Sesame Street: Friends & Fun is available starting today, publisher Outright Games announced in a press release. The title celebrates kindness, community, and playful learning with characters from a popular television property that has existed longer than I have.

Developed by Infinigon Games, previously best known for Epic Chef and Gabby's Dollhouse: Ready to Party, the new release is the first major console release in a decade and a half. It lets players meet beloved characters and prepare for the Big Block Party.

Players can start by creating a custom character, who they will follow through the game's events. Locations to visit include the Community Garden, the Bandstand, the Farm, the Park, and the Fun Fair. Every area is packed with activities that will let players interact with their favorite characters from Sesame Workshop.

Key characters include Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Tango, Grover, Cookie Monster, Ernie, Bert, The Count, Oscar the Grouch, and Big Bird. I am familiar with all of them except Abby Cadabby, who I don't recall. She apparently first appeared in the 2006 season, so that explains it.

According to the press release, Sesame Street: Friends & Fun features more than 100 mini-games and activities to play, which puts it in competition with Mario Party. Activities include shape tracing, counting, sorting, and problem solving. That all sounds extremely educational, but there will also be opportunities to just cut loose and have fun.

Advertisement
A selection of urban fantasy books, with text in the middle of the banner with a genre hook.
Puppets stand in a line, while in the distance, Cookie Monster watches with interest from his food truck.Credit: Infinigon Games/Outright Games
Puppets stand in a line, while in the distance, Cookie Monster watches with interest from his food truck.Elmo and friends are gathered on a farm in front of a barn, where a puppet hoes a patch of soil near the building.The player puppet tosses a basketball toward a hoop that hangs from a wall with puppet graffiti depicting Grover.In a bedroom environment, a puppet stands next to a puppy and makes plans for decorating the space.A puppet races along a trail in a grassy park environment with trees and a spider.Ducks on wheels roll in front of two busses, one of which looks vaguely like a chicken.

Players can also design their own home and decorate parts of the neighborhood, to make the street feel like their own little world. There's a selection of clothing, furniture, and decorative items available, but probably no AC/DC shirts or biohazard suits. Alas.

Finally, there's a multi-player mode that should make it easy to explore with a friend or parent, taking advantage of intuitive controls and the welcoming environment one might expect from the brand. Honestly, there are times even now when I wouldn't mind escaping to Sesame Street, but I can't seem to find anyone to tell me how to get there.

Sesame Street: Friends & Fun is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S, which practically guarantees you have a machine in your house that can run it, if you're into games at all. And if you aren't into games, why would you even be reading this article? One wonders. One truly does.