Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator Reviews
While it succeeds in being a happy, positive game, Dream Daddy's simulation doesn't go far enough.
Dream Daddy is a fun and surprisingly wholesome game about not just dating, but also the highs and lows of parenthood
At its core, this is a game that's funny and good-hearted, presenting a world where a single queer dad's ability to be a good father is never called into question. It's a pretty cool accomplishment for a silly game birthed from a meme.
I'm not sure if Dream Daddy is just a simple visual novel or a commentary on some social issue. Is it all a fever dream? Was there some nefarious explanation for the weirdness and coincidence of the proximity to all the hot gay dads? Did I let my mixed emotions about losing touch with my college-bound daughter drive me to explore a sexual side of me that I never knew existed? Was I secretly gay beforehand and masterminded the entire move to Maple Bay to satisfy a kink?
The choices, sadly, don't feel very impactful, which is another negative for a VN, but the number of endings and diverse options of dads available to date do make a notable difference.
Between the delightful little flourishes, this is a game that wants to make you think. And feel.
Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator fulfils its promise of silly dad humour and heartwarming fatherly moments, but just falls short when it comes to the romance.
Greatly written and life-affirming dating simulator that gives away a lot of potential.
Review in German | Read full review
Heartwarming; that’s the word to describe Dream Daddy. It’s a feelgood game, from its tongue-in-cheek Dream Weaver-esque theme tune to its message of acceptance and generally being excellent to one another.
Dream Daddy is a fun and light-hearted visual novel, but it's not without its share of issues.
Dream Daddy is a sharp and humorous visual novel that unfortunately erases the notion of queerness from male-male relationships.
Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator has ample promise and a lot of heart, but wasn't given enough time to grow.
Dream Daddy comes from a nice idea, but is often hard to take seriously. It’s good fun for at least a couple of hours, but if you’re playing for the ‘novelty’ you won’t be playing much longer than that.
Dream Daddy is more of a dad sim than a dating sim, as its romance feels artificial on most occasions.
Personally, I've always enjoyed a nice dialogue choice-based storytelling game, on the road! Another thing worth mentioning is: Many can find enjoyment in Dream Daddy, no matter the sexuality you possess — though depending on it, one might enjoy such more. Hence my scoring, as a genre enthusiast. I haven't played a meaningful dialogue selection game in awhile, so this was a refreshing change in pace.
With wonderful writing and art, this game is amazing. There are a few flaws in the mini-games that can be mostly forgiven. I would absolutely recommend giving this dating game a chance. Definitely worth it.
By and large, Dream Daddy succeeds at creating developed characters that have unique stories, interesting dialogue, and fun personalities. I wouldn't call anything here realistic; the cul de sac where the game takes place feels like a dreamy land where only the happiest characters exist, despite the hardships that they discuss. Dream Daddy looks great in handheld and TV mode, and this version boasted a handful more optional scenes, but nothing strikingly new in comparison to the rest of the dates.
Dream Daddy manages to break the well-worn cliches and tropes dating simulators tend to fall into to create an enjoyable experience.
Dream Daddy is one of the funniest games of recent memory, but sadly also very short.