Dad Quest

About

Dad Quest is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Sundae Month and was released on August 17, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"Dad Quest" is a 2D platformer with a unique brand of comedy, where dads raise and train their indestructible child as a weapon. In this pixel art game, players journey through chapters of story-based adventure, meeting compelling characters and battling enemies with toy-inspired combat skills. With the option to play as a male or female dad, the game offers an authentic retro soundtrack and hours of gameplay.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 131 reviews

story18 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The game features a unique and humorous premise, allowing players to use their child as a weapon, which adds a fun twist to the gameplay.
The platforming mechanics are solid, and the game is filled with charming pixel art and a light-hearted story that resonates with players, especially parents.
Many players found the humor and dad jokes throughout the game to be entertaining, making it a fun experience for families and friends.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and crashes, making it difficult for some players to progress, especially after the tutorial.
There is a lack of a mini-map and inventory management issues, which can lead to confusion and frustration during gameplay.
Some players felt that the combat mechanics were simplistic and repetitive, with a lack of variety in enemy encounters and challenges.

story
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
70%
4%
The story of "Dad Quest" is characterized by its quirky humor and charm, presenting a lighthearted yet occasionally heartfelt narrative that explores the "dad universe" through unique puzzles and whimsical characters. While some players found the plot simple and lacking depth, others appreciated its comedic twists and social commentary, making it an enjoyable experience overall. However, the story's progression can feel disjointed, with some players wishing for more cohesive quest management and deeper narrative threads.
- “The story is pretty cute, the game in general is very charming and has this sort of wholesome vibe to it.”
- “The game does a great job of incorporating humor into the story without feeling forced, and has a lot of cute easter eggs that add to the whole experience.”
- “A surprisingly deep story with some really good humorous sequences!”
- “Here it is particularly bad, because the story ends somewhere near the beginning, but said beginning is very tricky to find.”
- “The story is very simple and nothing crazy; it was enjoyable, but I would say it's forgettable.”
- “The writing is good and often funny, the pixel art is charming, and the gameplay is passable, but the story just sort of... stops.”
humor
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its irreverent and charming nature, often drawing comparisons to classic titles like Earthbound. Players find the premise of using children as weapons both hilarious and unique, with many enjoying the witty dialogue and funny mechanics, although some feel the novelty wears off over time. Overall, the game successfully integrates humor into its story and gameplay, making it a standout feature despite some gameplay challenges.
- “The game does a great job of incorporating humor into the story without feeling forced, and has a lot of cute easter eggs that add to the whole experience.”
- “Many games try and fail to be funny, but this one has a sharp sense of humor that often surprises.”
- “The main gameplay gimmick of using your tiny child as a weapon was both hilarious and well done.”
gameplay
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
50%
8%
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of humor and unique mechanics, particularly the "toy" system that enhances combat and adds variety. While many players appreciate the fun and absurdity of the mechanics, some criticize the damage scaling and cooldowns, making combat feel frustrating at times. Overall, the game offers an enjoyable experience with a blend of platforming and light RPG elements, though it may become repetitive as the humor wears thin.
- “They implemented a 'toy' mechanic where you get to equip a toy on your child, and depending on what it is, you will deal extra bonus damage in melee or tossing, as well as the ability for different bonus effects that some toys can provide.”
- “The gameplay mechanics are really fun, and the humor is great.”
- “Overall, the gameplay is fun, but still presents a challenge.”
- “The game has good humor but that's pretty much it... gameplay is okay but the damage scaling is bad (close to none) and it's just painful to get barraged by normal enemies during mid/end game - fighting a swarm of enemies with zero cooldown on their attack while your only move is on a 3-4 second cooldown (and deal minimal damage).”
- “It's okay and I'd recommend it to kids, but I feel its humor dies off rather quickly and the gameplay only gets exciting close to the ending; a lot of it is a drag.”
- “Gameplay-wise, Dad Quest is creative, but ultimately flops for a few reasons.”
music
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
47%
20%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the enjoyable and nuanced original soundtrack that evokes nostalgia for retro RPGs. However, some players found the music forgettable and suggested that incorporating well-known bands could enhance immersion. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated by many, it also has its detractors.
- “Perhaps the best part of this game is the soundtrack, which had a lot more nuanced feeling than I expected.”
- “Dad Quest is a wonderful platformer game with a good story, fantastic music, great humor, social commentary, and most importantly, plenty of dad humor.”
- “Great platforming and fantastic music.”
- “The music is also really forgettable; I'd say more, but I forgot what it even sounded like.”
- “It is very well put together with only a few bugs and quality of life issues that mess up the experience; namely the soundtrack.”
- “If this game had songs by bands like the Foo Fighters, it'd be way more immersive, because many songs go with the beat and feel of the game while also matching the aesthetic and concept of the game.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The game's graphics feature a retro pixel art style that some players appreciate for its colorful and clean design, while others criticize it for being outdated and lacking resolution options. Although the character designs are praised, the platforming areas are seen as bland and in need of more visual flair. Overall, the graphics are well-executed but may not meet the expectations of those seeking contemporary visuals.
- “But let's get back to the game... the game is a very nice 2D platformer, with colorful graphics and a really nice pixel art style that I quite enjoyed.”
- “It's got nice challenges and great visuals, along with an enjoyable soundtrack to accompany.”
- “Graphically speaking, the actual human characters of the game look fantastic.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
- “While this is on PC, it has all the hallmarks and deficiencies of a console game, from the clunky control scheme to the less than cutting-edge graphics.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized due to frequent game-breaking glitches and crashes that hinder progress, with some players resorting to editing game files to bypass issues. Additionally, minor glitches, such as full-screen problems and lag upon dying, contribute to an overall lack of polish, with no indication of forthcoming bug fixes.
- “The reason I have to give the game a not recommended is that there are game-breaking glitches that will cause the game to crash or make progress nearly impossible without editing the game files to warp past the problem areas.”
- “Glitches and crashes, with no sign of bug fixes.”
- “The screen goes white and freezes.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its charming and wholesome vibe, featuring a cute story filled with emotional moments that evoke both laughter and heartfelt feelings. Overall, it successfully blends fun and sentimentality, leaving players with a warm emotional experience.
- “The story is pretty cute; the game in general is very charming and has this sort of wholesome vibe to it.”
- “Lots of fun with cute and emotional moments throughout.”
- “The premise and story can definitely make you laugh, but ultimately lands in a heartfelt place.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be enjoyable, as exploration and achievement completion feel rewarding rather than tedious, minimizing the sense of backtracking.