It’s hard to believe that the PAW Patrol series is now 13 years old. While it was relatively quaint at first, the massive show eventually bloomed into its own cottage industry, and before anyone knew it, there were over 300 episodes, multiple spinoffs, and now, three theatrical film releases, all of which have been profitable.
Each film delves further into the lore of the series, focusing on a specific pup, starting with Chase, then moving to Skye and Marshall. The third movie also features dinosaurs, a focal point of many forms of children’s media for decades. We spoke with Guillermo Abajo, Producer at Outright Games, about the pressure to live up to the series and how they put their own spin on the formula.
PAW Patrol Goes Prehistoric
Earlier this year, developer 3DClouds and publisher Outright Games released PAW Patrol: Dino World on PC and consoles, tied to the release of the third theatrical film: PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie.
“Authenticity is incredibly important when working with a franchise like PAW Patrol. Families expect the pups to look, sound and behave in ways they recognise, so we work closely with our partners at Nickelodeon throughout development to make sure we stay true to the world and its characters. At the same time, we want players to do more than simply watch their favourite pups in action.
A big part of that is understanding what makes each pup unique and translating those familiar personalities into gameplay. Whether it’s Chase using his tennis ball launcher, Skye reaching areas others can’t, or Rubble breaking through obstacles, their abilities reflect the roles fans already know them for. We also worked to make sure the tone, environments and interactions felt right for the franchise, so the game feels like a natural extension of the PAW Patrol world while offering children a new adventure of their own.”
“Authenticity is incredibly important when working with a franchise like PAW Patrol. Families expect the pups to look, sound and behave in ways they recognise, so we work closely with our partners at Nickelodeon throughout development to make sure we stay true to the world and its characters. At the same time, we want players to do more than simply watch their favourite pups in action.
A big part of that is understanding what makes each pup unique and translating those familiar personalities into gameplay. Whether it’s Chase using his tennis ball launcher, Skye reaching areas others can’t, or Rubble breaking through obstacles, their abilities reflect the roles fans already know them for. We also worked to make sure the tone, environments and interactions felt right for the franchise, so the game feels like a natural extension of the PAW Patrol world while offering children a new adventure of their own.”
According to Abajo, it was a lot of work to get everyone right, so no kid felt left out if their favorite wasn’t represented correctly:
“The pups’ individual personalities are actually what make designing a PAW Patrol game so interesting. Each one has their own skills, strengths and recognisable role within the team, which gives us a natural starting point for building different gameplay experiences around them. The challenge is making sure those differences feel meaningful while keeping the team at the heart of the experience.
<p>In PAW Patrol: Dino World, each pup has their own abilities and signature vehicle, giving players different ways to interact with the environment and overcome obstacles. We wanted switching between pups to feel purposeful, rather than simply being a cosmetic choice. At the same time, the pups are strongest when they work together, so their individual skills all contribute to the wider adventure and reinforce one of the franchise's central themes: teamwork."</p> </blockquote>“The pups’ individual personalities are actually what make designing a PAW Patrol game so interesting. Each one has their own skills, strengths and recognisable role within the team, which gives us a natural starting point for building different gameplay experiences around them. The challenge is making sure those differences feel meaningful while keeping the team at the heart of the experience.
In PAW Patrol: Dino World, each pup has their own abilities and signature vehicle, giving players different ways to interact with the environment and overcome obstacles. We wanted switching between pups to feel purposeful, rather than simply being a cosmetic choice. At the same time, the pups are strongest when they work together, so their individual skills all contribute to the wider adventure and reinforce one of the franchise’s central themes: teamwork.”
Authenticity is incredibly important…
This goes beyond their personalities, too, and requires a lot of planning for individual game mechanics:
“Each of the six playable pups has their own abilities, reflecting their familiar roles within the team. Chase can use his tennis ball launcher to interact with objects and activate mechanisms, Marshall has a water cannon to help activate environmental elements, Rubble uses his jackhammer to break through obstacles, Skye can use her wings to reach higher places, Rocky has a repair kit for fixing broken mechanisms, and Zuma can swim and dive to help with underwater rescues.
<p>These abilities are built into the world, allowing players to overcome obstacles, discover hidden items and progress through rescue missions in different ways. We wanted children to be able to play as all six pups from the beginning, rather than having to unlock them as they go. That gives them the freedom to switch between their favourites and discover how each pup's skills can help them explore Dino Island. It also encourages a little problem-solving, as players learn which pup is best suited to different situations."</p> </blockquote>“Each of the six playable pups has their own abilities, reflecting their familiar roles within the team. Chase can use his tennis ball launcher to interact with objects and activate mechanisms, Marshall has a water cannon to help activate environmental elements, Rubble uses his jackhammer to break through obstacles, Skye can use her wings to reach higher places, Rocky has a repair kit for fixing broken mechanisms, and Zuma can swim and dive to help with underwater rescues.
These abilities are built into the world, allowing players to overcome obstacles, discover hidden items and progress through rescue missions in different ways. We wanted children to be able to play as all six pups from the beginning, rather than having to unlock them as they go. That gives them the freedom to switch between their favourites and discover how each pup’s skills can help them explore Dino Island. It also encourages a little problem-solving, as players learn which pup is best suited to different situations.”
Kids Still Love Dinosaurs
“The pup’s vehicles are an important part of their identities, so it was important to make sure they felt at home in the world of PAW Patrol: Dino World while retaining the qualities fans recognise. We wanted each vehicle to feel like a natural extension of its pup, reflecting their role within the team and giving players another way to interact with the island. The vehicles also help bring variety to exploration, allowing children to travel through different environments and discover areas they might otherwise miss.”
</blockquote>“The pup’s vehicles are an important part of their identities, so it was important to make sure they felt at home in the world of PAW Patrol: Dino World while retaining the qualities fans recognise. We wanted each vehicle to feel like a natural extension of its pup, reflecting their role within the team and giving players another way to interact with the island. The vehicles also help bring variety to exploration, allowing children to travel through different environments and discover areas they might otherwise miss.”
“We also wanted players to have opportunities to make the experience their own. As they explore Dino Island, they can discover hidden treasure chests and collect items to unlock customisation options for their pups and vehicles, as well as their dinosaur friends. It’s a fun way to reward curiosity and gives children another reason to venture off the beaten path, while letting them put their own stamp on the adventure.”
</blockquote>“We also wanted players to have opportunities to make the experience their own. As they explore Dino Island, they can discover hidden treasure chests and collect items to unlock customisation options for their pups and vehicles, as well as their dinosaur friends. It’s a fun way to reward curiosity and gives children another reason to venture off the beaten path, while letting them put their own stamp on the adventure.”
Of course, there’s a responsibility that comes with working alongside such a well-loved franchise.
Enjoying this article? Support our work with a small crypto donation.</blockquote>Of course, there’s a responsibility that comes with working alongside such a well-loved franchise.
Abajo notes how the dino setting clicked into place with what the team had already envisioned:
“We wanted to create a world that children could explore independently, while also giving families opportunities to play and discover things together. Designing an open-world adventure for a younger audience requires particular care, as we want children to feel a sense of freedom without becoming overwhelmed. We’ve made the different areas of Dino Island colourful and easy to recognise, with helpful guidance to support players as they find their way around. There’s also an intuitive introduction to the controls, allowing children to get comfortable before setting off on their adventure.”
</blockquote>“We wanted to create a world that children could explore independently, while also giving families opportunities to play and discover things together. Designing an open-world adventure for a younger audience requires particular care, as we want children to feel a sense of freedom without becoming overwhelmed. We’ve made the different areas of Dino Island colourful and easy to recognise, with helpful guidance to support players as they find their way around. There’s also an intuitive introduction to the controls, allowing children to get comfortable before setting off on their adventure.”
“From there, they can explore four distinct regions, take on rescue missions, solve environmental puzzles, discover hidden collectibles and play mini-games. The game also supports local two-player co-op, so children can share the experience with a parent, sibling or friend. For us, it’s about striking a balance between accessibility and discovery, giving younger players the confidence to explore and solve problems while creating opportunities for families to enjoy the adventure together.”
</blockquote>“From there, they can explore four distinct regions, take on rescue missions, solve environmental puzzles, discover hidden collectibles and play mini-games. The game also supports local two-player co-op, so children can share the experience with a parent, sibling or friend. For us, it’s about striking a balance between accessibility and discovery, giving younger players the confidence to explore and solve problems while creating opportunities for families to enjoy the adventure together.”
For Abajo and the team, the ability to integrate dinosaurs directly into the gameplay didn’t hurt, though:
“The prehistoric setting gave us a fantastic opportunity to expand the PAW Patrol world in a new direction. Dino Island is a large, interactive world filled with dinosaurs, different environments and hidden discoveries, so it offered plenty of opportunities to build an adventure around something that children are naturally fascinated by. We were particularly excited about making the dinosaurs an active part of the gameplay, rather than simply having them in the background.
</blockquote>“The prehistoric setting gave us a fantastic opportunity to expand the PAW Patrol world in a new direction. Dino Island is a large, interactive world filled with dinosaurs, different environments and hidden discoveries, so it offered plenty of opportunities to build an adventure around something that children are naturally fascinated by. We were particularly excited about making the dinosaurs an active part of the gameplay, rather than simply having them in the background.
Players can help lost dinosaurs reunite with their families, take care of them at the Paleo Center and customise their appearance. The different environments, from the Dino Plains and sandy shores to the jungle and volcanic caves, also gave us plenty of ways to introduce new challenges and discoveries. Combined with the pups’ familiar abilities and rescue missions, it allowed us to make the prehistoric setting feel integral to the adventure, rather than just a different backdrop.”
</blockquote>Players can help lost dinosaurs reunite with their families, take care of them at the Paleo Center and customise their appearance. The different environments, from the Dino Plains and sandy shores to the jungle and volcanic caves, also gave us plenty of ways to introduce new challenges and discoveries. Combined with the pups’ familiar abilities and rescue missions, it allowed us to make the prehistoric setting feel integral to the adventure, rather than just a different backdrop.”
How To Make Games For Kids
For Abajo and the team at Outright Games, it wasn’t just about copying the film, even though a lot of the prehistoric theming is similar:
“It was an exciting opportunity to give fans another way to experience the world of PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie. Of course, there’s a responsibility that comes with working alongside such a well-loved franchise, particularly when introducing families to a setting they’re about to see on the big screen. For us, the important thing was making sure PAW Patrol: Dino World stood on its own as a game, rather than simply recreating a story that audiences could already watch in the cinema.”
</blockquote>“It was an exciting opportunity to give fans another way to experience the world of PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie. Of course, there’s a responsibility that comes with working alongside such a well-loved franchise, particularly when introducing families to a setting they’re about to see on the big screen. For us, the important thing was making sure PAW Patrol: Dino World stood on its own as a game, rather than simply recreating a story that audiences could already watch in the cinema.”
He continues, giving a bit of background on the differences between the two projects:
“The film provided a familiar starting point, but games offer something different: the opportunity for children to take control, explore at their own pace and become part of the adventure themselves. While the game shares the film’s prehistoric setting, it tells its own story, with Mayor Humdinger causing chaos across Dino Island and the pups working to rescue dinosaurs and restore order.”
</blockquote>“The film provided a familiar starting point, but games offer something different: the opportunity for children to take control, explore at their own pace and become part of the adventure themselves. While the game shares the film’s prehistoric setting, it tells its own story, with Mayor Humdinger causing chaos across Dino Island and the pups working to rescue dinosaurs and restore order.”
In the end, Abajo says the team had a simple goal for Paw Patrol: Dino World: “We focused on creating an experience that felt authentic to PAW Patrol while giving players the freedom to discover its different regions, interact with dinosaurs and complete missions in their own way. Hopefully, the game also gives fans an exciting introduction to Dino Island, with plenty of familiar elements to enjoy and new discoveries to make before heading to the cinema.”
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