Octodad: Dadliest Catch is the kind of indie game that you'll never see any traditional developer releasing. It's a game that pokes fun at yourself.

Before delving into the gameplay, I need to explain the plot of the story. It's nothing particularly special, but it will surely elicit some laughs. You play as an octopus who has a normal family that remains oblivious to his true identity. Consequently, you find yourself in ordinary situations, needing to conceal your non-human nature.

The standout feature of this game is its gameplay. You manipulate each tentacle of the octopus to interact with items and even walk, all while attempting to mimic human behavior. It's worth mentioning the intentionally challenging physics, which can make even the simplest tasks a real struggle. However, bear in mind that these difficulties are by design, and that's precisely what makes this game exceptionally unique.

Octodad: Dadliest Catch definitely won't be one of the best games of your life. It offers a short yet amusing experience. I recommend it if you're seeking something completely different from anything else.

Octodad is a wonderful experience in so many ways, but most notably, it perfectly conveys a message of somebody so out of place desperately trying to fit in with the world, and how while it is a struggle, that somebody is accepted for who they are.
It's incredibly heartwarming in it's presentation, and in my opinion is the perfect length as well. At no point was I bored or disinterested in what was happening, and that's saying something for somebody like me. Sure, the controls are janky, but (quite obviously) that's the point! That just further heightens the message Octodad tries to convey, and honestly, if you find the controls to be a negative of this game, then you really have to re-evaluate how Octodad would be nearly as enjoyable with normal walking controls.
In my opinion, I never found anything to be too difficult considering the tone of the game, while at the same time having every objective still feel rewarding to complete. In a game like this, you walk a fine line between frustration and that rewarding feeling, and Octodad perfectly walks that line.
Above all though, Octodad incredibly unique, to where I can't think of another game that's similar and also anywhere near the same quality. I love it, and I recommend it to pretty much anyone looking for a good casual game to go through.

A quirky game made during the era where a lot of games were joking around with the idea of intentionally challenging and obtuse control schemes (eg. I Am Bread, Surgeon Simulator, etc.) This was possibly the originator of that trend to my knowledge, though I could be mistaken.

The difficulty of the controls is pretty exaggerated (at least with a controller), and it starts to feel intuitive fairly quickly. Still, the challenges can be quite fun and satisfying, and the game has a charming sense of humor.

Infravalorado cuento infantil en formato videojuego sobre las dificultades de vivir ocultando un defecto o complejo a los demás. Batallar con el movimiento del pulpo protagonista para realizar hasta la tarea más mundana (caminar, mover y depositar objetos, etc.) sin levantar sospechas es la forma que tiene el juego de ponernos en la piel de quien sufre hasta en la situación menos pensada por hacerse ver como los demás. Miedo al rechazo y querer encajar, básicamente. Y, como no podía ser de otro modo, la puesta en escena elegida es la clásica familia prototípica-ideal americana, el culmen de la pretendida normalidad y el bienestar.

Mediante su separación del movimiento en distintas extremidades y el objetivo de no ser detectado, Octodad enmaraña toda situación (la tarea más nimia se vuelve un desastre, el paseo más corto una odisea) y saca risas de cada acción llevada a cabo, reformulando los arquetípicos minijuegos y tareas videojueguiles por el camino. Y el colmo lo ponen los grititos del pulpo y las pieles de plátano esparcidas por el suelo. Imposible no reírse.

Al final, se descubre el pastel y la familia acepta al padre tal y como es. Esto no es spoiler, no había otro final posible para esta comedia de corazón de oro.

You know, I gotta admit that sometimes I miss the simple, unique appeal of the types of games clearly made for YouTubers to play during the "Let's Play" era for free marketing (see also: I Am Bread, Goat Simulator, Turbo Dismount, Max Gentlemen, Surgeon Simulator, etc). Then I remember they used to charge upwards of $20 for most of them despite only offering a handful of hours' worth of content and I'm like 😬😬😬 Like most of these weird-for-the-sake-of-being-weird games it's pretty much just the one trick/joke, though fortunately here that's a pretty good one - allowing you to absolutely let loose as a suit-clad octopus in highly destructible, colorful, and interactive environments with intentionally ass controls. Also like the lot of these it feels like it rushes itself out the door and it's way too short, but a fun time for a few bucks.

Part of me wants to dismiss this as a stupid meme game: a QWOP-style prank on the player where the "enjoyment" comes from laughing at your own frustration at the intentionally terrible controls. Two things prevent me from doing this:

1. The writing is peak stupid fun. Unlike QWOP, this has a simple story that spirals completely out of control over the course of its brief runtime. Your pedestrian aquarium visit devolves into a gloriously chaotic mess of romantic flashbacks, stealth sections, and needlessly intense action set-pieces. This is much, much funnier than the vast majority of CG-animated family films and Octodad would be an absolute banger of a Dreamworks flick.

2. While playing this solo pisses me off, it's great fun in co-op: where each player controls different tentacles. Seriously: grab a buddy. It's not necessarily less frustrating, but it's annoying in a way that is much more enjoyable than screaming and crying alone in your room, begging the flaccid mollusc man to just walk down the fucking aisle already as you inadvertently break both of your thumbs.