Mintrocket, the award-winning studio behind DAVE THE DIVER, has announced its next game: BANCHO THE CHEF, a cooking simulation RPG that explores the origin story of Bancho, one of the most beloved characters from DAVE THE DIVER. The game is coming to PC and PS5. The announcement was made during the State of Play presentation.
Set years before the events of DAVE THE DIVER, the game follows a younger Bancho as he travels across Asia, learning regional cuisines and working his way toward becoming the master chef fans already know and love. Players journey through vibrant locations across Japan, Korea, and China, picking up authentic recipes and techniques inspired by real local cuisine along the way. Each region comes with its own culinary identity, and mastering it is key to earning the respect of local communities and unlocking new areas to explore.
At its core, the game blends cooking mechanics, time management, and hands-on restaurant management with RPG-style character progression. Players serve customers, complete region-specific challenges, and fulfill requests from locals to build Bancho’s reputation one dish at a time. As that reputation grows, new recipes become available, more customers come through the door, and the path forward opens up. The progression feels deliberate, as every ingredient learned and every satisfied customer feeds directly into Bancho’s development as a chef.
Beyond the restaurant, the gameplay opens up further with side activities like fishing and VIP missions that add variety to the journey without pulling focus from the central story. The narrative itself is woven throughout, gradually uncovering Bancho’s backstory and his deeper connections to the world of DAVE THE DIVER in a way that rewards fans of the original game while remaining accessible to newcomers.
Jaeho Hwang, Head of Mintrocket, described Bancho as “a somewhat mysterious personality and highly skilled chef” who the team felt was “deserving of his own fully realized backstory,” adding that the game is a chance to bring “another adventure into the world that our fans love so much.”
BANCHO THE CHEF is currently announced for PC and PS5. It is available to wishlist now on Steam and the PSN. The developer is promising new details to drop soon.
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- Review: DAVE THE DIVER – An Insanely Addictive Experience
Would you be interested in playing BANCHO THE CHEF, and have you played the original DAVE THE DIVER? Let us know in the comments section below.
