Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen review for Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch

System: Switch 2 (reviewed) / Switch
Release date: May 28, 2026
Developer: Halfbrick Studios
Publisher: PM Studios

Capturing the hearts of kids and adults the world over, our favorite Blue Heeler and her family sit down at the table and embark on an adventure together. Bluey and Bingo start out doing a little artwork, but after Dad snarkily snatches the Gold Pen that Bluey needs to finish her drawing, the atmosphere changes and problem solving begins. Can Bluey and Bingo rise to the challenges that Dad sets in front of them, or will the drawing remain incomplete? This is what awaits us in Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen.

Games created for children can be educational in an obvious manner, or they can be so creative in that endeavor that kids don’t even realize that they’re learning. Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen happens to be the second type. The game opens with the family sitting down for what seems like simple art time at the dining room table, but it’s not long before Dad decides that the family’s easy fun time could use a bit more challenge. Taking the Gold Pen, he challenges the girls to solve problems and puzzles that hit goals that get them closer to retrieving the pen. Players will control Bluey on this quest, and Bingo, on the other hand, acts as a companion character in a very cute goose suit, doing very silly goose things. 

The opening section takes us to a colorful forest and the game itself looks hand drawn. Bluey and Bingo’s character models themselves look to be children’s drawings. Bluey is equipped with a magic wand that can fire missiles to hit switches and even magically drag platforms to aid in getting to out of reach places. Using these tools, it’s possible to uncover collectibles like beads and bugs, which in turn can be exchanged for each level’s key items. Goose food, though, will empower Bingo to solve a level’s end goal or give Bluey a new tool in her kit. Each level introduces a new mechanic that can be used for problem solving, and not every tool will move forward with the player.

Early on, I caught on that Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen is a simplistic take on the popular tabletop RPG Dungeons & Dragons. Dad will throw challenges at the girls, and they use their tools and imaginations to overcome them. The tale itself is cute and engrossing, and the voiced cutscenes can pull kids right in. The animation itself looks cut right out of the series. I was initially going to point out that the game is not fully voice acted, so for littles that cannot yet read, parental involvement would have been a must. However, we’ve now been told that a pre-launch update to add voice acting outside of cutscenes is planned. As I sat with my almost-three-year-old, we read through dialogue and had clear objectives. For an adult, goals will be easy to understand, but puzzles will still be challenging even when you know what to do. This made the adventure fun for both of us.

Players that are familiar with collectathon games will understand the heart of this little adventure immediately: Every level is stocked with items and secrets to uncover, and there are actually more collectibles than necessary to clear a level. Once you’ve completed a main objective, you can go back to hunt for the rest of the items if you wish, but kids can also simply move on with the story and go to the next level if they so wish. 

When I played on my own, I hyper focused on a “collect it all, complete everything” mindset. I maxed out the first three levels after battling puzzles and exploring every inch of the level’s maps – returning bugs to their friends, handing beads to collectors, and filling my personal pockets with enough goose food to feed a flock. When my child was next to me, she easily became the backseat gamer “Go there!” she’d point, and I’d obey. We’d watch the cutscenes and see Bingo’s silver goose eggs hatch into silly solutions to each level’s final problem. We’d laugh together and move on to the next objective more quickly.

For kids who can read on their own, I imagine that this game has more to offer. The dialogue is fun and engaging and rewards that reading with clues on objectives and how to use your tools. The little bits of quality animation between levels is enough of a reward to keep going, and shows the differences in Bandit and Chili’s parenting styles. Bandit is more apt to challenge the girls and put roadblocks in their way to make them work together and problem solve, while Chili tries to be more benevolent and guide them through. Both parents together seem to harmonize as the story moves forward, and it really does feel like Bandit is the Dungeon Master, and Chili is the NPC guide. I laughed a lot to myself at this, thinking that I definitely will want my kid to come back to this on her own once she can read.

What I loved the most about this experience was that despite being a game entirely marketed to children, it was enjoyable as an adult because it doesn’t actually try to babysit you. You get clear instructions, you can revisit those instructions by talking to NPCs if you so wish, but largely you’re on your own here. You’re free to explore. You’re free to make mistakes and learn your tools. While this is a basic little title that definitely shows its mobile roots, it’s also a quality product that I can more than recommend to parents with kids who are fans of the animated series.

Levels aren’t incredibly long, but some have a lot to explore. That said, you can back out to the main menu at anytime and continue your progress from where you left off. Larger maps even have fast travel points to make moving around easier, so if the kids are playing in the car, waiting for an appointment, or want to get a quick fifteen minutes of exploring in before school, its entirely possible. Accessibility and simple fun seem to be focal points in the game’s approach, and it’s done with a lot of care.

While I as an adult didn’t find the game particularly challenging, I did still find it fun to play alongside my kiddo. At nearly three, she’s just now starting to understand video games (and absolutely adores Nintendo’s recent My Mario app) so having something that she can collaborate with that reaches her at her level has been wonderful. Older kids will definitely enjoy this, littles will be enraptured by the colors, cutscenes, and familiarity, and adults can rest assured that they’re getting their kids a game that will keep them entertained for quite some time. 

Artistically, this game is a treasure. The hand drawn aesthetic makes it feel like it happens fully in the kids’ imaginations, and the roadblocks and setbacks build resilience – sometimes, just when you think you’re close, Bandit throws in another challenge and rather than shrinking and whining, the kids decide to rise to that challenge. The writing feels like something right out of the series by that measure. 

Overall, as a Bluey fan and a parent, I found a lot about this experience to enjoy, and while I wouldn’t be able to make a strong recommendation for adult players, kids and series fans will find more than enough to love here – especially since we likely aren’t going to be seeing new series episodes for a while as the feature film releasing next year is receiving most of the team’s focus. I actually really enjoyed playing this for and alongside my daughter. She took on the role of director easily and happily, and while I talked her through puzzles and quests, she began offering her own ideas and commentary freely as we moved through levels.

While its mobile game origins are obvious, Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen is a full and robust experience that will delight kids of just about any age. If your little gamer is just starting out, or is experienced and can drive the adventure on their own, there’s a lot here to engage with. The content doesn’t feel educational and is easy to lose time in – as a full grown adult, I enjoyed collecting everything and completing levels, and with the direction of my very opinionated toddler, our collaboration was a great bonding experience and something that I’ll definitely have her revisit on her own once she can read. Available on both Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, parents handing down their old console to a new and upcoming player will want to take a look at this one.

Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen copy provided by the publisher for the purposes of this review.