In Bluey: The Video Game, a fragile peace settles over a quiet suburban dominion known as Brisbane. Lawns are trimmed. Toys are neatly scattered. Laughter echoes in measured bursts. Yet beneath its pastel skies and carefully ordered routines, something volatile stirs... imagination, unrestrained and on the brink of extinction.
You assume the roles of Bluey, Bingo, Bandit, and Chilli: four figures bound not by prophecy or bloodshed, but by family, obligation, and time slipping through their fingers... err, paws. What begins as harmless play quickly turns into a sequence of escalating trials. Each backyard becomes contested ground. Each park, a crucible. Ordinary objects such as a magic xylophone, a featherwand, a balloon doomed by gravity, are elevated to relics of power as the boundary between game and reality begins to fracture.
There is no singular villain to strike down. No shadowed figure waiting at the edge of the map. The enemy here is far more insidious: distraction. Fatigue. The slow, inevitable erosion of wonder. The creeping realization that play is conditional, fleeting, and always one interruption away from collapse.
Survival demands unity. Precision. Emotional endurance. Victory is measured not in score or conquest, but in moments preserved, rituals performed with full commitment. All of this in an effort to keep cynicism, responsibility, and adulthood at bay.
As the journey winds through spaces both familiar and deceptively hostile, the truth becomes unavoidable. This is not a quest for triumph. It is an act of resistance. A final stand against forgetting. And when the games conclude, when the toys lie still and the backyard falls silent, a single truth remains:
Play is not a pastime.
It is defiance.
It is memory.
It is survival.
...or, to put it less dramatically: this is a short, brightly colored children’s game based on a TV show I have never watched, and I only played it because I’m weak to arbitrary non-tangible rewards. So come along with me, my friends. Let's check out what this game is actually all about, why your kids will love it, and why you probably will not.
Bluey: The Video Game — A Charming Afternoon That Ends a Little Too Soon
Like I mentioned a moment ago, I have never watched Bluey the TV show. I know. I know. Apparently that puts me in some kind of parental minority, or at the very least makes me sound like I live under a rock. The show has apparently streamed billions of hours in multiple countries. But it also puts me in a pretty interesting position when it comes to reviewing Bluey: The Video Game, because I went in with zero emotional attachment, no favorite characters, and no expectations beyond “well, this exists.”
So why did I play it? Because the social media platform Channel 3 (which you should totally check out) dangled a neat little profile tagline in front of me if I completed the game… and I am a sucker for trophies, titles, and meaningless digital flair. Also, part of exploring the gaming wildlands means stopping to look at everything, even games that are wildly outside my usual wheelhouse. So I shrugged, said “why not,” and fired it up.
And honestly? For a little while, I was having a genuinely good time. But did the good times last?
Even Without the Show, the Charm Is Obvious
Even as someone who hasn’t watched a single episode of Bluey, it’s immediately clear that the developers cared deeply about faithfully recreating the look and sound of the show. The visual presentation is bright, colorful, and inviting, using a 2.5D art-style that feels perfectly suited for navigating the Heeler family home and surrounding areas. Everything pops. Nothing feels harsh or muddy. It’s the kind of aesthetic that feels safe, cozy, and welcoming. Which, from what I’m told, is exactly what fans of the show would expect.
The audio presentation is also a strong point. The original voice actors from the TV show reprise their roles here, and that goes a long way in making the game feel authentic. More importantly, they’re just good, all around voice actors. Their performances are warm, playful, and natural. I never got tired of hearing them talk. Well, except for the occasional repeated line or two while exploring, which can wear thin after a while.
From what I’ve gathered from fans and parents, this accuracy is one of the game’s biggest wins. If you love the show, this absolutely feels like it. Does the feeling translate into the experience, though? Ehhhh....
Pleasant, Lightweight, and Over Before You Know It
I’ve also been told that the Bluey TV show has a reputation for handling surprisingly serious subject matter with a lot of heart and smart writing, especially considering how young its target audience is. The game does not do any of that, however. That’s not necessarily a deal breaker, but it is noticeable. The story here is extremely light, never really digging into anything deeper. While on Holiday, the kids come across part of a treasure map and it's up to you to find the treasure by tracking down the missing pieces, and maybe learning about you and your family along the way. That said, what is here is charming enough to keep you moving forward. It’s pleasant. It’s cute. It does its job.
The problem is that the job doesn’t last very long. The entire game can be completed in about an hour, with maybe another hour if you decide to track down all the hidden collectibles. And when the story ends, it doesn’t really wrap up so much as it just… stops. Abruptly, in fact. Even as an adult, I found it a little jarring. I was ready for one more chapter, one more idea, one more... something. You know, I find myself smiling as I write these words. Me, a 41 year old, yearning for more story out of a Bluey game. It was very easy for me to see the appeal of Bluey just by playing this game, which in itself is high praise.
Clearly Built for Kids (And That’s Not a Bad Thing)
Moment-to-moment gameplay is fine, but it's all very clearly designed with kids in mind. Movement and traversal work well enough, though there are moments where the platforming asks for a bit more precision than you might expect. The controls can feel slightly floaty, and lining up your character to grab objects or push things around can be somewhat finicky. There’s no real punishment for failure, but it can take some getting used to, especially if you’re used to tighter platformers. I would imagine kids may need the help of an adult from time to time, especially when trying to get a well hidden collectable.
The game supports up to four players, with each person controlling a member of the Heeler family. For families playing together, this is a huge plus, and I can easily see this being a fun, low-stress couch co-op experience for parents and kids.
As you progress, you unlock four mini-games:
Keepy-Uppy, where you keep a balloon from hitting the ground
Ground Is Lava, a basic platforming challenge
Magic Xylophone, essentially freeze tag
Chattermax Chase, where you chase down a runaway toy
They’re… fine. Perfectly serviceable. And once you master them, there’s really no incentive to return. I get the sense that the developers were banking on kids getting replay value through these mini-games, unlockable cosmetics, and a pile of toys you can bring into the game space, letting imagination do the heavy lifting. That makes sense.
For me, though? None of that had any appeal. If you're looking to play a game of Keepy-Uppy, you should do so in your own home, where the stakes are much higher and the risk of hurting yourself or damaging a part of your home is ever present. It's more exciting that way.
The Best Part and the Price - Not The Same Thing
Ironically, the most fun I had outside of the main story was just wandering around and exploring, especially inside the Heeler house. Even without knowledge of the show, it was enjoyable to poke around and see how the space was laid out. For parents or kids familiar with Bluey, I imagine this is where a lot of the real joy comes from, spotting references, recognizing rooms, and catching little nods to your favorite episodes. Which I'm told there's over 150 episodes. Wackadoo! (Did I use that right?)
Here’s where I have to get a bit critical, though. Bluey: The Video Game originally launched at $39.99 here in the United States. I played it through PlayStation Plus, and I’m very thankful for that. I don’t often like to equate a game’s value purely to its length, but in this case, the amount of content simply doesn’t justify that price. Four small areas, a handful of mini-games, and a one-hour story is not enough to warrant a premium price tag. This is a budget-sized experience sold at a mid-tier price, and that mismatch is impossible to ignore. Like I mentioned, I assume the developers would rely on kids getting multiple hours of enjoyment from the several mini-games and collectables to hunt down, but don't be fooled parents! I don't want to go so far as to say the price is a ripoff, but man, it sure feels likes they had plans to dupe a few unsuspecting parents...
Final Thoughts: A Sweet One-and-Done Experience
Compared to the massively successful TV show, Bluey: The Video Game just doesn’t live up to the same standard. It looks and sounds like Bluey, absolutely. But with its short runtime and lack of meaningful post-game content, it feels like development stopped halfway through and someone in a corporate suite said, “It's been several hours since the studio made money. Ship it.”
I had genuine fun, if only for a little bit. I can completely understand why kids would love this game, and I think it succeeds as a safe, cozy, approachable introduction to games for younger players. Parents, your kids will probably adore it. Everyone else, this is a one-and-done experience at best.
If you’re genuinely curious though, grab Bluey: The Video Game used or wait for a digital sale. Just don’t expect it to stick around in your memory much longer than a lazy afternoon in the backyard.
"Ground Is Lava!" from Bluey: The Video Game (Outright Games, 2023). Downloaded via KHInsider. All rights belong to Outright Games.