Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen: After a string of misfires, we finally have a Bluey video game that lives up to the show’s reputation.
Bluey has long carried the weight of Australia’s creative industries—brandishing talent, warmth, and beloved characters. Yet until now, the franchise’s video games wore a patchwork reputation, with titles that felt more scattershot than Bluey’s endearing friend Chloe the dalmatian.
Some parents approached Budge Studios’ 2023 mobile release Bluey: Let’s Play! with caution. It bundled a $9.99 monthly subscription and frequent ads for other Budge titles. Later in the year, Artax Games’ Bluey: The Videogame drew sharp criticism for a scant two-hour runtime, technical issues, and a $60 price tag. In Luke Plunkett’s appraisal, it was described as “a slapdash cash grab that does the bare minimum.”
Then, in August, StoryToys released Lego Bluey, a mobile game offering block-building and mini-games with another subscription, this time priced more modestly and with less aggressive advertising. All three games were commissioned by BBC Studios, which co-produces Bluey with ABC and oversees much of the show’s international licensing and merchandising.
Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen, available at https://www.bluey.tv/play/blueys-quest/, marks a notable departure. Commissioned by BBC Studios and developed in Brisbane by Bluey creator Joe Brumm and Halfbrick Studios (the team behind Fruit Ninja), it stands out as the first Bluey game produced in Australia and the first to involve Brumm directly. It also represents the last original Bluey storyline we’re likely to see from Brumm before the 2027 movie.
After trying the opening levels crafted by Halfbrick, it’s clear this isn’t just a casual nod to gaming—it feels like a proper game. Halfbrick projects estimate roughly ten hours of play, a figure that feels right after hands-on experience. The title unfolds as a classic adventure: Bluey and Bingo chase their mischievous dad Bandit through a gallery of magical artworks after he nicknames their pen. The design rewards curiosity and exploration, with Bluey’s magic wand playing a central role. Brumm’s script has Chilli and Bandit debating how to dodge “lawnmower parenting” while plotting the next level.
Shainiel Deo, Halfbrick’s CEO, has long been a strong advocate for Bluey’s video game rights. With Halfbrick’s global footprint and a long friendship with Brumm dating back to their collaboration on Dan the Man in 2016, Deo seemed a natural fit to bring Bluey to life in interactive form. When Brumm suggested BBC Studios, other Bluey games were already in motion. “It should have gone to an Australian developer first,” Deo reflects, though he understands why BBC chose familiar collaborators.
From the outset, Halfbrick prioritized making Bluey proud. “This game will be ready when it’s ready,” Deo recalls telling BBC decision-makers. “We took on the financial risks, but I was determined to deliver a great experience.” He advocated for a flexible timeline to allow thorough exploration and prototyping. Even with delays, Deo believes the process paid off thanks to a team fueled by love for Bluey and a connection to Brisbane’s contemporary kid-friendly culture. “They’re proud to be the first Australian team to work on a Bluey game,” he adds.
This release marks another milestone for Australia’s games industry, coming after the high-profile success and global demand surrounding Hollow Knight: Silksong, which briefly disrupted store traffic in the same year. Australian developers have faced layoffs and have long deserved stronger opportunities to work with homegrown licenses. As of now, no Australian studio has released a Mad Max game, and even a surprising Neighbours racing game was developed in the UK.
Jason Imms, head of quality assurance at Keywords Studios (an Australian developer-affiliated QA partner), notes that BBC owed Australia nothing, yet leveraging local talent to bring Bluey to life was a “no-brainer.” He praises Halfbrick for earning a prominent chance to showcase a homegrown franchise and emphasizes how rare it is to find authentic Australian IP translated into games.
Joey Egger, Screen Australia’s head of games, shares another angle: the show’s co-funding doesn’t extend to the games, but Halfbreak’s work captures Bluey’s distinct Australian-ness. Egger describes the vibe as “daggy and Brisbane-centric,” arguing that true flavor emerges only when developers deeply understand those nuances and translate them into the game world.
For developers, championing a beloved homegrown property is a powerful source of pride. Egger notes that today’s youths don’t separate their media into rigid categories—they may love a franchise across television, movies, and games, consuming it wherever it’s available.
Beyond national pride, the quality of a Bluey game touches on a broader concern: how we treat children as consumers in a market that often values monetization. Halfbrick has released both freemium titles and subscription-based games. Deo rejected both models for Bluey’s young audience, opting instead for a premium, one-time-purchase model reminiscent of the pre-mobile era. “We don’t want to put people on a treadmill where they constantly grind or pay,” he asserts, placing ethical considerations at the forefront.
Imms argues that kids deserve, and often need, more thoughtful game design than adults do. For children still learning about kindness, cooperation, love, and hardship, well-crafted stories in games can reinforce these values just as effectively as traditional media.
Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen is available on iOS and Android now, with a release for PC and consoles slated for later in 2026. The game’s reception suggests a hopeful shift toward high-quality, thoughtfully produced experiences that honor Bluey’s spirit while offering genuine gameplay value.
Would you rather see more traditional, one-time-purchase games for kids, or do you think modern monetization models can be ethical if designed with care? Share your thoughts in the comments.
