Motor Mille and the Kids' Gang

Every year, DR issues an ITP (Invitation to Pitch) with specific assignments. In 2022, Dwarf chose to focus on developing the most fun gameplay - a mobile game designed to engage a young audience through play, fun, and entertainment. The framework was open, yet clearly directed toward fostering playful childhood experiences without moralizing - instead focusing on what truly interests children and celebrating diversity.

Dwarf’s ambition was to transform the popular universe "Motor Mille and the Kids' Gang" into a game that would spark children’s creativity and courage. The goal was to create a game at a child’s level, filled with missions, interactions, and a strong sense of community, where Motor Mille supports the player and the rest of the Kids' Gang on their journey toward the final mission.

The game was developed in Unity, featuring 2D levels based on locations from the TV series — including the town, the harbor, and the campsite. It was built for both Android and iOS, which Unity handles efficiently without the need for platform-specific code. Unity’s Timeline feature was used to create cinematic sequences that seamlessly connect gameplay and storytelling.

Our good friends at Benny Box produced the game’s graphic assets and animations using Spine. With the tight integration between Spine and Unity, we established a fast and efficient pipeline, allowing assets and animations to be easily imported and used directly in the game. By combining Unity Timeline, Spine integration, and Cinemachine, we created a workflow that enabled designers to independently set up narrative sequences — without needing developer support.

The game begins with children designing their own unique character. Once complete, they can freely explore Kid Town, teaming up with Motor Mille and the Kids' Gang to complete secret missions and sneak past grumpy adults. Along the way, they unlock new areas, uncover mysteries, and work to save the town from the new mayor’s plans.

Beneath the playful surface lies a conscious effort to engage children in an inclusive and ethically responsible way. This starts with the ability to create a character they can identify with — regardless of background or needs. Inspired by UNICEF’s RITEC project (Responsible Innovation in Technology for Children), we placed strong emphasis on diversity and representation within the digital universe. Thanks to support from DR’s Diversity Fund — both financially and creatively — we were able to bring this vision to life. For example, children can choose accessories like a headscarf, heart-shaped sunglasses, a wheelchair, or a sunflower lanyard. These small choices make a big difference in the feeling of being seen.

To better understand how the game was received, DR conducted user testing with children from the target age group. Both the game’s difficulty level and character design were adjusted based on feedback from the beta version. For Benny Box, who developed the illustrative elements, it was important to strike a visual style that balanced light-heartedness and safety with the excitement of sneaking around unnoticed. The grumpy adults weren’t meant to be scary, but rather comical and a little silly — made less intimidating through humorous and quirky details like farts and clumsy behavior. Both character designs and animations were refined multiple times based on testing, and Dwarf added voiceovers to help guide children more clearly through the game’s levels.

In May 2025, the game was made available across all platforms and has been very well received by Danish children. So well, in fact, shortly after its release, Motor Mille & the Kids' Gang took the #1 spot in the App Store’s “Family” category.