It doesn't quite feel like the boundary- pushing fount of innovation the series was originally known for. [Issue #33 – May/June 2018, p. 70]

The stripped-down sandbox may be a disappoint longtime fans, but it’s an extra feature that adds to a game that would still feel complete without it.

A simple and funny killtime... for a match or two.

Yes, it shares the name and the look of those previous games, but it lacks the all-important creative heart of its predecessors, and ends up being a by-the-numbers affair that goes through the motions in a shallow attempt to turn Scribblenauts' unique premise into a multiplayer party game.

This is a collection of minigames with fun concepts, but the influence of objects is so small, it is not like you can really make a difference.

When the minigames here lean into the object creation tools (lifted entirely from the old games) there's fun to be had. But not enough of them do. There are so many options available for shallow rhythm-based dance games or Flappy Bird clones that it's disappointing to see them shoe-horned into a franchise that's already sitting on one of the most unique and enjoyable gimmicks there is.

Scribblenauts Showdown is an incredibly disappointing attempt to resurrect the Scribblenauts franchise. It’s neither a fun party game nor a fun Scribblenauts game and is hard to recommend to anyone unless you’re incredibly desperate for a party game on the Switch.