There are all sorts of video games in the world with bright colors and interesting characters that small children look at and wish they could play, too. But some games are just too complicated for little hands or filled with things that those tykes simply shouldn’t dive into.
Bluey’s Happy Snaps, however, is designed just for that littles crowd. Older kids and parents can join in, of course, but this game is shaped to appeal to young player sensibilities, their interests and their attention spans.
If you didn’t already guess, Bluey’s Happy Snaps is a photography-themed adventure game. It all starts off as Bluey (a young Australian Blue Heeler) and her little sister, Bingo (a Red Heeler), accidentally upend a box of their dad’s stuff while romping about at home. And out tumbles an old Polaroid camera.
Dad walks up, and with a bit of dad magic, he pops in some film and the camera is ready to use. And so it’s time for the whole family to take off for some picture snapping at the park—and later, other active spots about town.
Small gamers then learn how to wield the never-empty camera and take all the pictures of toys, animals, locations and fun activities they might find interesting. Mom offers the kids a cute little photo album that they can fill, and the tykes have the means for a fun afternoon.
Gameplay wise, players guide Bluey or Bingo as they explore the very colorful and cram-packed world around them. The photo album shows them a large page of objectives they can look for. Snapped photos are turned into stickers that fill the page. Some special snaps are also transformed into coloring pages that gamers can decorate with a paint tool, glitter and other stickers.
Along the way, there are lots of puppy friends to meet and minigames that Bluey and Bingo can join. They can use chalk to draw on the ground and sidewalks. They can play hide-and-seek with camera snaps, grab pics of specific family poses, blow bubbles, play bocce ball and jump around in a variety of other simple, kid-centric activities.
(As I played this game, one of my first thoughts was: These are all fun things that a family could actually do together in the real world. I then found that the game suggested that, too, in a “Play for Real Life” menu.)
Bluey’s Happy Snaps is designed as a single-player offline experience, but it can be enjoyed as a two-player co-op that lets players control both Bluey and Bingo.
Bluey’s Happy Snaps is a game that’s all about a family having fun romping about together. The characters are voiced by the actors that play them in the Bluey animated television series (kid giggles and all).
Most everything on screen can be used as a guide for real-world family activities.
There’s nothing offensive that’s said or done in the game. However, there are some suggested activities that include references to magic and fantasy. For instance, the kids are asked to “prepare a magic spell in a cauldron.” They gather park grass and a pinecone to toss in a bowl. Another spot in the park has a “fairy circle,” which is a circle made of flowers on the ground, that the kids can take a picture of.
Bluey’s Happy Snaps is a fun, kid-focused snapshot game that the whole family can enjoy while little gamers guide the way. (It could prompt real-world play, too!)
After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.
