Remember your first platformer? I remember watching my Dad play Sonic the Hedgehog for the first time and being captivated by the speed , the characters and that first platformer vibe that introduced me to my love of gaming that still carries on today. It is a formative memory that will live with me forever, I can tell you what I was wearing, the house I was living in, the people who were there and the many many MANY hours I spent playing it. It has been definitely been a minute since I played a kids platformer, and a licensed game
Let’s be honest: the track record for licensed children’s video games is notoriously hit or miss. After some previous misfires in the Bluey gaming universe, older fans and parents of the beloved Heeler family were rightfully cautious. But thankfully, Aussie developers Halfbrick Studios have stepped up to the plate. With an original story penned by series creator Joe Brumm, Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen isn’t just a passable tie-in, it’s a genuinely delightful adventure that stands on its own as a stellar entry in the Blueyverse.
The game pivots away from basic minigames and drops players into a surprisingly robust platforming collectathon. The premise is simple but undeniably charming: Bluey’s imaginary drawings have been brought to life, and you need to travel across these hand-drawn lands to retrieve the fabled Gold Pen. Along the way, you’re tasked with solving puzzles that strike that perfect “trifficult” balance, challenging enough to keep older players engaged, but forgiving enough that younger gamers won’t end up throwing their DualSense controllers in frustration.
A massive part of the game’s charm comes from its visual presentation, which seamlessly translates the show’s iconic 2D animation style into explorable spaces. For this review, I played the PlayStation 5 version on a PS5 Pro, and the game shines beautifully on the premium hardware. Running at a pristine 4K resolution with a flawlessly locked frame rate, every single frame feels exactly like an interactive episode of the show. Furthermore, the PS5’s SSD means that load times are practically non-existent, ensuring that impatient younger players (and let’s face it, adults too) are never left staring at a long loading screen between worlds.
Beyond the technical performance, it’s the writing that truly anchors the experience. Because the writer of the TV show, Joe Brumm penned the narrative, the trademark humour, emotional warmth, and clever observations about family life are entirely intact. It never talks down to its audience, ensuring that parents playing co-op with their kids will be chuckling just as much as the little ones.
Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen finally delivers the interactive experience fans of the show have been waiting for. By combining engaging collectathon mechanics with authentic writing and gorgeous art direction, Halfbrick has crafted a joyful adventure that is easily recommendable to gamers of all ages and is the perfect introduction to platforming for those who are just starting out in their gaming adventures.
