Review: Bluey The Game

 

By Jordan Owen

(c)2025 All Rights Reserved

See The Video Review Here

When I was a kid in the 1980’s the Charles Shulz Peanuts craze of the 1960’s and 70’s had become a generational phenomenon. Boomers were having kids of their own and were happy to pass on their love of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy and the whole gang. I was one of those kids who grew up on Peanuts to such a degree that I could do a whole video on that alone. But suffice to say that it was easily the most prominent example at the time of the same media being devoured by children and adults alike. 

There were other comics and cartoons with the same cross generational appeal- Tintin had come before and Calvin and Hobbes would soon enjoy the same attention. In the quarter century since Charles Shulz’ passing Peanuts hasn’t had the same cultural impact that it once did. Sure, there was a successful movie and Apple TV+ has done some truly stunning series and specials but the fountainhead that gave Peanuts its origins energy is no longer with us.

In the intervening time there’s been precious little in the way of media that children and adults could consume with equal and unabashed fervor. Harry Potter is still popular but even that had its heyday not long after the end of Peanuts. So what heartfelt, organic and wholly original vision could capture the minds of children and adults alike?

Enter Bluey, the Australian heeler dog and her infectiously likeable family who in the last five years have ushered in yet another round of “but wait isn’t that for little kids?” 

I was late to the party with Bluey- the iconic season three finale “The Sign” had already aired before I watched one episode- but like so many I was hooked from the word go. Here was a show that could easily be imbibed by small children while also offering a fascinating depth of philosophy, artistry, and emotional weight for the adults in the audience. And unlike the Brony phenomenon where the adult participants in the fanbase were regarded with a certain amount of reticence by the show’s creators, Bluey was happy to have everyone on board.

It was only natural that an explosion of merchandising would follow quickly behind the craze and being the fanboy that I am, I was happy to jump on board with that. I even made a pizza based on the recipe in the Bluey Cookbook and yes- I got my parents' permission to use the cutlery. 

So it was only a matter of time before we got Bluey the video game. Being that I’ve blasted the Bluey soundtrack albums in my car more times than I can count I was looking forward to what the game had to offer: would we get an open world exploration of the canine ruled Australia that Bluey calls home? Would there be a fascinating, emotionally rich plot that children and adults could enjoy on different levels? Would there be fodder for endless YouTube video essays deconstructing the symbolism and thought-provoking ideas?

Well, to answer those questions and pretty much any others you would care to ask: No. Bluey the game is a painfully simplistic preschool level romp that is clearly targeted at children who are just learning how to play video games and would regard things like mastering basic jumping mechanics or hunting down not very well-hidden objects as significant accomplishments. 

To that end Bluey the game serves a purpose and serves it well: my generation learned how to play video games by sinking a college tuition worth of quarters into brightly colored but brutally unforgiving arcade classics like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. Generation Alpha on the other hand can spend some time with Bluey the Game and come away from it having learned common gameplay mechanics and the small modicum of tech literacy that comes with them.

But beyond that there isn’t very much to write home about. Even younger gamers who have a functional capacity to play Super Mario and Zelda are going to get bored here very quickly.

Thus, Bluey the Game falls into the same trap that plagued so much Peanuts interactive media: the comic strip, movies and television specials were things that children and adults could both enjoy but when it came to video games the bar was immediately lowered to the youngest possible denominator with nothing to satiate savvy players post kindergarten.

The whole game can be finished with a hundred percent achievements in about two hours and your hand is held so tightly throughout that the whole thing feels like a glorified tutorial. 

I will say that the soundtrack, composed as always is phenomenal and getting lost while strolling through the small sections of Bluey’s world we’re allowed to occupy was certainly enjoyable. 

But beyond that I can’t really recommend the game. You don’t need to lay down forty bucks to play a digital mini-game of keepy uppy when just inflating a balloon would be a whole lot cheaper and a better bonding exercise with your kids.