Scribblenauts Unlimited

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Scribblenauts Unlimited
Developer(s)	5th Cell Shiver Entertainment (Mega Pack)
Publisher(s)	Nintendo (Europe,Wii U, 3ds) Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Release Date(s)	US (3DS and Wii U): Nov 13th, 2012 US (PC): Nov 20th, 2012 AU: Nov 29th, 2012 EU (3DS and Wii U): 6th December 2013 EU (PC): Feb 15th, 2013 INT (iOS/Android): Dec 16th, 2015 WW (Mega Pack): September 18, 2018
Platforms	Original: Nintendo 3DS Windows (Steam, DVD-ROM) Nintendo Wii U iOS Android Steam Deck (Playable compatibility) Mega Pack: Nintendo Switch PlayStation 4 Xbox One Xbox Series X|S (backwards compatibility) PlayStation 5 (backwards compatibility) Nintendo Switch 2 (backwards compatibility)
Genre(s)	Puzzle, Adventure, Emergent
Mode(s)	Free Play/Levels (Single or Multiplayer) Object Editing (Single Player or Online)
Rating(s)	E10+ (ESRB), 12 (PEGI)

Scribblenauts Unlimited is a puzzle sandbox video game developed by 5th Cell and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Microsoft Windows, iOS and Android. A remaster with new content was included in the compilation title Scribblenauts Mega Pack alongside the sequel Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure in 2018. Scribblenauts Unlimited is the fourth game in the Scribblenauts series and was a launch title for the Wii U.

History

Following the success of the Scribblenauts games on the original DS, as well as Locks Quest and the Drawn to Life series, Nintendo was eager to partner with 5TH Cell for their next systems, the 3DS and Wii U.

When Nintendo first approached 5th Cell with a prototype of the Wii U, they had been unsuccessfully exploring ideas on how to translate the Scribblenauts gameplay to the Wii. After seeing the Wii U GamePad, they thought it was a genius idea and a perfect way to bring the series writing mechanics to consoles, since for the first time, a major console included a tablet-like controller as a core feature, rather than an optional accessory.

Scribblenauts Unlimited was first announced at E3 in June 2012., teasing the new Object Editor, multiplayer mode and the fact that it would be available for both the 3DS and Wii U, the first time a Scribblenauts game was available on a home console. In September, it was announced that Unlimited would be a launch title for the Wii U in November 2012 and PC was confirmed as an additional release platform, with custom objects being shared through Steam Workshop instead of Punctuation Plaza, a Wii U exclusive location that utilized Nintendo Network for sharing custom items.

Scribblenauts Unlimited was released for the 3DS first on November 13, 2012. Similar to the original DS title, pre-order bonuses at GameStop included a replica of Maxwell's Rooster Helmet alongside new Lily and Doppelganger hats. Also exclusive to GameStop was a special edition for 3DS that came with a pencil-shaped stylus and a 3DS case modeled after Maxwell's head. The Wii U version launched the same day as the console on November 18, 2012 and PC came out the following day on November 19 with both a physical disc and digitally via Steam. Players who pre-ordered on Steam received a wearable version of Maxwell's Rooster Helmet in Team Fortress 2, called the Cockfighter. Unlimited had different release dates for each system to intentionally help reduce crunch for the developers.

In Europe, Unlimited was delayed twice and wasn't released until December 2013. The first delay was announced on November 22, 2012, a few days before the Wii U's European release on November 30. 5TH Cell was quick to respond, with Jeremiah Slaczka stating the cause of the delay was due to "things outside of development" that he was unable to talk about until 2013. With a new release date set for February 8, 2013, the game was delayed a second time, being recalled three days before launch on February 5. Shortly after, Nintendo issued a response stating that there were important last-minute changes that needed to be implemented. Interestingly, the PC version was not impacted by this delay and was released on February 15. It was also accidentally released on the eShop on February 8 before being quickly removed and some retailers who had received copies of the game had allegedly sold some to customers. On August 29, it was announced during a Nintendo Direct that the game would finally be released in December, with the exact release date of December 6, 2013, confirmed a few days later on October 1. Due to these multiple delays, Scribblenauts Unlimited was released in Europe after its sequel, Scribblenauts Unmasked.

Unlimited was released for Android and iOS on December 16, 2015. Similar to Scribblenauts Remix, it received several holiday-themed updates throughout 2016 that included avatar packs as DLC. Instead of backgrounds, however, the game includes sandbox playgrounds you can buy based on locations in the game, as Edwin's Farm is the default for the title screen lobby and can't be changed.

As of March 27, 2023, the digital version of Unlimited, along with Scribblenauts Unmasked, is no longer available for purchase on either the 3DS or Wii U as a result of the Nintendo eShop shutting down.

On April 8, 2024, the Punctuation Plaza servers for the Wii U version went permanently offline as a result of the Nintendo Network shutdown.

The mobile version of Unlimited was delisted from the Google Play Store at an unknown date and no longer works with devices running Android 14 or higher; however, as of May 2025, it is still available on the iOS App Store and is fully playable on iOS 18.

Gameplay

Scribblenauts Unlimited takes an adventure-driven approach compared to the previous games. Instead of selecting individual puzzles to earn Starites, players explore a large open overworld. This world is filled with themed areas where players can interact with NPCs and take on various challenges. Some challenges transport players to self-contained levels similar to earlier games, requiring them to solve multiple puzzles to earn a Starite. The game also introduces smaller tasks within the overworld that reward Starite shards, with ten shards combining to form a full Starite.

The decision to remove linear levels and contain objectives in open locations came from the idea that the next game should include more playgrounds, as the DS games and Remix only had a sandbox area to mess around in on the title screen. A level editor wasn't included due to changes in level design. Levels were hand-drawn by teams of artists instead of being tile-based, which would have caused complications

Free-Play/Levels in Scribblenauts Unlimited

See: List of Scribblenauts Unlimited levels

Free play and levels are now the same. Unlike the previous games, there is no level selection screen. All locations are connected and can be visited through a map housing levels that are fully explorable and populated with NPCs.

Multiplayer

Multiplayer allows two or more players to join in free play or levels using Wii remotes, taking control of any onscreen objects, exclusively in the Wii U version. Traditional multiplayer with multiple playable characters was never considered because the Wii U only allowed one Gamepad to be connected at a time (Nintendo wanted to implement multi-Gamepad connectivity but never did for various reasons). Additionally, there were concerns about frame rate issues while having multiple players spawning objects at the same time. A multiplayer versus mode was briefly considered but was removed because the developers didn’t find it fun and felt it was an unnecessary distraction from the story mode.

Starite Vision

A new feature introduced in Unlimited is Starite Vision, which helps you locate Starite missions and NPCs with Starite shards you have not collected. Starite vision is activated by clicking on a Starite icon located at the top of the screen and will turn the screen blue, highlighting the NPCs with shards and uncompleted missions in yellow.

The Story

Spoiler

WARNING: The following section contains plot spoilers!

Maxwell has two parents named Edgar and Julie who were explorers before they settled down to have children. They had forty-two children in total, including Maxwell and Lily Each of their kids were given a special gift from their travels. Maxwell received a special notebook that could create anything written in it, while Lily received a magical globe that took her all around the world (all the other gifts are not revealed, leaving them open to speculation). Edgar and Julie sent all their children out to face the challenges of the world since they had become spoiled and taken their gifts for granted. Because of this, Maxwell pulled a trick on a hungry beggar by giving him a rotten apple. The beggar ate the apple but revealed that he had magical powers and placed a curse on Lily that would turn her into stone. Maxwell learned that the only way to stop the curse was to gather Starites. However, to get these stars, Maxwell needed to earn people's gratitude by helping them with various tasks. Therefore, Maxwell decided to use his notebook for good and set out on his quest of travelling the world to collect Starites, all to make things right again for his family. In the end, we learn that the beggar was actually Maxwell's father Edgar in disguise and that the entire game had been a test to teach Maxwell to be a better person.

Lily, voiced by Jennifer Hale, narrates the opening and closing cutscenes with the implication that she is telling the events of the game as a story to her future kids, as she refers to her parents as Grandma Julie and Grandpa Edgar.

Beginning of the story

“Our story begins with Grandpa Edgar and Grandma Julie. You might not believe this, but Grandpa Edgar used to be the world’s greatest adventurer. Grandma Julie would beg to differ; she was also an adventurer. Edgar would often brush away vines or open doors thought to be undisturbed for generations, only to find Julie was already there, having lunch. They competed like this on adventure after adventure. On one adventure, Julie beat Edgar to the top of a long lost pyramid, but the treasure she found was an engagement ring. The two of them semi-retired to start a family, and they continued starting that family until they had 42 children.

One day mom and dad gave Maxwell and me two amazing gifts. The first was a magic globe that let you travel anywhere in the world. The second was the most amazing notebook. This notebook let you write any word in it and POOF! The word would come to life. Our parents were worried about us turning out to be spoiled little brats, so they sent us out to face the challenges of the outside world. On the road to the city, we ran into an old man who said he was hungry. Maxwell made something to give him, but he played a nasty trick. The apple was rotten. Oh, the old man spat it out as soon as he tasted it and was very angry. As he cast some sort of magic, he called us “spoiled little kids!!” and then disappeared. Didn't seem like anything had happened, but when Maxwell continued down the road, I couldn't follow him; the old man had put a curse on me that was turning me to stone. We didn't know what to do; luckily, our brother Edwin's farm was nearby. Boy, you should've seen how angry Edwin was. He couldn't believe what we did to the old man and said we probably deserve what we got. Lucky for us, Edwin knew about Starites.

Starites are magical objects—born out of the happiness of others. If you do enough things to make others happy, you will find Starites. Hopefully, if Maxwell used the notebook’s power for good, he could collect enough Starites to remove the curse. Maxwell said, "That's it; I'm gonna go out and do good things for all the people I can find. I'm gonna get all the Starites in the world and I'm gonna make you better, Lily." So Maxwell grabbed his notebook and headed for the door.”

End of the story

"And then I was fine; the glow wasn't coming from the Starite though; it was coming from every single good thing Maxwell had done while trying to save me. Every single good deed had helped. Dad could tell we were kinda mad at him: "that's a pretty mean trick to turn your daughter to stone." He said that we really needed to see how hard things could get in life, even if you have special abilities. He also said that he knew we would come through it alright, at least if we were any kids of his. We eventually forgave him, but not until we had the last laugh, we borrowed his cane and used it on his underwear drawer. From then on, we tried to use our powers to help those who didn't have them. It was a lot of fun. So kids, remember to always treat others how you would like to be treated. Not everyone has a brother with a magical notebook that can save them. I'm glad I had one though. The End."

Object Editor

The main new feature introduced in Scribblenauts Unlimited is the object editor, an extensive editor that lets players make their own custom objects to use in the game. Objects are made using pre-made object pieces; however, players are able to adjust size, color and textures as well as modify properties such as behavior, movement, and interactions with other objects. The object editor is a modified version of the development tools 5TH Cell used to create all the objects in the games.

Players can share their custom objects online with Steam Workshop in the PC versions and Punctuation Plaza, a Wii U exclusive location that is no longer functional due to the Nintendo Network shutdown in April 2024. Punctuation Plaza is a mall-themed area where players could search for and download custom items made by other players displayed in various storefronts across two floors. Players also had their own storefront where their custom creations would be held. As of January 2025, Punctuation Plaza is still available for use on the Mega Pack version of Unlimited on all consoles. Integrating Miiverse into Punctuation Plaza for sharing custom items online was considered, but couldn't be completed in time for the game's scheduled launch.

Version Differences

The different releases of Scribblenauts Unlimited contain minor differences from each other

• The PC version (both Steam and physical disc) use Steam Workshop for sharing and downloading custom objects while the Wii U version uses Nintendo Network in an exclusive location called Punctuation Plaza
• Characters from the Super Mario and Legend of Zelda series appear exclusively in the Wii U release in North America and both the Wii U and 3DS in Europe. Due to strict guidelines on how other companies can use their IP, the Nintendo characters can't be edited in the object editor, have adjectives applied to them or be played as in the multiplayer mode.
• Due to hardware limitations, neither the 3DS nor mobile versions include the Object Editor. Instead, the 3DS version lets players share solutions to puzzles with StreetPass. The mobile version had exclusive characters not included with any other release.
• The 3DS version has a significantly lower object limit compared to Wii U and PC.
• The 3DS version supports the stereoscopic 3D feature of the system and can be played in both 2D and 3D.
• The iOS and Android versions include updated touch controls optimized for multi-touch capacitive screens, allowing for actions like pinching to zoom in and out.

Gallery

Box art

PC

Gamestop exclusive special edition

Discs, Cartridges, and Icons

3DS menu icon

3DS cartridge

Wii U menu icon

Wii U disc

App icon

Easter

Summer

Back to School

Halloween

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Images

Logo

Maxwell

Lily

Maxwell and Lily

Storyline

Free play

The first popup dialogue in Starite: The Merit Badge.

A custom Dragon in an early version of the Object Editor

The Magic Backpack

Beta Fast Travel map (note the hill on the left).

Maxwell and Tony in Dusty Brush Canyon.

Maxwell in The Under Line.

A Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man and the hipster Hydra on the beach.

Auto Mutt

The Saurus Park on the 3DS.

Palindromeda on the 3DS.

A custom object, resembling a dinosaur with a hamburger body.

The Metaforest

World/Free play

A Monty Python and the Holy Grail parody in an early version of Edwin's Farm

Dusty Brush Canyon

Majuscule Grotto

The Ruins of Elilpsis.

Bullet Point Bayou

Too many LOLWUTs

Inside the princess's room within Sir Guillemet's Castle

A wedding in Abjad Dunes

A reimagining of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

A Scene created for trailers on an unused developer map

Another scene on the same developer map.

The Playground on 3DS

Underwater on 3DS

A street on 3DS

The Listy Colon on 3DS.

The Wii U's Nintendo Guests.

Beach Party

Fall at the Farm

Party in the Haunted House

Candy in the Metaforest

Trick or treating near Grave Manor

Maxwell disguised as "Steampumpkin".

The Pirate Ship.

The Saurus Park.

The Capital City Firehouse.

A "buggy" playground

Dot the Island

Inside Vowelcano

At a drive in.

A parody of Indiana Jones

Exclamation Point

The Island with "Mer-Maid" result.

Cthulhu having been spawned during the tutorial.

Ending of the Tutorial.

Phone Screenshots

Full version of image showing off exclusive characters

Tablet Screenshots

Videos

Scribblenauts Unlimited

Scribblenauts Unlimited - Launch Trailer

Scribblenauts Unlimited - TV Commercial

Scribblenauts Unlimited - Object Editor

Scribblenauts Unlimited - Maxwell's Diner

Scribblenauts Unlimited Featuring The Legend of Zelda

Scribblenauts Unlimited Featuring Super Mario

Scribblenauts - Zelda and Link - Gameplay

Scribblenauts Unlimited - Mario and Link Gameplay

Scribblenauts Unlimited Trailer

Scribblenauts Unlimited Now Available on Mobile Devices!

Instruction Manual

Note: These images are from the North American versions. The manuals may differ between regions.

Wii U

Front and back covers

End user license agreement

3DS

Health and safety information

Miscellaneous

Nintendo Power Issue 281 subscriber cover

Nintendo Power Issue 281 retail cover

Official Nintendo Magazine Issue 90

Lily, Maxwell and Doppelganger Gamestop rooster helmet preorder bonuses

Maxwell's Amazing Bingo Carl's Jr./Hardee's toy

Rolling Maxwell Carl's Jr./Hardee's toy

Maxwell Figure Carl's Jr./Hardee's toy

Challenges & Activities coloring book Carl's Jr./Hardee's toy

Stickers Carl's Jr./Hardee's toy

Carl's Jr./Hardee's kids meal crayon

Trivia

• The reason the Nintendo characters are exclusive to the Wii U version in North America is because by the time the deal with Nintendo had been made, the 3DS version was already in production, as cartridges take longer to produce than discs. Europe received them in both the Wii U and 3DS releases due to the multiple delays giving 5TH Cell more time to add them in.
• It was suggested in a Reddit AMA that the Nintendo characters could be added back into the North American 3DS version in a future patch/update but it never happened.
• More Nintendo characters were planned (such as Pokémon, Donkey Kong and Metroid) but the Nintendo deal was made too close to the game's release to add any more in than what was included. This is also why there are no Nintendo themed locations in the game.
  • Notably, there is one Fan-made Pokémon in the game, but it's based on a 4chan meme character that's not actually from the series.
• The inclusion of Nintendo characters was 5th Cell's idea, with Shigeru Miyamoto providing input on how the characters could be implemented in the game.
• The title screen's BGM is a remix of “Peaks 1” and "Peaks 2" from the original Scribblenauts game (the first part is a remix of "Peaks 1" and the second part is a remix of "Peaks 2."
• Every level/world in this game is named after a form of text or writing (i.e. Payper Plains).
• During the development of the game, Jeremiah Slaczka claims that 5th Cell may have been one of (if not the first) western companies to get access to the Wii U, allegedly even before a finalized design of the GamePad had been completed.
• The mobile version was at one point the seventh most popular puzzle game on the iOS App Store.
  • It's currently the store's 26th most popular paid puzzle game as of March 2025.
• The mobile version requires at least iOS 8 and is incompatible with devices running iOS 7 or earlier.
• Three unused music tracks titled "Pause," "Rumble," and "Fast Travel" can be found in the game files.
  • "Pause" and "Rumble" were reused in the Disc Dive! and Rock It! minigames in Scribblenauts Showdown
  • "Rumble" also appears as a background track that plays in some of the sandbox levels in Scribblenauts Showdown
• St. Asterisk features red cross symbols on both its map icon and the exterior of the building seen in Capitol City. This is technically a violation of the Geneva Conventions, as the symbol is protected under international law and its unlicensed use is illegal.
  • Use of the Red Cross in games is seen sometimes in indie games. However, this use of it is incorrect and not allowed, even for medical purposes.
  • Game Developers that mistakenly use the Red Cross are typically required to change or remove the logo after including it via an update or later revision. However, it's possible the Red Cross Organization is unaware of the use of it's logo in Scribblenauts, as the logo has remained in every game to date
• A 2013 Reddit AMA reply seems to suggests that Xbox One and PS4 were briefly considered as release platforms for the game but plans were dropped due to concerns about how the typing mechanics would work on controllers.
• While Scribblenauts Unlimited is available on Steam Deck, the game is only playable, not verified. This means it runs, but might need a few small adjustments to work properly.

References

Videos games by 5th Cell
Drawn to Life series	Drawn to Life • The Next Chapter
Scribblenauts series	Scribblenauts • Super • Remix • Unlimited • Unmasked
Other games	Lock's Quest • Run Roo Run • Hybrid