# List of DreamWorks Animation video games
The video games based on [DreamWorks Animation](https://www.edgepedia.org/dreamworks-animation) properties are licensed titles built on the studio's animated films, beginning in 1998 and spanning tie-ins for *Chicken Run* in 2000, *Shrek*, *Madagascar*, *Kung Fu Panda*, *Bee Movie*, and *How to Train Your Dragon*[11](https://www.marketingweek.com/eidos-launches-chicken-run-on-video-games-platform/). Most were published by [Activision](https://www.edgepedia.org/activision) under exclusive multi-year agreements, and their production largely ended when the movie tie-in game market collapsed in the 2010s.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First release | The first DreamWorks Animation video game was released in 1998[1](https://www.uvlist.net/groups/info/dreamworks) |
| Main publisher | Activision held exclusive multi-year, multi-property publishing rights, first signed with DreamWorks SKG in January 2003 and renewed with DreamWorks Animation SKG in November 2005[2](https://investor.activision.com/static-files/e2e9c4a2-c427-44d2-8ce5-d385886239ec) • [3](https://investor.activision.com/news-releases/news-release-details/activision-and-dreamworks-animation-skg-launch-new-multi-year) |
| Sales | Activision's *Shrek 2*, *Shark Tale*, and *Madagascar* games collectively shipped more than 10 million units worldwide; *Shrek 2* was the #1 best-selling children's video game in the U.S. for calendar 2004 according to NPD[3](https://investor.activision.com/news-releases/news-release-details/activision-and-dreamworks-animation-skg-launch-new-multi-year) |
| Typical platforms | PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, Windows, and handhelds, with later titles on PlayStation 3 and Nintendo 3DS[4](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/games/franchise/11354-dreamworks) |
| Notable developers | Beenox (*Bee Movie Game*), Blitz Games (*Chicken Run*), Torus Games (*Madagascar 3: The Video Game*)[5](https://evanrocks.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Universal_Studios_animation_video_games) • [6](https://www.uvlist.net/groups/games-list/dreamworks) |
| Later output | After Universal's 2016 purchase of DreamWorks Animation, new releases became sparse, with mobile projects such as *Code: DreamWorks All-Stars* entering development for 2026[5](https://evanrocks.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Universal_Studios_animation_video_games) • [7](https://www.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2026/0329/2026032900797.pdf) |
## Licensing history
**The Activision agreements.** In January 2003, Activision, Inc. and DreamWorks SKG signed a strategic multi-year, multi-property publishing agreement granting Activision exclusive interactive rights to three upcoming computer-animated films, then titled "Sharkslayer" (released as *Shark Tale*), *Madagascar*, and *Over the Hedge*, for console, hand-held, and PC platforms. The announcement followed Activision's agreement with TDK Mediactive to co-develop and co-publish games based on the theatrical sequel to *Shrek*[2](https://investor.activision.com/static-files/e2e9c4a2-c427-44d2-8ce5-d385886239ec).
In November 2005 the companies signed a new long-term alliance granting Activision exclusive video game rights to DreamWorks Animation's upcoming feature films, including *Bee Movie* and *Kung Fu Panda*, films in development such as *Rex Havoc* and *How to Train Your Dragon*, and future films in the *[Shrek](https://www.edgepedia.org/shrek-franchise)* franchise beyond *Shrek 3*. The deal covered all current and future console platforms, the PC, and hand-held devices, and included rights to develop games during non-film years and to publish games based on each property's sequels[3](https://investor.activision.com/news-releases/news-release-details/activision-and-dreamworks-animation-skg-launch-new-multi-year).
**Commercial performance.** Under the earlier agreement, Activision released games based on *Shrek 2*, *Shark Tale*, and *Madagascar* across multiple platforms, which together shipped more than 10 million units worldwide. Activision's *Shrek 2* game was the #1 best-selling children's video game in the United States for calendar 2004, according to the market research firm NPD[3](https://investor.activision.com/news-releases/news-release-details/activision-and-dreamworks-animation-skg-launch-new-multi-year).
## Selected titles
The games were released close to their films and spanned the studio's major franchises:
- *Chicken Run* (2000), developed by Blitz Games for PlayStation, Sega Dreamcast, Windows, and [Game Boy Color](https://www.edgepedia.org/game-boy-color)[5](https://evanrocks.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Universal_Studios_animation_video_games).
- *DreamWorks Super Star Kartz* (2011), a kart racer on 3DS, DS, Wii, PlayStation 3, and [Xbox 360](https://www.edgepedia.org/xbox-360) in which players race as DreamWorks Animation characters[4](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/games/franchise/11354-dreamworks).
- *Madagascar 3: The Video Game* (2012), developed by Torus Games for the [Nintendo 3DS](https://www.edgepedia.org/nintendo-3ds)[6](https://www.uvlist.net/groups/games-list/dreamworks).
- *Shrek Forever After: The Mobile Game* (2010), released on the J2ME mobile platform[8](https://www.mobygames.com/company/31779/dreamworks-animation-llc/).
## Production challenges
Games based on feature films faced recurring difficulties: translating a linear storyline into an interactive game, matching an established production design, meeting synchronized release schedules, passing studio approvals, and maintaining consistent creative direction from film to game. A GDC 2006 session with representatives from DreamWorks Animation, Activision, Electronic Arts, and other studios described these challenges alongside the corresponding benefits of an established world, characters, and look, marketing tie-ins, and a pre-established audience[9](https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1013182/Big-Screen-to-Game-Console). Developers of the *Chicken Run* games noted that studios often provide little more than a preliminary movie script, though in that case DreamWorks and Aardman gave extensive help, including sets, scripts, storyboards, and finished-film footage for use in FMV sequences[10](https://media.gdcvault.com/GD_Mag_Archives/GDM_May_2001.pdf).
## Decline and later developments
The tie-in era wound down during the 2010s.
After DreamWorks Animation's purchase by Universal in 2016, games from the studio's film and television properties continued only sporadically[5](https://evanrocks.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Universal_Studios_animation_video_games). A recent project is *Code: DreamWorks All-Stars* (代号:梦工场全明星), an idle card mobile game licensed from Universal Studios that collects IPs from the *Shrek*, *Madagascar*, *Kung Fu Panda*, *How to Train Your Dragon*, and *The Bad Guys* series, scheduled to enter development and beta testing in 2026[7](https://www.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2026/0329/2026032900797.pdf).
## References
1. [Dreamworks Animation video games (Culture serie), UVL](https://www.uvlist.net/groups/info/dreamworks)
2. [Activision and DreamWorks SKG Sign Exclusive Multi-year, Multi-property Publishing Deal (January 21, 2003), Activision Investor Relations](https://investor.activision.com/static-files/e2e9c4a2-c427-44d2-8ce5-d385886239ec)
3. [Activision and DreamWorks Animation SKG Launch New Multi-Year, Multi-Property Licensing Deal (November 16, 2005), Activision Investor Relations](https://investor.activision.com/news-releases/news-release-details/activision-and-dreamworks-animation-skg-launch-new-multi-year)
4. [Game Franchises - DreamWorks, GameFAQs](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/games/franchise/11354-dreamworks)
5. [List of Universal Studios animation video games, EvanRocks Wiki](https://evanrocks.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Universal_Studios_animation_video_games)
6. [Dreamworks Animation video games list, 'a' to 'z', UVL](https://www.uvlist.net/groups/games-list/dreamworks)
7. [HKExnews filing 252365-02 (2026)](https://www.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2026/0329/2026032900797.pdf)
8. [Dreamworks Animation LLC, MobyGames](https://www.mobygames.com/company/31779/dreamworks-animation-llc/)
9. [Big Screen to Game Console: Case Studies, GDC Vault (GDC 2006)](https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1013182/Big-Screen-to-Game-Console)
10. [Game Developer Magazine, May 2001 archive (Chicken Run development)](https://media.gdcvault.com/GD_Mag_Archives/GDM_May_2001.pdf)
11. [Eidos Launches Chicken Run on Video Games Platform, marketingweek.com](https://www.marketingweek.com/eidos-launches-chicken-run-on-video-games-platform/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Individual game titles › Licensed and media tie-in game titles › Film, television, and anime adaptations*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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