I love love. I watch romantic movies just to cry. I have already mentally planned my dream wedding and several backup weddings. You know…just in case. The only thing I love more than love is reading. I keep bookmarks in my purse in case of an emergency book binge. I am an avid member of several book clubs and, for fun, I try to read about 100 books a year. So, when my friend introduced me to Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator, I knew it was going to be a match made in heaven.
RELATED: 10 Best Romance Visual Novels
Dream Daddy, published by Game Grumps in 2017, is an interactive visual novel where you play as a customizable character, who is the widowed single father of a teenage girl named Amanda. You and Amanda have recently moved to a cul-de-sac in Maple Bay, where your neighbors are seven incredibly attractive fathers, waiting to date you. The fathers include athletic Craig Cahn, intelligent Hugo Vega, hard-working Brian Harding, gothic Damien Bloodmarch, aloof Robert Small, pious (and married) Joseph Christiansen, and the beautiful, charming Mat Stella.
As soon as I saw the title card for the game, I knew I would be choosing Mat in the end. As far as looks, Mat was everything I go for in real life – tall, muscular with long hair and a gorgeous smile. Mat’s character owns the neighborhood coffee shop, The Coffee Spoon, plays the guitar, and not only has a daughter, but is a mentor to a neighborhood teen. Wow.
Dream Daddy allows you to go on three dates with each of the dads. When streaming the game, I decided to go on one date with each of the other dads, complete some of the mini-games, and go on all three of Mat’s dates.
As I played the game, more of Mat’s backstory was revealed. His character was more than just attractive, he was emotionally vulnerable, sweet, and caring. In the end, my character and Mat got a happy ending, but I started to think, “Did I miss out on getting to know the other daddies?” The answer is yes, I definitely did.
I went back and played the game again. I saw all of the interactions I had originally missed by just going on one date with each of the other characters. They were all multi-dimensional characters with layered personalities, wants, and desires.
I started to wonder what would have happened if I were able to do this with people I have dated in the past. Humans are complex creatures and we often see what we want or make assumptions about people without really getting to know them. This oftentimes leads to unfulfilled romantic, and even platonic, interactions. Maybe some people deserve another look, another conversation, a little patience.
Dream Daddy is known for showing hot single dads, but I don’t think it gets enough credit for how it depicts relationships blossoming and how much of a joy it is to really get to know a person, even if they are fictitious.
NEXT: The Discourse Around Queer Characters Doesn't Need To Be This Exhausting