Scribblenauts Remix captures the imagination

Imagination is your limit with Scribblenauts Remix. Scribblenauts Remix is the latest iOS reboot to grace the App Store. Previously a DS create-em-up, this re-release of iOS adds new challenges, iCloud device syncing and social functionality. For those unfamiliar with the franchise, you’re tasked with working your way through challenges using a dictionary to create solutions to your puzzles.

The game taunts: “Give the man the characteristics of a dragon”; scaly skin potion, fire breathing potion, etc. is the answer. Create five things you’ll need as the mayor of a town — a library, a police station, etc. The solutions to each puzzle, often deeply ground in logic and just out of simple reach, are all a mere spelling away.

You might have to transport a friend across a shark-infested lake. Should you create a boat or maybe a jetpack? How about conjuring up a winged Pegasus to fly over the obstacle? Ludicrous, yet highly entertaining to see words come to life.

It’s this open-ended imagination that offers the core fun of Scribblenauts. Often it’s too dull to create the simple — everyone knows that a ladder would be effective for climbing a ledge. That’s why experimentation gets you the big points and brings with it the enjoyment factor. Would a trampoline work? How about a stack of boxes? Maybe a bouncy castle? Your suggestions are probably even more outrageous than mine.

As long as it’s work-safe, family friendly and not someone’s name, you can create it. You’ll try your hardest to stump the game, but it’ll keep creating what you think of all in cute-miniature form. There’s even an open-ended sandbox mode for you to experiment and show off your genius to friends. The sandbox mode is the perfect arena to reach the tricky achievements.

At the moment Scribblenaunts Remix is $4.99 /£2.99. That’s certainly a lot cheaper than the native DS version. If you’ve played through the game before, it’s probably a little too familiar to play through again. Then again, being able to approach levels with different ideas means you’re free to complete the game without using the same answers as last time. If you missed it the first time around, it’s the perfect game to entertain the kids and yourself.

Macgasm's Gaming correspondent. Lover of technology who can be found on Twitter. More detailed musings are located at my blog.