Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator

Three masc looking people, one holding a baby in a baby sling, standing in a backyard. Choices read 'Talk to Craig.' and 'Listen in on Matt and Hugo.'.
I played Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator recently, in preparation for the first official episode of the QRM ‘book club’ podcast. Unfortunate circumstances stopped me from being able to participate in the recording of that podcast, but I still want to get my feelings out there – and the QGJ is a handy way to do it.

Basically, DDADDS is everything I hoped it would be, and if you have any interest in adopting a dadsona and dating a bunch of other really attractive dads, you should play it now instead of reading this entry. Then come back here, so that we can talk about Craig and his adorable baby (I hate children but my god this child won me over), and the incredible mystery we solved so that child’s heart wasn’t permanently broken. That capybara brotective adventure was one of the best things I’ve ever done in a game (and if you’re reading this without having played it, yes, it is as great as it sounds), so even though I didn’t go into this thinking Craig would win my heart… things change. If you get started and Craig, who is ridiculously athletic in ways I will never be, is not the guy for you – don’t stress. There’s a whole cul-de-sac of eligible bachelors for you to try to woo. There’s Matt, resident cool guy and certified dreamboat, who I originally thought would be my guy. Or Robert, the hilarious but gruff bad boy. Or Damien, misunderstood romantic goth dad. And Hugo – oh, Hugo, with his soulful eyes and love for cheese boards. Even frustratingly competitive Brian, the long lost Weasley uncle, and Joseph, the Christian youth minister, grow on you. PLUS they all have children that are varying degrees of awesome – but none of them even come close to the perfection of your own child. No matter who your dadsona is, he will always have the world’s coolest daughter, Amanda. I felt pride in her like one might feel in a real child, and I can only hope that if I have kids one day, they’ll be exactly like her. Plus, for me, Amanda was adopted, even though I chose to have been in a heterosexual relationship when she was born – what a cool thing that is so rarely seen in games! Just another thing to add to the list of surprisingly great things about DDADDS. And oh, how I could go on. But really…

You should play this if…

You like puns, or dads, or the idea of dating dads, or humour in general, or dating sims in general, or… no, okay, you should just play this game. It’s genuinely delightful.