Dave the Diver In the Jungle Review: Worth $9.99? (2026)

Dave the Diver In the Jungle review context matters here more than usual: the base game sits at Overwhelmingly Positive, 96.5 percent across more than 161,000 reviews, one of the best-reviewed indie games of the last few years. The DLC doesn't come close to that number, and the gap between the two tells a more specific story than "it's fine, but less special."

TL;DR: In the Jungle is Mostly Positive on Steam at roughly 76 percent, a real drop from the base game's 96.5 percent. The content itself, a full jungle-lake biome, a 7-chapter story, new bosses, and expanded Bancho Grill options, is genuinely substantial. The score gap traces to specific, documented issues: Nintendo Switch stability problems that needed two rounds of post-launch fixes, and zero Steam achievements with no explanation from MINTROCKET.

Is Dave the Diver In the Jungle worth it? (quick answer)

Yes, if you already own and like the base game. At $9.99 it adds a full new biome, story arc, and restaurant content on top of a system you already know. The catch is real: Steam's own review split (76 percent versus the base game's 96.5 percent) reflects genuine launch-window rough edges, not just review fatigue on a sequel-style expansion.

Key Takeaways

• Developer/Publisher: MINTROCKET (same team as the base game).
• Price: $9.99, requires the base game ($19.99).
• Released: June 18, 2026.
• Reception: Mostly Positive, 75.5% (1,558 positive / 506 negative / 2,064 total DLC-specific reviews) as of this review, versus the base game's Overwhelmingly Positive 96.5% across 161,727 reviews.
• Content: 7-chapter story, a full jungle-and-lake biome, multiple named boss fights, new Bancho Grill recipes and staff, a bug-collection system.
• Missing: zero dedicated Steam achievements (base game has 43).

Overview: what MINTROCKET actually shipped

In the Jungle sends Dave, Cobra, and Muna to a new location built around a jungle and connected lake system, distinct enough from the base game's ocean setting that it doesn't feel like a reskinned biome. The story runs seven chapters and introduces a genuine boss roster: Sulong, the Giant Goby, the Giant Fringehead, the Black Caiman, and several more creatures confirmed to exist but not all documented as full boss encounters. That's a meaningful structural commitment for a $9.99 add-on, not a handful of new fish types dropped into the existing map.

The exploration half of the loop, picking through sunken debris and coral ledges for loot, carries over from the base game unchanged, which is exactly the point: the DLC adds a new setting without breaking what already worked.

The restaurant side gets real attention too. Bancho Grill, the base game's night-time cooking sim, picks up new recipes built around jungle ingredients and additional staff options, extending the loop that made the original game's day-dive-night-cook structure work in the first place. If you were already deep into optimizing your restaurant, there's genuinely more to do here, not just cosmetic menu additions.

The Bancho Grill loop, precise minigames layered on top of restaurant management, is the system the Jungle DLC extends most directly, and it's still just as satisfying to nail a "PERFECT" as it was in the base game.

Gameplay: where the DLC-specific score comes from

This is the part worth being specific about, because "mixed reception" without a reason isn't useful to a reader deciding whether to buy. MINTROCKET's own post-launch communication traces the gap directly. Two separate "Mini Update" posts, one in late June and another in July, both explicitly cited Nintendo Switch stability and optimization as an ongoing problem the studio was still working through weeks after launch, not a day-one bug fixed in a single hotfix. A string of hotfixes through late June and early July also fixed specific spawn bugs (the Red-Bellied Piranha and Goliath Tigerfish both had issues where they'd stop appearing in the field) and a reward exploit tied to the Sulong boss fight that let players claim rewards without actually clearing it.

None of that is catastrophic on its own. Taken together, it's the profile of a DLC that launched with more rough edges than the meticulously polished base game ever shipped with, and Steam's reviewers noticed. Mini Update #3, the most recent one on record, directly addresses "post-game content" and a "future content plan," which lines up with a specific community complaint: that the new area runs out of things to do faster than the main campaign did.

GODEEPER: If you're chasing every boss the DLC has to offer, our Giant Goby guide covers the first major Murau Temple fight in detail. Dave the Diver Giant Goby Boss Guide: Murau Temple →

The achievements gap compounds this in a smaller but persistent way. The base game shipped with 43 Steam achievements; In the Jungle shipped with zero, and MINTROCKET has never publicly explained why (our full breakdown of that gap covers the leading community theories). It's not a dealbreaker for most players, but for the specific audience that treats achievement hunting as part of a game's replay value, it's a real, ongoing absence with no fix in sight as of this review.

Verdict

None of this erases what's genuinely good here. The core loop that earned Dave the Diver its reputation, alternating between tense underwater exploration and a relaxed restaurant-management night shift, transfers cleanly into the new biome, and seven story chapters with a real boss roster is a substantial amount of content for the price. This isn't a thin reskin dressed up as an expansion.

But it's also not the same polish level as the base game, and the review split reflects that honestly rather than reviewer fatigue on a follow-up release. If you loved Dave the Diver and want more of exactly that loop in a new setting, $9.99 is a fair price for what's here, rough launch window aside. If you're on the fence about the base game itself, start there. In the Jungle is an expansion for people who already know they like this game, not a pitch for people who don't.

GODEEPER: Want the full breakdown of everything the DLC adds before you dive in? Our complete guide hub covers every system, chapter, and unlock. Dave the Diver In the Jungle Guide: Complete Hub (2026) →

Tips

Check your patch version before judging the DLC on old impressions

If you played In the Jungle at launch and bounced off the Switch stability issues, it's worth knowing MINTROCKET pushed real fixes across multiple hotfixes and two Mini Updates since then. The version reviewed here (post Mini Update #3) is a noticeably more stable experience than the June 18 launch build.

Don't expect achievement progress to track your DLC playtime

Since there are zero dedicated achievements for this content pack, don't structure your playthrough around unlock hunting the way you might in the base game. Play for the story and the restaurant content instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dave the Diver In the Jungle DLC worth it? Mostly, if you already love the base game. It's Mostly Positive at roughly 76 percent on Steam, real new content but a clearly rougher launch than the base game had. At $9.99 on top of a game you already own, the restaurant and story additions justify the price for existing fans.

Why does the Jungle DLC have a lower review score than the base game? Steam splits DLC reviews from the base game automatically. In the Jungle sits at 76 percent Mostly Positive versus the base game's 96 percent Overwhelmingly Positive, driven mainly by Nintendo Switch stability issues that needed two separate post-launch updates to address.

Does the Jungle DLC have achievements? No. It ships with zero dedicated Steam achievements, compared to 43 in the base game. MINTROCKET hasn't explained the omission, and it remains a real, still-unaddressed complaint months after launch.

How much content does In the Jungle add to Dave the Diver? A full jungle-and-lake biome, a 7-chapter story arc, multiple named boss fights, new Bancho Grill recipes and staff, new gear, and a bug-collection minigame system. It's a genuine content expansion, not a small cosmetic pack.

Do I need to finish the base game before playing In the Jungle? MINTROCKET built it as an add-on to an existing save, so having real progress in the base game's core loop makes the new content click faster. It's not a separate standalone experience.

References

• DAVE THE DIVER on Steam: official store page, base game, appid 1868140
• DAVE THE DIVER - In the Jungle Content Pack on Steam: official DLC store page, appid 4394810, $9.99
• DAVE THE DIVER - In the Jungle DLC Launch Trailer: official trailer, MINTROCKET YouTube channel