Scribblenauts Unlimited

Scribblenauts Unlimited gives imaginative gamers a digital sandbox in which they can tinker with the in-game world at will.

85%Game Brain Score

story, humor

grinding, stability

93% User Score Based on 4,843 reviews

Critic Score 69%Based on 5 reviews

Platforms

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About

Scribblenauts Unlimited is a single player casual platformer game with a kids theme. It was developed by 5th Cell and was released on February 15, 2013. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

Scribblenauts Unlimited is a sandbox puzzle game that allows players to solve challenges by summoning objects with creative uses. Using a magical notepad, players can bring to life thousands of objects and creatures, from simple tools to complex machines, to help Maxwell, the game's protagonist, repair the world and free his trapped sister. The game's open-ended gameplay encourages imaginative thinking, making for a unique and engaging experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,843 reviews

story106 positive mentions

grinding25 negative mentions

story
404 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
68%
6%
The story in "Scribblenauts Unlimited" is generally regarded as simplistic and geared towards a younger audience, focusing on Maxwell's quest to save his sister Lily from a curse. While it provides a charming backdrop for the game's creative gameplay, many players find the narrative lacking depth and repetitiveness, often overshadowed by the sandbox elements that allow for imaginative problem-solving. Overall, the story serves more as a lighthearted framework for the gameplay rather than a compelling narrative experience.
- “As you progress through the game, you unravel the heartwarming tale of Maxwell and his quest to save his sister.”
- “In this delightful gem, your noble quest is to gallivant across various realms, gathering starite shards to reverse the petrification of your sister.”
- “The story is beautiful, the gameplay is great, and the creativity that the devs had while making this is unreal.”
- “The story is very simple and not very interesting.”
- “The main plot is very simple, but the world around you is much bigger and more charismatic!”
- “The story mode is simple and charming at first, but there is no challenge introduced as you progress, making it quickly become boring.”
humor
192 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its creativity and charm, with players enjoying the quirky interactions and absurd solutions that arise from the sandbox mechanics. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to generate hilarious moments through imaginative object combinations, making it appealing for both children and adults. While some find the humor occasionally repetitive, the overall consensus is that the game offers a delightful and entertaining experience filled with lighthearted fun.
- “This game is absolutely hilarious.”
- “The art style is adorable, the humor is gentle and quirky and liberally sprinkled through the entire game.”
- “It's filled with funny little gags that make each area more memorable.”
- “Seriously, it's a creative and funny game because I would love to ride a ridable friendly rainbow Cthulhu or whatever it's called.”
gameplay
181 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
68%
4%
The gameplay of Scribblenauts is centered around a unique mechanic where players use a magic notebook to summon objects by typing words, fostering creativity and emergent problem-solving. While the game offers a whimsical and colorful experience with a variety of puzzles, many players find the gameplay loop can become repetitive and simplistic over time, leading to a lack of long-term engagement. Overall, it is praised for its imaginative potential but criticized for its shallow mechanics and limited replayability.
- “The gameplay mechanics are surprisingly polished here.”
- “Simple gameplay mechanics allow you to explore, interact, and summon a vast array of objects using your trusty notepad.”
- “The game gives a diverse range of challenges for players to explore and exercise their personalities through writing and gameplay.”
- “Would only recommend on a sale though; not a whole lot of gameplay and it's not very replayable, but $5 or so isn't bad for 20 hours of entertainment.”
- “The gameplay loop can get repetitive, so it's not the type of game you can play in one sitting, but there's a surprising amount of content.”
- “While the game has an extremely deep library of recognized words, the gameplay loop is fairly shallow and after a couple of levels, there were no major surprises.”
graphics
141 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
52%
2%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming, colorful, and cartoonish art style that enhances its whimsical and playful atmosphere. Many reviewers appreciate the unique, doodle-like aesthetic, which complements the imaginative gameplay and adds to the overall delightful experience, despite some noting that the visuals are simple and may not appeal to all demographics. Overall, the graphics are well-received for their ability to engage players and contribute to the game's creative possibilities.
- “The game's colorful and whimsical art style perfectly complements its imaginative gameplay.”
- “The art style is wonderful and fun to look at.”
- “The graphics are charming and not very demanding, so you can play this with a medium-tier PC.”
- “Literally the only problem I have with this game is the graphics.”
- “5th Cell, update the artwork already; you dying pieces of s***.”
- “It would strongly benefit from less lazy 'indie' graphical style.”
music
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
52%
4%
The music in the game is generally described as catchy and charming, complementing the colorful graphics and enhancing the overall experience. While some players find it repetitive or unremarkable, many appreciate its upbeat nature and how it fits the game's humorous and creative elements. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong aspect, contributing positively to the game's identity and enjoyment.
- “The graphics, sound effects, and music are truly divine.”
- “The art style, the music, the atmosphere, and humor are so good.”
- “A charming game with very colorful and cartoony graphics, endless replay value, catchy soundtrack, and great Steam Workshop support.”
- “Boring gameplay and annoying music, sort of feels like false advertisement.”
- “The music, however, is a bit repetitive.”
- “While the game may not be perfect, it's close and there aren't many things about it I don't like except some of the music and the before-mentioned bugs.”
replayability
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
53%
20%
The reviews on replayability are mixed, with some players praising games for their high replay value due to creative problem-solving and diverse gameplay options, while others criticize them for having limited or zero replayability after initial playthroughs. Many highlight the potential for experimentation and the inclusion of features like mod support as factors that enhance replayability, but several also note that once puzzles are solved, the incentive to replay diminishes significantly. Overall, the consensus suggests that while some games offer endless fun and creativity, others may not warrant multiple playthroughs.
- “The game offers a significant level of replayability, encouraging players to think outside the box and experiment with different solutions.”
- “A solid, imaginative game that has pretty much infinite replayability.”
- “The sheer number of objects and adjectives to combine gives it a lot of replayability and, depending on your imagination, can be extremely hilarious and rewarding.”
- “Zero replay value.”
- “It was a cute and well-made game, but I find there to be limited to no replay value and limited solutions to the 'story problems' in the game.”
- “Unfortunately, it doesn't have much replay value, either, so if you do plan on buying it, either wait for it to go on sale, or pressure your friends to get it for you.”
grinding
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
23%
69%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, especially for players aiming for 100% completion. Many reviewers note that while the initial gameplay is enjoyable and creative, the need to collect numerous object shards and complete simple puzzles turns the experience into a chore, detracting from the overall enjoyment. Completionists may find the grind particularly unfulfilling, as the rewards often do not justify the effort required.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A bit grindy... sometimes.”
- “One long, tedious grind.”
- “Even after finishing the game, there are another 56 starites to collect, and all you get for grinding through it are a few character skins that you will never use and maybe 2 or 3 achievements.”
- “Would not recommend if you're a completionist; getting the item-creation related star fragments is incredibly grindy and unfun. There are many dozens of them, and you're just going through a list and checking boxes.”
- “The problem is that none of the puzzles require absurd items like flaming helicopters, dancing hippos, or angry claymores to solve, so you end up using the same five items over and over again, thus turning the game into a tedious chore.”
emotional
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its wholesome and heartwarming narrative, which adds depth to the puzzle-solving experience. Players appreciate the charming aesthetics and the sense of adventure, though some note that the story may lack lasting appeal. Overall, the game evokes nostalgia and encourages kindness, making it a delightful experience for those seeking lighthearted entertainment.
- “As you progress through the game, you unravel the heartwarming tale of Maxwell and his quest to save his sister.”
- “The narrative adds an emotional depth to the game, giving it a sense of purpose beyond the puzzle-solving aspect.”
- “This game doesn't just stop at the limitless freedom; it also has a very heartwarming story that promotes kindness.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's stability varies significantly across platforms, with the Switch and Wii U versions experiencing crashes and issues related to custom objects, while the Steam version suffers from visual glitches and lag. Overall, players report a mix of bugs, with some experiencing severe issues that prevent launching the game, while others enjoy a mostly smooth experience with minor glitches.
- “No glitches I've found yet.”
- “Great character customization, no glitches, smooth gameplay.”
- “So buggy I can't even launch the game.”
- “Game has some bugs, but on Switch and Wii U it's mainly crashing or issues with the custom object/downloaded object limit, whereas the Steam version mainly has visual flashing glitches and lag, which the latter could very well be caused by my computer.”
- “This game is a little bit dated now, and a little bit buggy depending on what platform you're on.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The game's atmosphere is characterized as wholesome and cozy, creating a playful and inviting environment that resonates well with players. While the initial impression is positive, some reviewers suggest that the atmosphere may lack lasting appeal due to its inherent simplicity. Overall, the art style, music, and humor contribute to a cheerful and entertaining experience.
- “This creates a happy and cozy atmosphere, with the game overall feeling just as playful and wholesome as its predecessors.”
- “It has such a cozy atmosphere to it.”
- “The art style, the music, the atmosphere, and humor are so good.”
- “It is worth a look for the initial impression and wholesome atmosphere, but definitely won't have lasting appeal given how inherently vapid it is.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization model of the game relies on in-app purchases, indicating that players will need to spend money to access certain features or content.
- “This game is not unlimited; you have to buy in-app purchases.”
- “The monetization model is overly aggressive and makes it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
- “I feel like I'm constantly being pushed to spend more money to progress.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly and at a good resolution even on low-end PCs.
- “The game runs smoothly and at a good resolution.”
- “Runs smoothly on even the lowest-end PCs.”

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69%Critics’ scoreBased on 5 critic reviews

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11h Median play time

13h Average play time

7h Main story

13h Completionist

7-24h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 14 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Scribblenauts Unlimited is a casual platformer game with kids theme.

Scribblenauts Unlimited is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, iPhone, Windows and others.

The main story can be completed in around 7 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 13 hours to finish. On average players spend around 13 hours playing Scribblenauts Unlimited.

Scribblenauts Unlimited was released on February 15, 2013.

Scribblenauts Unlimited was developed by 5th Cell.

Scribblenauts Unlimited has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Scribblenauts Unlimited is a single player game.

Similar games include Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure, Besiege, SPORE™ Galactic Adventures, Human Fall Flat, Kindergarten and others.

Scribblenauts Unlimited

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