leaving the Blue Hole behind, Dave and his crew travel to the jungle to investigate a mysterious phenomenon reported in the village of Utara. Beneath the jungle lake awaits a brand-new ecosystem to explore, along with new missions and discoveries.”

When the chance to request a review code popped up, I was straight in there. As soon as the email arrived saying I’d been approved, I redeemed that code so fast it should’ve left a scorch mark on my inbox. Then I couldn’t play it for several days (personal reasons), which was genuinely painful. To put it into perspective: most of the gaming world is seemingly losing its mind over the release GTA VI later this year. I’m not. I lost interest, and I checked out years ago. I’ve been waiting months to play Dave the Diver: In the Jungle. This is my GTA VI.

Because I’ve already reviewed the base game, I don’t really need to rehash the mechanics here. The core loop is still largely the same: you play as Dave, you dive, you harpoon fish, and you serve those fish in a restaurant to earn coin for upgrades. That loop is still massively enjoyable, but now it comes with some cracking new features.

As the DLC title suggests, Dave’s no longer diving into the Blue Hole. He and his pals have relocated to the jungle village of Utara. The biggest shift is environmental: saltwater becomes freshwater, which means a whole new roster of creatures to discover, catch, and cook… including massive crocodiles.

Then there’s Dave’s new Jungle Gun. Gone are the days of lugging around one weapon at a time; this thing is the Swiss Army Knife of guns. You can swap between a rifle, shotgun, sniper rifle, or net on the fly while diving. As much as I loved the base game, the one‑gun limitation was always a little bit annoying. Not only can you freely swap between guns with ease, but each weapon even has its own upgrade tree, and everyone loves an upgrade tree… right?

The jungle setting also brings a new restaurant. Bancho Sushi is out; Bancho Grill is in. Yes, Bancho comes with you. The restaurant gameplay is familiar but deeper. You still catch fish and set up the menu, but Bancho Grill introduces new systems. The décor mechanic returns, and you still unlock new pieces to add some cosmetic flair to the restaurant, but now there’s a crafting element too. You can gather materials, craft equipment, and improve your cooking and serving setup.

Service is no longer a simple 2D left‑to‑right affair. Bancho Grill exists in a “3D” space that gives Dave and his staff more freedom and more to do. Hiring staff has changed as well: you can’t just place an ad and have applicants waiting at the door, as before. You need to get to know the villagers and visitors, build friendships, and earn their interest. Only then might some of them fancy a job.

This ties into one of the DLC’s biggest additions: social interaction. Utara feels like a small town straight out of a 16‑bit JRPG, it’s compact, varied, and full of NPCs. You chat, learn their likes, give them gifts, complete side-quests for them, and build relationships along the way (think Animal Crossing). Unlike in the base game, villagers won’t automatically visit your restaurant just because you opened the doors. They only come if they like you, so you have to get to know the locals and earn your customers.

Utara itself is fully explorable and packed with activities. Alongside diving and fishing (which is still immense fun), you can catch bugs, battle beetles (with a rock‑paper‑scissors mechanic), do “proper” fishing with a rod, play mini‑games, decorate your hut, and so much more. Just like the main game, In the Jungle keeps expanding, layering new gameplay on top of what you already know, while dishing up several surprises along the way. You think you’ve seen everything, and then it hands you something else to do. And if you still have unfinished business in the Blue Hole, or just miss the original game, you can swap between the two locations anytime.

The brilliant humour is back. The awesome animations are back. The massively addictive gameplay loop is back, all tweaked, refined, and expanded. The DLC doesn’t just give you a village; it eventually gives you a forest to explore too (once you unlock it), which turns the game into a little JRPG with turn-based battles. The base game kept you underwater for the most part; this DLC gives you that and a whole lot more thrown into the mix, to the point where I kept forgetting to go diving. There’s an in‑game passage of time now, so the day ticks by naturally as you explore. You don’t need to dive to reach nightfall. You can spend an entire day helping villagers, gathering materials, trading, playing games, and more. My only gripe? An in‑game day never feels quite long enough to do everything that you want. Still, there’s no time limit to reach the end credits, so go at your own pace.

It’s just under £9 and out now. I have read elsewhere that this DLC offers around ten hours of gameplay. Well, as I publish this review, I’m a little over twenty‑five hours in, still haven’t finished it, and still have plenty left to discover. That’s the beauty of Dave the Diver, base game and DLC alike. Sure, you can blitz through the story in a few hours, but doing so robs you of something genuinely special. The only way to play Dave the Diver is to slow down, chill, and relax. Take it all in, like gently sipping a beautifully mixed cocktail on a beach.

Honestly, I can’t believe Dave the Diver: In the Jungle is “just” DLC. Mintrocket could’ve released this as Dave the Diver 2, bumped the price, and I’d still be singing its praises. It’s one of the most generous DLCs I’ve ever played, crammed with gameplay, charm, and depth. A must‑buy for fans, and if you’ve never played Dave the Diver before, this is the perfect time to jump in and lose yourself in everything it offers. There are sales on right now where you can get the whole Dave the Diver package, base game, all the previous DLC and this new DLC for around £20. That’s an insane amount of game for such a small price.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to dive back into the twenty‑five hours I’ve already spent with In the Jungle and add many more on top.