“I’ve never seen him make a mis-Steak.”
In honor of Pride month, and just a bit after Father’s Day, I decided to go with a game that I absolutely love for both its comedy and themes: Dream Daddy.
Dream Daddy is a PC RPG game created by the Game Grumps. Yes, as in Arin and Dan, those two crazy men who crack amazing jokes about games and run the always funny 10 Minute Power Hour YouTube series. Why do I mention the game’s origins as such? Well, clearly, these guys know their games and comedy.
Dream Daddy is a dating simulator where you play as a dad dating other dads. You play as your “dadsona,” who takes care of his daughter, Amanda, after the death of his significant other. After moving to Maple Bay, the player runs into seven different dads that the player can meet up with and potentially date. Depending on the player’s dialogue choices, they can earn good or bad endings with their chosen dad. (I’ll never forget the fiasco that was the “Joseph Cult Ending” when the game was initially released).
Each dad follows a sort of “label,” such as the Goth Dad, Damien, or Teacher Dad, Hugo. However, the more you play the game, you begin to learn more about each dateable character and begin to see the game is more than just a comedic dating sim.
While I don’t wish to spoil much about this game, I will note that the game is not quite what it seems. Considering the (obvious) content of the game, it deals with themes such as the passing of previous spouses, dating again, estrangement of families, and responsibilities that come with raising a family. Most conversations center around when to meet with visitation schedules or what your kids are up to. Even so, the Game Grumps and their team of developers clearly put a lot of effort and thought into the game to make it an enjoyable experience. Filled with too many dad puns it apparently made the developers uncomfortable, Dream Daddy still understands and implements what an enjoyable game needs to make it fun, yet still has a good story behind it.
Dream Daddy is not your ordinary dating simulator, but that doesn’t make it any less good. It’s fun, charming, and filled with amazing hot dads.
If anyone asks, I’m rooting for Mat 😉