Game: Dream Daddy incl. Dadrector’s Cut
Genre: Simulation, Adventure, Interactive Visual Novel
System: Nintendo Switch (also on Steam and mobile)
Developer|Publisher: Game Grumps inc.
Age Rating: EU 16+| US Teen
Price: $ 14.99 / £ 13.49 / € 14,99
Release Date: 2nd July 2019
No review code used, bought the game myself.
Dear Game Grumps, Thank You. Sincerely, Me
Dear Game Grumps, as an avid fan of visual-novel romance simulation games (with a sprinkling of adventure according to game categorizers) I would like to sincerely thank you for a game that is just people falling in love with people.
*INITIATE SIDE-RANT*
My pet peeve: in media, news, etc. when they feel the need to specify the gender and/or ethnicity of a person in the report. We are all just humans, doesn’t matter our age, race, gender, sexual preferences, hair colour, favourite bread, we’re all just people making choices and hopefully trying to bring a little more good into the world.
*SIDE-RANT COMPLETE*
Game Grumps did exactly that with Dream Daddy. This game brought me so much squee-happiness-joy (it’s a thing!) constantly. I had happy feels, sad feels, angry feels, incredulous feels, and there were even times when I felt like the game was speaking directly to ME and me alone. That takes some genuine writing talent, and I now have serious respect for Game Grumps.
This is the kind of game experience that will make me actively seek out any and every other game the Game Grumps make or produce and play it. Now THAT’S a quality brand. In fact, if I can ever find time in my life, I’ll also be checking out their numerous other artistic projects (they even have a band!).
How Do I Find My Dream Daddy?
So, in case you are not familiar with what an interactive visual novel is… it’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s basically a choose-your-own-adventure story, but it’s on your Switch (not on a paper-book) so it has accompanying visuals and music. All the pieces of this puzzle are stellar. The artwork is fantastic and lovingly made, the music is excellent – especially the intro song “Dre-ee-ee-eeeeeeem Daddy! Who’s gonna be your dream?”. I seriously had the song stuck in my head for weeks after playing the game. Now it’s stuck in my head again!
The writing really is where this game shines though. Each of the seven different daddy’s you can romance have distinct personalities, and (usually) a bit of a tragic past. These daddies are all packing some personal baggage – and not only in the form of a child or two. It’s up to you to either help lift all that baggage onto your station wagon of love and acceptance, or toss it in a lake of rejection and hate.
This game is witty and comedic, and it’s absolutely chock FULL of bad dad jokes and puns. If that is a kind of humour that tickles you, you will LOVE this game; if it’s the kind of humour that makes your eyes roll so hard they hurt a little, then… I think you will still really like this game!
For example – and here’s where I explain how I felt the game was speaking directly to me – I’m playing through Matt’s story-line (incidentally, my favourite dad), and I’m at an open mic night with my daughter at Matt’s coffee shop. A piece of text pops up on the screen about how an improv group takes the stage, that they take suggestions from the crowd and a scene that’s supposed to be about coffee ends up being five minutes of crude jokes. I laughed out loud SO HARD! If I had had milk in my mouth at that moment, I would have spit it all over my Switch, that’s how hard I laughed. OH, AND the milk would have also come out my nose and gotten my shirt all wet too.
The reason I find this so amusing is that I am an improviser. BEWM! Suddenly my eyes shone with multi-coloured sparkles, and I thought to myself, “This game knows and loves me.” *doki-doki-DOKI* (That was the sound of my heartbeat… in case you were confused… that’s the Japanese onomatopoeia for a beating heart).
*AHEM*
Moving on! To answer the question: you find YOUR dream daddy by going on three separate dates with one of the seven “eligible” daddies (quotes intentional), and choosing the various dialogue choices that will eventually present themselves as you play. Choosing things the daddies like or dislike will obviously change the outcome of your relationship. Will you find true love? Or will you be rejected like two-week-old stale cake?
“This ice cream cake is my new boyfriend…”
…my character said as I was summarily rejected by a daddy. I know I’ve snuggled into the cold bosom of ice-cream when I’ve been through a breakup. This game is true to life. Even though you are playing a daddy (a character identifying as male) romancing other daddys (other characters identifying as male) there isn’t any focus or attention brought to the gender identity or sexual orientation of the characters.
I LOVE THAT ABOUT THIS GAME!
It’s just about PEOPLE falling in love with PEOPLE. And people are complicated. This game isn’t just choosing the best option and getting the magical happily ever after Disney ending. No sir. Rather it’s about making a real connection with each character, and perhaps you can both become better people by supporting each other; or perhaps not. This game isn’t touting the idea that love conquers all, but rather the idea of what a healthy relationship should look like.
AND I LOVE THAT ABOUT THIS GAME!
I think these are important lessons for everyone; having a healthy relationship with someone requires good communication and the building of trust. In Dream Daddy this not only includes your interactions with the other dads, but also your interactions with your in-game daughter Amanda. I don’t want to give out any spoilers, but there are some real surprise endings that drive this point home hard.
Controls, Art, Sound
For anyone who has never played a visual novel before, controls are basically use the D-pad or joystick to highlight your selection, press A to confirm, and B to cancel. That’s all there is to it. There are a few mini-games that you get to play, all specific to the scenario you are in with the various daddys at the time. Sometimes these will utilize the other buttons.
Artwork is awesome, the characters and backgrounds are lovely to look at, and I especially liked the colour pallete of the game. It gives a very calm and relaxing kind of vibe. Which is exactly what I want to do when I sit down to play a dating-sim.
Character creation is also very fun. I ended up making my daddy a hipster-looking dude, but there are plenty of options for what kind of dad-bod you wanna rock for the game.
I also really liked your daughter character Amanda. She’s a cool chick with her own style, dreams, and life. What kind of role-model you decide to be for her is also up to you.
Sound is fine and fits the game nicely. The main theme song is especially good! “Dree-eee-eee-EEEEEM Daddy! Who’s-it-gonna-be? Who’s-it-gonna-be?”
The Little Niggle Wiggles
Honestly, there was only one thing that niggled me. It was the voice recording for the one daddy, Hugo. To me it sometimes sounded like his voice actor was inside a large tin can when he was recording his reaction noises. It was just jarring to me after how good sounding everything else is. I actually felt a little sorry for Hugo, as though he was their least favourite child.
—–
Final Verdict: I like it a lot!
I think this game is full of wit, humour, honesty, and a cast of characters who are all lovable. The relationships you cultivate with the daddies, with your daughter, and even with your own main character are a fun adventure worthy of your time and money. I would recommend this game to everyone who likes a good story with great characters and isn’t afraid of reading.