Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen Review – Great for Kids, Limited for Adults

Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen is, understandably, an extremely straightforward action-adventure game that will appeal to the children who have made the show so popular. I don’t think the adult fans I’ve seen would get much out of the game, but kids will definitely enjoy the charming writing and performances, along with the laid-back, simple gameplay.

Credit: Halfbrick Studios

Admittedly, as a 29-year-old single man with no children, I know pretty much nothing about Bluey. I know it’s an animated Australian show about a dog family that takes part in activities of some sort, but that’s about the extent of it. As such, I had pretty fresh eyes going into Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen and found a good deal of charm present beneath the very basic gameplay and presentation. I can’t really fault those things too much, though, as this will absolutely appeal to its core audience.

As you might expect, given the subject matter, this is a very simple game. You wander around different themed areas in pursuit of “Goose Food” – various snacks like berries and corn that are used to make Bingoose capable of laying an egg that contains an object that’ll help you in your quest. I’d say that the simplicity of the game will keep it from reaching beyond its target audience, but I’d argue that that should be expected from a game based on a franchise like this.

Credit: Halfbrick Studios

As such, the gameplay loop is easy enough but decently satisfying, as you mostly complete short puzzles that involve moving blocks or crossing gaps to reach more Goose Food. They’re not especially challenging puzzles, but I imagine they’re the perfect level of difficulty for small kids, as they encourage basic problem-solving in a fun way. There are also beads and little bug friends to find in each stage, so I can picture young Bluey fans spending plenty of time running around and finding new things.

You can certainly tell that Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen started as a mobile/tablet game, as there are large buttons overlaid on the screen. There are only a few buttons that are really necessary to use throughout the game, with a magic wand that’s primarily used for grabbing objects serving as the main tool you’ll use. Areas can give you temporary tools like a bird kite for flying over gaps, which add a bit of extra depth to the present puzzles. I even encountered a couple of Donkey Kong Country-esque minecart sections, which were a pleasant surprise.

Credit: Halfbrick Studios

Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen seems to nail the tone of the show.

There’s a narrative in Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen, in which young Bluey and Bingo make up a story whilst drawing pictures. Their dad, Bandit, takes the titular gold pen they want to use and becomes a thieving villain in their story. Their mom, Chilli, serves as a guide in their quest for the pen, meaning the whole family gets to play along in this make-believe adventure. It does indeed feel like the setup for an episode of a kids’ show, and the characters were plenty pleasant. I think I got a decent enough feel for the family dynamics here, and I can understand why so many people find Bluey charming.

The visual style of Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen seems pretty spot-on when compared to the television show. The cutscenes look straight out of the program, and I found the messy illustrated style of the gameplay itself to be endearing, given its relevance to the game’s narrative. The quality of the voice acting is similar to the clips of the series I looked up while reviewing this, so I’m glad the developers were able to translate the beloved visual and auditory aspects of the animated series into game form so accurately.