For those unfamiliar with Outright Games, they have playfully dominated the licenced and family friendly title space in recent years with a publishing catalogue of some of the most beloved franchises in children’s television. Titles such as Adventure Time, Ben 10, PAW Patrol, Gigantosaurus, Trollhunters and Ice Age are just the tip of their publishing iceberg. YouTube child sensation Ryan from Ryan’s World, the recent iterations of Jumanji and even the iconic Transformers also have the Outright Games stamp in recent years.

Outright Games have curated a portfolio of powerhouse licences that have been adapted into experiences that can be enjoyed and made accessible to younger players while also remaining enjoyable for parents or older players. The first word that comes to mind when I think of Outright Games is ‘family’, and by publishing titles that in most cases can be played co-operatively, are inspired by beloved franchises and are developed with the most casual of accessibility and gameplay options, these titles offer a little of something to everyone.

Below you can find a brief overview of the titles from the event and a link to my full write-up for each, in order of their release dates.

PAW Patrol the Movie: Adventure City Calls

Developed by Drakhar Studio | Release Date: August 13 2021

Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC

Hands-On Demo – 30 minutes

This is the only title of the showcase that has released, albeit recently. It is a tie-in of the film PAW Patrol: The Movie that released in cinemas August 21. This marked the third PAW Patrol title to be published by Outright Games and was developed by Drakhar Studio, who also published the previous entry, PAW Patrol: Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay.

Drakhar Studio are also developing the upcoming Hotel Transylvania: Scary-Tale Adventures, to be published by Outright Games, which was absent from this presentation.

My full review of PAW Patrol the Movie: Adventure City Calls can be found HERE. I reviewed this title prior to this event.

The Addams Family: Mansion Mayhem

Developed by PHL Collective | Release Date: September 24 2021

Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC

Hands-On Demo – 30 minutes

Inspired by the 2019 animated film, and its upcoming sequel, The Addams Family: Mansion Mayhem utilises a similar art design that allows for a greater connection between players who have seen the film. This title is a 3D platforming adventure full of exciting minigames that can be played alone or co-operatively with up to three other players, each taking the role of Gomez, Morticia, Pugsley and Wednesday.

PHL Collective previously developed Ben 10: Power Trip, published by Outright Games.

My thoughts, screenshots, and trailer of The Addams Family: Mansion Mayhem can be found HERE.

Blaze and the Monster Machines: Axle City Racers

Developed by 3D Clouds | Release Date: October 1 2021

Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC

Hands-On Demo – 30 minutes

Blaze and the Monster Machines is a CGI-animated show that premiered on Nickelodeon back in 2014. Led by the monster truck and driver tag-team of Blaze and AJ respectively, this kart racer can be played alone or in 4-player split-screen.

3D Clouds are no strangers to developing titles to be published by Outright Games. The development team are responsible for 2019’s Race with Ryan and are also developing Fast & Furious Spy Racer: Rise of SH1FT3R.

My thoughts, screenshots, and trailer of Blaze and the Monster Machines: Axle City Racers can be found HERE.

My Friend Peppa Pig

Developed by Petoons Studio | Release Date: October 22 2021

Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC

Hands-On Demo – 30 minutes

One of the most beloved children’s shows in recent years is being adapted by Petoons Studio. My Friend Peppa Pig is a fun-filled adventure full of activities, character customisation and the playful charm that’s made the television series a smash hit for years.

Petoons Studio are also developing the upcoming PJ Masks: Heroes of the Night.

My thoughts, screenshots, and trailer of My Friend Peppa Pig can be found HERE.

PJ Masks: Heroes of the Night

Developed by Petoons Studio | Release Date: October 29 2021

Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC

Hands-On Demo – 30 minutes

Based on the popular animated show that premiered in 2015, PJ Masks: Heroes of the Night puts players in the roles of Catboy, Owlette and Gekko in the platforming adventure that takes place in familiar locations.

Also charged with the development of My Friend Peppa Pig, Petoons Studio are tackling TWO of the most popular children’s shows. It’s no small feat but from my hands-on experience with both, these beloved properties are in capable hands.

My thoughts, screenshots, and trailer of PJ Masks: Heroes of the Night can be found HERE.

Fast & Furious Spy Racers: Rise of SH1FT3R

Developed by 3D Clouds | Release Date: November 5 2021

Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC

Hands-Off Demo

This was the only title in the show that was hands-off, with the game being showcased with commentary and a Q&A from members of Swipe Right, Outright Games and the development team from 3D Clouds.

Inspired by the animated Netflix series, Fast & Furious Spy Racers, Rise of SH1FT3R exhumes a visual flair and engaging style that is certain to appeal for audiences of all ages.

3D Clouds are also developing the upcoming Blaze and the Monster Machines: Axle City Racers.

My thoughts, screenshots, and trailer of Fast & Furious Spy Racers: Rise of SH1FT3R can be found HERE.

This was my first digital showcase and I couldn’t be happier that it was one for Outright Games. Their catalogue of titles are yet to disappoint, even as a 30 year old player, each one has managed to trigger the child within that still enjoys the simple, accessible and relaxing experiences Outright Games can deliver. As I have introduced my 3 and 5 year old sons, Hunter and Lachlan, to video games, these titles are fast becoming a staple at Games of DAYNE HQ, offering a vast array of family-friendly experiences that we can share together, either playing co-operatively, taking turns, or watching each other.

As a father, I can’t stress enough how great the value of titles published by Outright Games are in terms of fun and simple experiences for the kids. With almost every title recognisable with their television counterparts, most available on Netflix or other accessible streaming services, these are great gateway gaming introductions.

As a 3o year old gamer, I am still pleasantly surprised with how much I am able to enjoy these games. There’s something so relaxing and enjoyable about being able to kick back, switch off a little bit and simply play a game that isn’t constantly asking me to react with instinct or challenge me in some capacity. The Xbox Achievement Hunter in me also enjoys the achievement lists as they aren’t remotely taxing or time-consuming.

Outright Games tick the children, parent, gamer and Achievement/Trophy hunter boxes with flying colours. With the great experiences I’ve had in the past and present, and with the opportunity to play some of what’s to come in the very near future, I can’t wait to play the titles from this event in full and I’m even more excited for the surprises that are inevitably cooking away.

To keep up with everything Outright Games you can follow them at the links below;

Website | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram |

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Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC

Fast & Furious Spy Racers is switching lanes, racing straight from Netflix onto consoles and PC in the form of Fast & Furious Spy Racers: Rise of SH1FT3R. The first thing to say about the hands-off presentation at OG Unwrapped is that this packs a surprising amount of polish and detail.

The official synopsis for Fast & Furious Spy Racers: Rise of SH1FT3R reads;

“Get your spy gear ready and ride to victory in Fast & Furious: Spy Racers Rise of SH1FT3R! Your moment has come to join Tony Toretto as a Spy Racer in a racing tournament across the world – from LA to the Sahara Desert and beyond. Take on the role of a Spy Racer and battle against the resurgent criminal racing organization, SH1FT3R. Prove you’re the best by racing across unique tracks with your gadgets and speeding through secret shortcuts. Personalize your car with unique skins and unlock new items within the game. Compete in couch co-op with a friend or play online with up to 5 other players. If you’ve ever wanted to be a hard-driving undercover spy, the Spy Racers want you!”

The visuals are striking and the attention to detail in each of the cars is very impressive. It hasn’t been overdone to the point it is trying to look realistic but is still beautifully realised as more than a typical racer. It’s slick, eye-catching and faithful to the show that inspired it.

In between the missions the characters hang out in the hideout which can be customised by spending points earned in races. Unlocking new decorations, ornaments, signs and other things that bring the hideout to life is cool and offers a meaningful in-game marketplace variety that breathes life into the non-racing moments.

New characters and vehicle skins can also be unlocked. There is a decent amount of replay value on offer in this game which should keep players coming back for a while with satisfying rewards up for grabs.

Each vehicle has its own unique abilities that look so fun to experiment with. The chaos in the races is exhilarating and suspiciously intense. The screen and track become full of carnage as the different vehicles unload their abilities, looking to provide some fun and wild challenges for players and their friends, either locally or online.

I’m personally not much of a car guy but there’s something about these types of games that are so fun and wild, and I was positively curious after it was first announced. After seeing 30 minutes of gameplay, I’m definitely more interested in Fast & Furious Spy Racers: Rise of SH1FT3R than I was heading in.

To keep up with everything Outright Games you can follow them at the links below;

Website | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram |

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Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC

Blaze and the Monster Machines have been tearing it up for 7 years as a Nickelodeon television series. In just over two weeks however, Blaze and the gang are racing onto consoles and PC in Blaze and the Monster Machines: Axle City Racers!

With two young children that are obsessed with cars, whether they are toys, on-screen characters and even the real things, this title I can say with certainty is going to hook my boys, 3 and 5.

The loading screens between races have fun facts that are a nice little addition to keep the experience as informative as it is enjoyable.

The official synopsis for Blaze and the Monster Machines: Axle City Racers reads;

“On your marks, get ready to race with Blaze and the Monster Machines! From Axle City to the Monster Dome, the world of Blaze is yours to explore! So buckle your seatbelts and take control of Starla, Pickle, Crusher, and more friends. It’s time to race at blazing speed for the championship or play with up to 4-players in split-screen mode! The fun keeps on rolling. Boost and drift around classic Blaze tracks. Power-up with special abilities or customize Blaze in the garage. And with STEM education features, plus accessible options like Auto-Drive, kids will love learning as they race for glory!”

Each of the playable characters/vehicles have a unique ability that are simple to activate and fun to play around with. The simplicity to the gameplay is incredibly well though out as there is even an option to auto-drive which allows the player to steer while the car auto-accelerates or vice versa. This accessibility will be a great tool for helping younger players adjust to the multi-tasking required with this type of game.

Supporting 4-player local split-screen, Blaze and friends can race it out while all members of the family jump in and try to take their cute characters to the finis line first. It’s certainly not as chaotic as a Mario Kart type game for example but it offers the same sense of playful mayhem in the most accessible of manners.

Blaze and the Monster Machines: Axle City Racers feels like a fun little kart-racer that is wonderfully charming to look at and offers such great accessibility options that the youngest of players can enjoy without the pressures of complex controls. It’s simple, it’s fun and the competitive local co-op should inspire some fun competition between siblings. This dad still needs to learn to let the kids win more and I feel like the joy they will feel when they’re able to control the characters they enjoy watching on TV just might motivate me to let them win… maybe.

To keep up with everything Outright Games you can follow them at the links below;

Website | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram |

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Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC

For as long as I can remember I’ve been a fan of The Addams Family. Countless movies, television series and a handful of video games have been ingrained into my brain with joy. The Addams Family: Mansion Mayhem fantastically captures the magic and feeling of the recent CGI-animated film and its upcoming sequel.

The 3D platforming adventure packs in a variety of fun and spooky elements in an impressive variety of locations that draw a beautiful parallels with its big-screen inspiration.

The official synopsis for The Addams Family: Mansion Mayhem reads;

“Family game night is about to get terrifyingly exciting!

Only you and your friends can help Wednesday, Pugsley, Gomez, and Morticia save the Addams Family Mansion in this horrifyingly hilarious 3D adventure for up to four players.

The mansion is full of spooky scares – but can you discover its hair-raising secrets and save it from an unexpected threat?

Use each iconic character’s abilities to explore the house, solve puzzles, and find lost relics. Play competitive minigames that will have you bumping and jumping over each other to win.”

There is a crazy amount of variety in its mini-games. When speaking with one of the developers as I played my demo, I learned that every mini-game in The Addams Family: Mansion Mayhem is unique. That freedom to be so creative and playful with the variety was a task enjoyed by the team and from what little I was able to see in my experience with it, it will likely be received well when it launches at the tail end of next week.

The game world is laid out almost like a map with story missions along the way and these mini-games spread throughout. The mansion is laid out by rooms or areas, and a handful of missions and mini-games take place within different areas of these locations.

Playable solo or with up to three other players, the titular family are all playable and each have their own abilities that encourages experimentation. The mini-games in particular scream co-op and look to be a lot of silly fun that varies in its co-operative or competitive aspects that should provide a few laughs when playing with the little ones.

The Addams Family: Mansion Mayhem looks to sit atop the list of games I was able to preview at OG Unwrapped as perhaps the most complex but that by no means suggests it will be difficult for younger players. The platforming and mini-games that I was able to play through were fun, accessible enough with the simplified control scheme and look like a blast to be played co-operatively come next week.

To keep up with everything Outright Games you can follow them at the links below;

Website | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram |

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Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC

Peppa Pig is a franchise that took the children’s world by storm. My home is riddled with merchandise such as clothing, toys (including countless musical variants…), books and more. I remember first seeing the announcement trailer and thinking “my kids are going to lose their minds”.

Having shown the above trailer to my kids the next day at a more appropriate hour than I first saw it, their reaction was beautiful. They were so excited, screaming out the names of everyone as they recognised them and I knew that My Friend Peppa Pig was going to rock the households of children worldwide.

The official synopsis for My Friend Peppa Pig reads;

“Have a fun-filled adventure by becoming Peppa Pig’s new friend! Create and dress your character, ring Peppa’s doorbell, and begin a story that’s all up to you. Peppa suggests activities everywhere you go – help Daddy Pig find his glasses, follow the animal tracks in the Forest, splash in muddy puddles, and much more! It’s just like being in an episode of the TV show, where all your favorite characters are excited to meet you. From the Beach to the Museum and even Potato City, every playtime is a new experience with your friend Peppa Pig.”

As I began my demo experience I was immediately drawn to how clever the game was with its simplicity. I feel comfortable in the thought that even my 3 year old son, Hunter, is going to be able to pick this up, wander around and enjoy himself with little difficulty.

Is Hunter going to see the credits roll? I actually feel as though he might. The simplicity of the gameplay is perfect for the youngest of players, merely moving across the screen in side-scroller fashion though with a bit more dimension. Interacting with things is simple and the sheer variety of these simple interactions is impressive.

In the first few seconds of gameplay there was a puddle to interact with and all you do is jump in it, splashing mud and water around. I won’t lie, I jumped in the puddle for longer than a 30 year old man should care to admit. It was fun! I was imagining how my children would feel with this type of interaction, as much to my chagrin, jumping in puddles is something they love to do…

Some of the activities were great in the sense that My Friend Peppa Pig is just as focused on educating its young players as it is with entertaining them. One section had me picking up bottles and other recyclables that had been left laying around and disposing of them correctly in the nearby bins. It’s this subtle integration of education with the interactivity that help My Friend Peppa Pig stand out as a great example of how video games can be informative and shape the young and impressionable minds of its players.

The demo opened with a character customisation screen that was surprisingly plentiful. You could choose what type of animal to be, body shape, colours, glasses, hats… for a children’s game I was spoilt for choice and its this light level of creative freedom that I believe will appeal to the youngest of players.

The world looks, sounds and feels like the world of Peppa Pig which adds to the immersion for the intended audience. As someone who has managed to escape seeing too much of the show, despite it being on in the background with regularity, it looks like the show to a relative outsider and that speaks volumes to the level of commitment the team at Petoons Studio have put in to creating a genuine experience.

My Friend Peppa Pig, from my brief time with it, is shaping up to be a great game for those of us with kids. There’s a guilty pleasure to this type of game that I personally succumb to and I’m looking forward to the relaxing escapades of my custom character in the world of Peppa Pig, and possibly learning a thing or two in the process!

To keep up with everything Outright Games you can follow them at the links below;

Website | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram |

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Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC

PJ Masks: Heroes of the Night is easily the title that had me the most excited heading into OG Unwrapped. I have found myself pleasantly surprised with how much I have enjoyed the show on Netflix since my two sons started watching it.

The official synopsis for PJ Masks: Heroes of the Night reads;

“Who goes into the night to save the day? You do! Get your PJs on and become Catboy, Owlette, and Gekko in the most exciting PJ Masks game yet. Set off from Mission Control HQ on a platforming adventure for little heroes. Use your superpowers – like Catboy’s speed, Owlette’s flying, and Gekko’s muscles – to stop the night-time baddies. And explore eight PJ Masks locations, from Mystery Mountain all the way to Moon! With PJ Robot’s help, you’ll discover a world of friendship, teamwork, and hidden collectibles. Can you save the world from Romeo, Luna Girl, and Night Ninja?”

I got to play as each of the three characters in the demo and found myself platforming, flying and crawling up and down walls. The side-scrolling perspective works well for the playful art design and appropriately keeps things simple.

There were plenty of things to collect, masks to find and light puzzles to solve using the special abilities of each of the characters. There’s enough variety to keep things from being too simple but not too much to overwhelm younger players.

The adventurous score accompanied the cute and charming visuals, providing an authentic presentation that seamlessly recreates the vibe of the TV series. It looks and sounds as fun as it plays, even at my age (which is at least triple that of the target audience), I found it endearing and enjoyable.

Coming in with the expectations I had, I can safely say I was not disappointed and I look forward to the full release PJ Masks: Heroes of the Night and getting the kids into it as well.

To keep up with everything Outright Games you can follow them at the links below;

Website | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram |

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