Every now and then, a joke is too good to remain a joke.
this is the case divorced dadis a trading card game that originated from the popular video skits by comedian Graeme Barrett (aka AudioOpera). You’ve probably seen some of his stuff on Instagram or Tiktok; by my estimation, his most shared video was a short news report about a group of live-action role-players discovering a body in the woods in the middle of a LARP.
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My favorite part about him, however, is the recurring series of card game characters opening booster packs for Divorced Dad, a card game in which each card represents something a divorced dad has or wants. In various skits, such as “Bald,” “The Jam Band,” “The Enchanted Forest” (one with a tree-shaped car air freshener), “The Retirement Plan” (a handful of lottery scratch cards), and “Hacking Facebook” “Waiting for the card’. Of course, the rarest and most popular card is “The House” – because she The house is usually taken.
This is a silly, stupid joke. But then something magical happened: The mini-meme attracted a small audience, and Barrett took the step to create a card real. Not only do these cards become real, they become an actual playable card game.
I’m all for making silly jokes come true. As a playable game, Divorced Dad is basically a knock-off of Magic: The Gathering. Rather than using more traditional elements, the game uses strong DIY elements such as wood, steel, leather, and concrete. Beast cards face each other, while you can use tools (essentially spells) to enhance the flow of the game and counter your opponent’s actions.
While the earliest skit versions of the cards were basically a name and a stock image, now each card is carefully hand-drawn and expresses its meaning in some way. The first non-playable card was also a limited release and felt like a prank someone printed at the local UPS or something. This new, playable iteration doesn’t quite have the expressiveness of a “professional” TCG… but it’s not far off. There is quality here.
The “new grill” is pictured as a mini flamethrower because it’s a perfectly believable mid-life crisis purchase. The “In Laws” are a race of roaring, foul-smelling trolls and goblins. Others are more literal. “Stool Softener” is a sparkling pink drink with Japanese characters printed on it. “Getting Cigs” depicts an aging muscle car making a mad dash to the nearest gas station, explosions rolling in its wake. Each card is also decorated with flavor text.
It’s pretty stupid, but that’s what I’m here for. Also: It’s totally viable as a playable card game. The game’s Reddit isn’t very active, but there have been a series of small tournaments and players offering to trade cards. Games resonate with people; the cliche jokes about single dads in mid-life crises on these cards are what open the door to real, playable games.
“Some people are like, ‘I don’t get it’ — and I’m like, well, then this isn’t for you,” Barrett said during an appearance on the Almost Friday podcast.
Sure, Divorced Dad’s meta won’t be as balanced or complex as Magic: The Gathering – but it’s effective, fun, and grassroots. The cards and their illustrations are fun, as is the overall theme of the game. The same appears to be true of Barrett’s goals.
“I made this game so that anyone who plays it once can teach others – if you don’t like card games like Magic: The Gathering or Yu-Gi-Oh!, it’s very simple to pick up and play. ” Barrett continued on the same podcast.
“The logic is, when people ask, ‘Hey, man, do you want to learn magic,’ everyone’s like, ‘No, man, get lost’ … but then it becomes, ‘Do you want to play a divorced dad?'” And then they say “Sure, what is that? ” It’s a gateway into something.
“It’s an interesting challenge to make the game simple enough that people can play it without knowledge, but also have enough room for strategy that people playing strategy games actually feel like they have more control. .
With that as a mission statement, I honestly think Divorced Dad is a bit of a home run. The game is fun, the cards are fun – and it’s quick and easy to play. There’s also something charming about a TCG made by a handful of people compared to a big company. I just hope the fact that I’m willing to buy a bunch of booster packs of this damn thing doesn’t mean these cards are a glimpse into my future.
