I am starting to port the Game Design Document for Dive Buddies into this website – though I am currently keeping it password protected. The intent will be to use this build and keep a record of the design, to share it with other developers in one spot, and to start preparing for eventual kickstarter rewards.
Part of this effort is market research, and I spent a few hours digging deeper into existing games this evening – including several that I hadn’t been tracking previously. I had spoken with developers of both Infinite Scuba and Shipwreck Discovery at DEMA ‘25 – and many people are familiar with Subnautica and Dave the Diver… but there are quite a few scuba-related games out there.
While there are a few that focus on fantastic storytelling, most fall into one of two categories: fantastic adventures focused on survival or some similar quest, or simulations that focus on virtual experience. None offer cooperative gameplay, and the only true multiplayer I found was one where you can play as either a diver or a shark in a one-on-one death match (I didn’t include that as it is so far removed from the type of game we are looking at).
With art focused on simplified expression of realistic environments with physics, the first Dive Buddies will start to fill the obvious gap in the upper right quadrant. While the gameplay will focus on following realistic physics, the aim will be to work through quests – bringing a cozy adventure without the survival and stress of some of the available titles. This will be a simplified, one player experience where it is easy to share accomplishments.
With sufficient success and potential runway to hire artists and other staff, the follow-on VR project will bring more realism in an immersive environment, shifting the focus towards cooperative play and simulation. Likewise, efforts to secure agreements to use the platform to support education efforts will focus on simulation-based edutainment.
Do you know of any other games we should be considering?
Mischief Games 
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