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 247 reviews

story36 positive mentions

stability8 negative mentions

The game features a charming and humorous story that provides a light-hearted experience, often filled with dad jokes.
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 humor.
The pixel art style and overall design are visually appealing, contributing to a nostalgic and enjoyable atmosphere.

The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including frequent crashes and glitches that can disrupt gameplay and progress.
Combat mechanics can feel limited and repetitive, with a lack of variety in enemy encounters and a simplistic approach to gameplay.
There is no map system, which can lead to confusion and difficulty in navigation, making it hard for players to track their objectives.

story
124 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
69%
2%
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 characters, finding the narrative engaging despite some unresolved threads. Overall, while the story may not be groundbreaking, it effectively combines comedy and lightheartedness, making for an enjoyable experience in a retro-style platformer.
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “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
90 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 concept 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 narrative and gameplay, making it a standout feature despite some criticisms of the combat mechanics.
- “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
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
54%
4%
The gameplay is characterized by its unique mechanics, particularly the "toy" system that allows players to equip toys on their child for various combat bonuses, adding a layer of strategy. While the humor and creativity are praised, some players find the combat system awkward and the damage scaling inadequate, leading to frustrating encounters, especially in the mid to late game. Overall, the game offers a fun and engaging experience, though it may require patience due to occasional technical issues and pacing concerns.
- “The gameplay mechanics are really fun and the humor is great.”
- “Overall, the gameplay is fun, but still presents a challenge.”
- “I was a bit skeptical that the experience would be little more than a long drawn-out joke about using your child as a weapon, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise at around 10 hours of enjoyable gameplay.”
- “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 deals 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
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
57%
10%
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 highlighted as a strong aspect by many, it also faces criticism for lacking memorability.
- “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
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
54%
13%
The game's graphics feature a retro pixel art style that some players appreciate for its colorful and clean animation, enhancing the overall platforming experience. However, critiques highlight the lack of resolution options and a somewhat bland visual presentation in certain areas, suggesting that the graphics could benefit from more flair. Overall, while the pixel art is well-executed, it leans heavily on outdated aesthetics, reminiscent of console games rather than contemporary PC graphics.
- “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
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including game-breaking glitches that can lead to crashes and hinder progress, often requiring players to edit game files to bypass problems. Users report frequent crashes, minor glitches, and lag, particularly after dying, with no indication of forthcoming bug fixes. Overall, these stability concerns have led many to recommend against the game.
- “The reason I have to give the game a not recommended is there are game-breaking glitches that will cause the game to crash or make progress near impossible without editing the game files to warp past the problem areas.”
- “Glitches and crashes, no sign of bug fixes.”
- “Screen goes white and freezes.”
emotional
6 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 kind of a heartfelt place.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be enjoyable, as exploration leads to achievement completion without the frustration of tedious backtracking. This suggests that the game effectively balances progression with engaging content.

68%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Dad Quest PC Game Review
Either a Dad simulator or a Pigeon murderer simulator... either way, it's fun.
Impulsegamer.com
68%

Buy Dad Quest

5h Median play time

5h Average play time

5-5h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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