Bluey is one of the most popular shows streaming right now, and it’s no wonder why.  It may be a preschool show on the surface, but it deals with subject matter that any age can enjoy.  The show is about Blue Heeler dog Bluey, her sister Bingo, and their parents, family, and friends as they learn life lessons through imagination and play.  I’m a huge fan of the show, and we’ve already seen plenty of Bluey on GamerDad.com with another video game review, a board game, and podcast.  And now there is a second video game with a story written by Joe Brumm, the show’s creator!  In the game, Bluey and Bingo and their parents are amusing themselves inside on a rainy day by drawing and coloring pictures and making up stories.  Bluey tells a story about a poor girl who can’t afford to repair her cottage.  So she calls upon Bingoose (her sister Bingo) to lay a golden egg for her.  But their dad has the gold pen for the egg and won’t give it back!  Now Bluey and Bingoose must go on a quest in their imagination to get the gold pen.  The game is presented with crayon styled drawings, similar to Bluey episodes like “Escape” and “Dragon.”  Gameplay is viewed in a top down perspective and you’ll solve Zelda dungeon styled puzzles to progress.  Bluey and the Quest for the Gold Pen is available on all current consoles and mobile devices, but reviewed on Switch 2 here.

In the game you’ll control Bluey and move her in all directions in a top down perspective.  She has a magic wand in her imagination she can use to activate switches and use like a grappling hook.  In some levels she’ll be able to use other tools like gliders and jetpacks, or ride vehicles like a boat or bike.  The levels, ten in all, are sprawling and I swear some seem bigger than classic Zelda overworlds.  And even though this is a game for kids, it’s not one you’ll be able to blow through in a couple of hours.  You’ll use Bluey’s skills to solve Zelda-like block pushing puzzles, obstacle courses, or find hidden items.  In each stage you must collect enough goose food for Bingoose to eat so she can lay a silver egg with something in it to help you reach the next stage.  And then you’ll repeat the process in the next level.

This game is great, but I did have some minor problems with it here and there.  Mostly nitpicky stuff for sure.  Some of the puzzles were tough enough that even I had trouble with them.  Luckily you’ll be able to get enough goose food in a stage so you don’t have to do the most frustrating stuff if your kids are having trouble.  Controls for some of the vehicles, like the bike, were hard to do, and the choppy framerate didn’t help.  It would’ve been nice if a second player could’ve controlled Bingoose or something, and even though the game has full voices in the cutscenes, the actual game doesn’t, so reading skill is a must.  Also when you find some goose food, the game says, “You found a goose food.”  I dunno, I think kids games should do better to have proper grammar, don’t you?  And finally, I do wish other characters could’ve shown up in the game, like Bluey’s cousin Muffin or the puppet Unicourse.  But other than that, this is a way better Bluey game than the last one, and I’d recommend it to any fan of the show.

Kid Factor:

Nothing violent or objectionable here.  If you’re OK with your kids watching the show, they’ll be OK with the game.  Reading skill is a must, and some of the puzzles can be tough, so I’d recommend this one for older kid Bluey fans instead of preschool ones.  Although younger players can still have fun here with a little help.  Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen is rated E for Everyone.

Tags: Game Reviews, Television