Comparison

DAVE THE DIVER vs Descent

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

DAVE THE DIVER

Explore the ocean depths by day, catching fish and uncovering mysteries, then run a bustling sushi restaurant by night. This adventure, RPG, and management hybrid offers casual combat, resource gathering, and a charming narrative with a unique art style. A free trial is available before unlocking the full experience with a one-time purchase.

Highlights
  • Underwater exploration and fishing
  • Sushi restaurant management
  • Casual combat and gathering
  • Rogue-like elements
  • Character-driven narrative
  • Unique 2D/3D art style
  • Minigames and side quests
Features
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*TRY BEFORE YOU BUY* Play the opening portion for free. A one-time purchase unlocks the full game. DLC expansions are available as separate in-app purchases. With 130,000+ reviews and a 96% Overwhelmingly Positive rating, Dave the Diver is coming to mobile. The mobile version is a full port of the original PC game. [An adventure, RPG, management hybrid] Explore and unravel the mysteries in the depths of the Blue Hole by day and run a successful exotic sushi restaurant by night. It’s easy to get hooked on the satisfying gameplay loop! [Casual combat and gathering gameplay with rogue-like elements] Dive into the ever-changing Blue Hole and use a harpoon and other weapons to catch fish and various creatures. Upgrade and forge equipment with collected resources and sushi restaurant profits to prepare for the dangers that lurk in the unknown. Running out of oxygen means leaving collected items and fish behind! [Eccentric characters with a lighthearted narrative] Quirky but lovable characters and a story full of in-jokes, spoofs, and other humorous scenes provide an approachable and enjoyable gameplay experience. [A beautiful sea environment with attractive 2D/3D Art] A combination of pixel and 3D graphics provides a stunning art style that showcases breathtaking underwater scenery. This oceanic adventure is set in the real marine environment of a Blue Hole filled with over 200 kinds of sea creatures. [Ample additional content to complement the main gameplay loop] Minigames, side quests, and multiple storylines provide many hours of entertainment and varied gameplay. [Supported Devices] This game requires a device with 6GB of RAM or more. iPhone: iPhone 12 Pro / 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro / 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14 / 14 Plus / 14 Pro / 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15 / 15 Plus / 15 Pro / 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 / 16 Plus / 16 Pro / 16 Pro Max, iPhone 16e, iPhone 17 / 17 Plus / 17 Pro / 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, or newer iPad: iPad (11th gen, 2025), iPad mini (7th gen, 2023), iPad Air (5th gen, 2022) / iPad Air (M2) / iPad Air (M3), iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd gen, 2020), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th gen, 2020), or newer

About

Descent

Embark on an old-school mining adventure on your iPhone. Dig through six unique strata, collecting increasingly valuable ores as you descend. Upgrade your rig, strategically use dynamite, and uncover buried secrets to find your way home.

Highlights
  • Six unique strata to explore
  • Collect various ores including gold and platinum
  • Upgrade drill, fuel, cargo, hull, and engine
  • Use dynamite for difficult rock
  • Discover buried bones for rewards
  • Offline play with autosave
Features
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Descent is an old-school mining game, made for iPhone. • Six strata with unique characteristics • Ore gets richer with depth: iron, copper, silver, gold, platinum — and Descentium, the rare guidance ore that opens the way home • Five rig systems to upgrade: drill, fuel tank, cargo bay, hull, engine • Dynamite... for when the rock disagrees with you • Insurance: rescues aren't free! • Buried bones scattered in the deep: assemble the whole skeleton for a payout • Bring 3 Descentium and $150,000 to the launch pad, to complete the game • Autosaves constantly; pick any run back up where you left it • Fully offline. No ads. No in-app purchases. • Game Center and iCloud sync are optional: achievements, leaderboards, and your save on every device The ore gets richer the deeper you go. So does everything trying to stop you!

Screenshots

DAVE THE DIVER4 screens
Descent4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: DAVE THE DIVER at Free against Descent's $1.99. DAVE THE DIVER also leads on ratings volume (334 vs 2) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 9 days). Descent's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.2) and review sentiment (100% vs 58%). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

DAVE THE DIVER is free to download; Descent costs $1.99 up front. DAVE THE DIVER sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Descent asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Descent holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DAVE THE DIVER has 334 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of DAVE THE DIVER's written reviews are positive against 100% of Descent's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DAVE THE DIVER ships an update every 4 days, Descent every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
DAVE THE DIVER versus Descent: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDAVE THE DIVERDescent
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.2 (334 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings334 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size3.4 GB7 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperMintrocketCartographer ApS

Customer experience

DAVE THE DIVER

All ratings330 ratings
Positive77.3%
Neutral6.4%
Negative16.4%
Written reviews214 reviews
Positive57.9%
Neutral15.9%
Negative26.2%

Descent

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

DAVE THE DIVER

One-time2
  • In the Jungle Content Pack$4.99
  • DAVE THE DIVER Full Version$9.99
None

Descent

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DAVE THE DIVER free?
DAVE THE DIVER is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Descent free?
Descent costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DAVE THE DIVER or Descent?
Descent is rated higher. DAVE THE DIVER averages 4.2 out of 5 from 334 ratings, while Descent averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do DAVE THE DIVER or Descent have ads?
Neither DAVE THE DIVER nor Descent shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DAVE THE DIVER or Descent?
DAVE THE DIVER ships an update every 4 days, and Descent every 9 days. Most recently, DAVE THE DIVER was updated on November 5, 2026 and Descent on October 31, 2026.

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