The core mechanic of Octodad involves controlling the protagonist's limbs independently using triggers and analog sticks, resulting in a "graceless, floppy gait". This design serves two primary purposes: Octodad: Dadliest Catch and the Art of Dadliness | KRITIQAL
Octodad began as a student project at under the team name DGE2 (DePaul Game Experience 2). The original team of 18 students aimed to create a game for the 2011 Independent Games Festival (IGF), where it eventually won the Student Showcase award . Articles on the topic: "octodad"
The Octodad series—comprising the 2010 student project and its 2014 commercial successor, Octodad: Dadliest Catch —stands as a landmark in indie gaming for its "systemic comedy" and exploration of "the art of dadliness". Developed by Young Horses , the series uses deliberately unwieldy physics to turn the mundane chores of suburban fatherhood into a slapstick struggle for survival. The Genesis of a Cephalopod The core mechanic of Octodad involves controlling the