Octodad is a load of fun (GODDAMNIT OCTODAD)

Octodad is one of the cutest games I've played since PaRappa the Rappa and Katamari Damacy. You play as the title character, an octopus masquerading as a middle age husband, father, and (judging by the suit) some kind of business professional. You spend the game (primarily) engaged in simple domestic life with your family. You shop, you mow the lawn, you go to the aquarium. Needless to say, Octodad has one of the most unusual premises of any game...ever.

"He walks with extreme difficulty, throwing one leg across the room and dragging his body behind it."

The hook to Octodad is that any simple task is incredibly difficult for Octodad to do. He walks with extreme difficulty, throwing one leg across the room and dragging his body behind it. Octodad also grabs things with extraordinary imprecision, snaking one tentacle towards your target but frequently knocking over everything nearby. Octodad's problem, therefore, is accomplishing his day-to-day routines without alerting the locals to the fact that he's an octopus by creating too big a spectacle of himself.

Playing Octodad, I was reminded of Remy controlling Alfredo in Ratatouille, Vincent D'Onofrio's roach-in-a-human-suit in Men in Black, and any of Jim Carrey's movies in the 90's. Physical comedy is fun to watch and I really enjoyed Octodad, for a while. This style of game, which some are calling fumblecore, is meant to be difficult to control and trying to get Octodad to move smoothly isn't just part of the game, it is the whole game. As you can imagine, this means a certain amount of frustration is built in to the game, and whether or not you'll like the game depends on how you deal with this frustration. This is particularly true when in some situations that cannot be avoided (the aquarium dance floor) or the occasional encounter with an evil sushi chef. The game is great to let you avoid some stressful spots (and crank down the difficulty to easy) but those unavoidable parts may test your limits.

"...a certain amount of frustration is built in to the game, and whether or not you'll like the game depends on how you deal with this frustration."

"I love the premise; I would watch the Octodad cartoon show if there was one."

I haven't quite finished Octodad yet. I love the premise; I would watch the Octodad cartoon show if there was one. I love the cuteness, the earnestness, and the fact that you do not have to kill anybody in the game. You're just an octopus trying to be a good husband and father while concealing your terrible secret. I think that the cuteness will keep me playing the game through to the end. I am grateful to the designers for putting in an easy mode which alleviates much of the stress (but not all). I hope to see more games like this one, even if it is a test of my ability to handle frustration as much as anything else.