Sometimes a joke is too good to be just a joke.
For example Divorced fathera collectible card game that originated as a viral video skit by comedian Graeme Barrett, aka AudioOpera. You may have come across some of his work while browsing Instagram or Tiktok; by my estimate, his most shared video is a skit about a group of real-life roleplayers finding a dead body in the woods while playing a live-action role-playing game (LARP).
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My favorite, though, is his recurring series, in which a collectible card game character opens booster packs of “Divorced Dad,” a card game in which each card represents something a divorced dad has or wants. In various skits, there are cards like “Bald Head,” “Jam Band,” “Enchanted Forest” (a tree-shaped car air freshener), “Retirement Plan” (a handful of lottery scratch-off cards), and “Hacked Facebook.” The rarest and most sought-after card is, of course, “House”—because she Usually occupies the house.
It was a stupid joke. But then something magical happened: The meme caught on with a small audience, and Barrett started making cards. realThe cards not only became real—they became a real, playable card game.
I’m all for making dumb jokes come to life. As a playable game, Divorced Dad is basically a knockoff of Magic: The Gathering. Instead of using more traditional elements, the game uses strong DIY elements like wood, steel, leather, and concrete. Beast cards duel while you use tools (essentially spells) to enhance the flow of the game and counter your opponent’s moves.
The earliest video skit cards were basically just a name and a stock image, and now each card is meticulously hand-painted to somehow represent what it would have looked like. The first non-playable cards were also limited edition, and felt like a prank someone printed at the local UPS or something. This new playable version isn’t quite “professional” TCG presentation… but it’s not far off. This is a good game.
“New BBQ” is depicted as a mini flamethrower, because that’s a totally believable midlife crisis purchase. “Erectile Dysfunction” depicts a fantasy worm-like creature that appears to be bent over and curled in pain. “In Laws” is a snarling, foul-smelling group of trolls and goblins. Others are more literal; “Stool Softener” is a glowing pink drink with Japanese characters printed on it. “Getting Cigs” depicts an old muscle car making a mad dash to the nearest gas station with explosions rolling behind it. Each card is also embellished with flavor text.
It’s incredibly silly, but I just love it. Plus, it’s totally playable as a card game. The game’s subreddit isn’t terribly active, but there have been a series of mini tournaments where players offer up cards to trade. The game has struck a chord with people; the joke of the cards is a cliché about a single dad in a midlife crisis, which is exactly what opens the door to something truly playable.
“Some people will say ‘I don’t understand’ — and I’ll say, well, this isn’t for you,” Barrett said on the Almost Friday podcast.
Of course, the metagame of Divorced Dad won’t be as balanced or complex as that of Magic: The Gathering, but it’s effective, fun, and grassroots. The cards and artwork are fun, as is the theme of the game. And that seems to be what Barrett is aiming for.
“I made this game so that anyone who has played it can teach it to someone else – if you’re not into card games like Magic or Yu-Gi-Oh, this is a game that’s super simple and you can pick it up and play it,” Barrett continued in the same podcast.
“The logic is, when someone asks, ‘Hey man, do you want to learn magic,’ everyone is like, ‘No, man, get lost.’ … But when someone asks, ‘Do you want to play Divorced Dad?’ they’re like, ‘Sure, what is that?’ It’s like a gateway to something.
“That was an interesting challenge, making it simple enough that people can play without any knowledge, but also making it so that there’s enough room for strategy that people who play strategy games actually feel like they have more control.”
With that as its mission statement, I sincerely think Divorced Dad hits 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 that was made by a couple of people instead of some giant corporation. I just hope that the fact that I was willing to buy a bunch of booster packs of this damn thing doesn’t mean that these cards are a glimpse into my future.
