Did you hear about the guy who invented Lifesavers? They say he made a mint.
If you love dad jokes (and who doesn’t), barbecues, bonding moments and hot dad bods, Dream Daddy is all you’re looking for and more.
The hotly anticipated Dream Daddy, developed and published by the Game Grumps along with Leighton Gray and Vernon Shaw hit the Steam Store on July 20th, and let me say, I don’t know where these dads have been all my life.
Dream Daddy is a dad dating simulator. You create your Dadsona and head out into your brand new neighborhood to meet and mingle with a whole variety of dad type people.
This may seem like a simple concept, but this game is hiding a cornucopia of rich game play in a deceptively simple package.
First difference I noticed was the “Build That Dad” function, This character creator is loaded with options. Do you want to be a bald dad? How about a dad with dreds? You can choose from several body types, facial features, skin tones, ect. to put your best sensibly-shoed foot forward. This in itself is a big difference compared with most visual novels. Most games don’t bother to create a protagonist with a look. Dream Daddy goes a step further by having your custom dad pop up on screen during interactions.
Once you are the dad you want to be, you meet your daughter Amanda, a teen who you are now parenting solo, due to the death of your spouse. Husband/or wife, you get to choose.
In fact this game is full of choices. I have played hours upon hours of visual novels and dating sims. Dream Daddy, has more choices than I have seen in anything that I can remember.
The choices you make help you navigate the new relationships that are waiting to develop for you in your new neighborhood. Will you choose to spend your time with the Goth Dad, Damien? How about the super competitive Dad, Brian? In all there are seven dads to date and all of them are waiting to talk to you on your Dadbook.
Your Dadbook is the main interface in the game and it is beyond charming. I will proudly admit that logging into Dadbook and hearing, “You’ve Got Dads!” made me giggle every single time.
Once you choose a dad to contact, you are off on an adventure. Each dad has his own likes and dislikes. As is standard to most dating sims, you can choose how to talk to your dad du jour. Say something he likes and you are rewarded with a shower of heart, eggplant and splashing sweat emojis. Say something uncouth or too awkward and you get the dark clouds of disappointment. Wooing is an art. To add to the difficulty and fun, each date also treats us to a different mini game. Success in the mini game means big time brownie points with your intended dream dad. At the end of each evening of dad bonding, you get a score. The object being to score as many good neighbor karma points as possible.
As much enjoyment as meeting and greeting all the dad neighbors and their offspring brings, the game adds another level to the story. Our relationship with our daughter Amanda is also evolving, and even though she’s almost out of the nest, a dad’s work is never truly done.
The relationships in the game are so engaging thanks to the superb writing that this game has. There are plenty of dad jokes, puns and humor but that’s only one aspect to enjoy. Some of the interactions and problems you face are very real. Almost too real. There is a level of relate-ability for more than just lovers of dads and dad humour.
From a technical aspect, this game runs really well. I found no bugs in my already copious hours playing.
The music is very pleasant, from the beginning theme by Will Wiesenfeld gently whispering to you of the dadness to come, to the music that is part of each scene, it all just fits and enhances the experience. Also enhancing the experience is the voice acting. Dads don’t always need full words to express how they feel and these dads use a wide range of grunts, groans, giggles and guffaws to express their emotions. All of the characters have their own voice and they are unique and engaging.
If you enjoy dating sims, visual novels, or just plain goofy humor, this game does not disappoint. It is available to buy on Steam for $14.99/£10.99. It has multiple paths and relationships to explore, giving us plenty of replayability. I hope you’ll enjoy finding your Dream Daddy. If you need me I’ll practicing my Dad wooing.
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