Working closely with Blue Zoo Animation and the BBC production team, we worked to ensure that the game captured the essence of the TV show. Key to this was creating a design that would put the players in the role of the racers, following the show’s structure closely as they answer questions against the clock to win points they can spend on ‘pod mods’.

Players can pick different racers and battle over multiple tracks, deploying ‘pod mods’ to give them a speed boost or hamper their AI opponents. To keep the show visually in tune with the show we created an engine using ‘mode 7′ principles, where 2D graphical elements could be used to simulate a 3D environment. This puts the players in the driving seat and adds to the excitement as players race round each track.

Our experience of designing for this age range on previous CBeebies projects ensured that it was designed to really work for the audience, from the UI through to game controls. This even involved creating a two speed setting so younger players could enjoy the action at a more sedate pace.

The final production polish involved extensive use of voice acting and animation to make it a rich experience that the audience loved. It remains one of the most popular games on the CBeebies website to this day.