The Octodad series is a series developed by the independent studio Young Horses. The series is centered around an octopus who lives among a human family and tries to maintain the illusion of being a normal human father, despite his cephalopod nature. The series is beloved for its unique gameplay mechanics, humor, and endearing characters.
Gameplay[]
The gameplay of the Octodad series is centered on the physicality of controlling Octodad's movements. The game's mechanics revolve around the player controlling his tentacles, which are independently controlled and behave in a way that makes performing everyday tasks a challenge. The goal is to carry out various objectives—such as cooking dinner, attending a wedding, or going to the store—without revealing that Octodad is an octopus.
As players advance through the game, they encounter increasingly difficult scenarios that require the player to navigate complex environments while keeping up the ruse of being a normal human. The humor often arises from the awkwardness of the controls, the absurdity of the situations, and the reactions of the other characters in the world.
Games[]
Development[]
The original Octodad was created by a group of DePaul University game design students as part of an extracurricular project. After graduating in 2011, eight of the original eighteen team members decided to turn the project into a commercial endeavor. They formed the company Young Horses, along with an additional member, and began working on a sequel. Those who didn’t join the company agreed to transfer the rights to Octodad in exchange for stock in Young Horses and a share of the sequel’s royalties.
To fund the sequel, initially called Octodad 2, the team launched a Kickstarter campaign in August 2011. The campaign was successful, raising $24,320. Six team members lived and worked together in a shared apartment to enhance collaboration, though limited space eventually led them to move into two separate apartments. Although the original goal was to release the game in 2012, Octodad: Dadliest Catch was not released until January 2014, taking a total of 2 years and 7 months to develop. In October 2014, they released additional free content titled Octodad Shorts.
A PlayStation Vita version of the game launched on May 26, 2015, primarily developed by Sickhead Games. The game was also ported to the Wii U in October 2015, with Panic Button assisting. In the latter part of 2015, iOS and Android versions with touch controls were released. Finally, a Nintendo Switch port came out on November 9, 2017.
Cast and Characters[]
| Character | Games | |
|---|---|---|
| Octodad | Octodad: Dadliest Catch | |
| Octodad | Tom Taylorson | |
| Scarlet | Anne Sonneville | |
| Stacy | Marissa Holmes | Fryda Wolff |
| Tommy | Bill Holmes | Anne Sonneville |
| Chef Fujimoto | Tom Taylorson | |
| Everyman | Tom Taylorson | |
| Everywoman | Fryda Wolff | |