Dad Quest

About

"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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 123 reviews

story18 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The game features a charming and humorous story that provides a light-hearted experience, often filled with dad jokes and silly moments.
Gameplay mechanics are unique and fun, allowing players to use their child as a weapon in creative ways, which adds a layer of absurdity and enjoyment.
The pixel art style and soundtrack contribute to a nostalgic and engaging atmosphere, making it a pleasant experience overall.

The game suffers from numerous game-breaking glitches and crashes, making it frustrating to progress without resorting to workarounds or file edits.
Combat mechanics can feel simplistic and repetitive, with limited variety in enemy encounters and a lack of challenge outside of boss fights.
There is a notable absence of quality-of-life features, such as a map system or customizable controls, which can lead to confusion and hinder the overall gameplay experience.

story
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
66%
5%
The story of "Dad Quest" is characterized by its charming and humorous approach, blending silliness with heartfelt moments, though it remains relatively simple and at times forgettable. Players appreciate the unique premise and the variety of quirky characters, with many finding the comedic elements well-executed and enjoyable. While some critiques mention a lack of depth in certain story threads, the overall narrative is seen as a fun and engaging backdrop to the gameplay, making it a memorable experience for many.
- “The story is pretty cute, the game in general is very charming and has this sort of wholesome vibe to it.”
- “What results from all of this is a much richer story 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.”
- “The story, however, is very simple and nothing crazy; it was enjoyable, but I would say it's forgettable.”
- “What Dad Quest did fail to do is fully justify all of its parts.”
- “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
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its irreverent and charming nature, often drawing comparisons to the quirky style of 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 humor can be hit or miss. Overall, the game successfully integrates humor into its gameplay and story, making it a standout title for those who appreciate a comedic touch in their gaming experience.
- “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 depth. 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 a blend of enjoyable exploration and quirky interactions, though it may not sustain excitement throughout its entirety.
- “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 original soundtrack for its nuanced and enjoyable qualities, reminiscent of classic 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.”
- “Great platforming and fantastic music.”
- “Dad Quest is a wonderful platformer game with a good story, fantastic music, great humor, social commentary, and most importantly, plenty of dad humor.”
- “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 presentation, while others criticize it for being outdated and lacking resolution options. Although the character designs are well-executed, the platforming areas could benefit from more visual flair. Overall, the graphics are described as simple yet effective, with a nostalgic charm that appeals to fans of the genre.
- “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 clunkier than needed 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 players reporting the need to edit game files to bypass issues. Additionally, minor glitches, such as full-screen problems and lag upon death, contribute to an overall lack of reliable performance, 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.”
- “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 fun and emotional moments. Reviewers note that while it offers humor, it ultimately delivers a heartfelt experience that resonates with players.
- “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.