Ooblets
| Ooblets | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Glumberland |
| Publisher(s) | Glumberland |
| Designer(s) | Ben Wasser |
| Programmer(s) | Rebecca Cordingley |
| Artist(s) | Rebecca Cordingley |
| Engine | Unity[1] |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | September 1, 2022 |
| Genre(s) | Life simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Ooblets is a life simulation video game by Glumberland. It was released via early access on July 15, 2020, for Windows and Xbox One.[2][3] The game launched on September 1, 2022, for Nintendo Switch, Windows, and Xbox One.[4]
Gameplay
[edit]The game combines the farming elements of Story of Seasons with the creature collecting and battling mechanics of Pokémon.[5]
The player arrives in Badgetown, a seaside town in Oob, where they are greeted by Mayor Tinstle and given a basic starting farm. In Badgetown there are several shops including Meed's Seeds, Kibbonbon, Manatweee and Cuddlecups Cafe. Players can purchase furniture and decor for their house, as well as seeds to grow on their farm.[6] There are different quests that can be performed to unlock new shops and buildings, as well as improve the player's friendship level with the other residents.[7] Players can also join one of four clubs: Frunbuns, Peaksnubs, Mossprouts and Mimpuns.
Ooblets, little creatures that the player befriends, can be grown from seed and used to perform tasks, like farming and machine operating, or dance-battle with other Ooblets. Unlike other life simulation games such as Stardew Valley, Ooblets replaces combat with a card-based dance-off system[8] allowing new Ooblet seeds to be won and Ooblets to be levelled up.
Updates
[edit]Ooblets has received frequent updates to fix bugs and introduce new features and locations. On June 12, 2021, the Port Forward update was released bringing a new region and new Ooblets.[9] As of July 2021, there are seven locations in the game: Badgetown, Wildlands, Mamoonia, Nullwhere, Port Forward, Pantsabear Hill, and Mount Tippy Top.
Plot
[edit]The player moves to a land called Oob, where small creatures called Ooblets live. Arriving in Badgertown, they meet Mayor Tinstle, who provides them with a farm. They also learn that the town is threatened into being shut down by the Oob High Council (OHC) and resolves to save it. After powering up the Oobnet Tower in Badgertown, the player repairs a hot air balloon and travels to five other locations to reactivate the other Oobnet Towers there. They also engage in dance battles to defeat opponents and access the towers. Although the player succeeds, the OHC is still planning to evict Badgertown, but the player locates a secret passageway to the OHC's secret facility and discovers evidence that the Bunglebee Bun Corporation is controlling the OHC, who plan to demolish the town for their own gain. After confronting Polt, one of the corporation's workers, he runs away, leaving behind articles that show proof of the OHC and the Bunglebee Bun Corporation's conspiracy. After the player has the articles published, they return to town to find the OHC preparing to evict everyone, but newspapers that reveal the OHC and the Bunglebee Bun Corporation's guilt are showered around the town, forcing the OHC staff to leave in defeat. Tinstle thanks the player for saving the town as the main story ends.
Development
[edit]Ooblets (previously known as Moblets[10]) was developed by a two-person indie game development studio composed of artist/programmer Rebecca Cordingley and designer Ben Wasser, since 2016.[11][12]
Storefront exclusivity controversy
[edit]The game was due to be published by Double Fine, but following that company's acquisition by Microsoft in June 2019,[13] the Ooblets developers announced that they would instead self-publish the title.[14] On August 1, 2019, it was announced that Ooblets would be an Epic Games Store exclusive.[15] In the announcement by Glumberland's Ben Wasser, addressing criticisms of the Epic Games Store, he called those who he believed would pirate Epic Games Store exclusives "immature, toxic gamers", and that the situation was "nothing to get worked up about." The announcement led to backlash, including individuals sending messages to the developers voicing their displeasure. A fringe minority also circulated out-of-context or fake posts by Wasser, including a fabricated post of Wasser claiming that "gamers should be in gas chambers."[16] Wasser later compiled his thoughts on the matter in a Medium post in August 2019, apologizing for acting in a hostile manner.[17] Several fans who were shown in the screenshot conversations being spread clarified that they held no contempt towards Wasser, but noted that his responses on Discord were poorly worded.[18][19][20]
On September 18, 2023, the developers announced they would be releasing the game on Steam on October 5 of that year.[21]
Reception
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2023) |
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | NS: 74/100[22] PC: 62/100[23] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 8.5/10[24] |
| Edge | 5/10[25] |
| Game Informer | 6.75/10[26] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 4/5[27] |
| IGN | 7/10[28] |
| Nintendo Life |   [29] |
| Nintendo World Report | 5/10[30] |
| TouchArcade | 4/5[32] |
The game received mixed to positive reviews from critics.
Further reading
[edit]- Fenlon, Wes (June 12, 2017). "Ooblets trailer shows off exploration, dancing and fashionable poop hair". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on August 19, 2017. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
- Jarman, Casey (September 2, 2020). "Pedro Silva's 'Ooblets' Score Exudes Cuteness Through Far-Flung Future Funk". Bandcamp Daily. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
- Plunkett, Luke (February 22, 2017). "Ooblets Is About Farming And Collecting Cute Animals". Kotaku. Archived from the original on May 30, 2017. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
- Priestman, Chris (February 7, 2017). "Building audience early with visuals-first development in Ooblets". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
References
[edit]- ^ Saver, Michael; Pung, Julia; Stanton, Devon (January 4, 2024). "Made with Unity: 2023 in review". Unity Technologies. Archived from the original on January 13, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ Caldwell, Brendan (February 22, 2017). "Cuteness overwhelming in Ooblets trailer". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
- ^ "Ooblets is still the cutest game at E3". The Verge. No. June 11, 2018. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
- ^ "Ooblets launches September 1". Gematsu. August 18, 2022. Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
- ^ Frank, Allegra (March 6, 2017). "Ooblets is a Pokémon and Harvest Moon lover's dream game". Polygon. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
- ^ Ooblets Farming Guide - Ooblets Wiki Guide - IGN, August 14, 2020, archived from the original on July 18, 2021, retrieved July 18, 2021
- ^ June 2020, Sam Loveridge 23 (June 23, 2020). "Ooblets will be so much more than the indie Pokemon you're expecting". gamesradar. Archived from the original on July 18, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Ooblets shows off new card-based dance battles". Rock Paper Shotgun. September 2, 2018. Archived from the original on June 20, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ^ Bolding, Jonathan (June 12, 2021). "Ooblets goes to the arcade in the Port Forward update". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on July 18, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ^ Carpenter, Nicole (August 22, 2016). "Moblets will let you catch creatures way cuter than Pokémon". Kill Screen. Archived from the original on February 21, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
- ^ Marks, Tom (January 20, 2017). "How Stardew Valley inspired the creator of Ooblets to quit her job". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on August 26, 2017. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
- ^ Grayson, Nathan (August 6, 2019). "Epic Store Rage Has Gotten Out Of Hand". Kotaku.
- ^ "Microsoft acquires Psychonauts-maker Double Fine Productions". TechCrunch. June 9, 2019. Archived from the original on June 9, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
- ^ "Very exciting Ooblets news! | Rebecca Cordingley on Patreon". Patreon. Archived from the original on August 3, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
- ^ Grayson, Nathan. "Ooblets Is Epic Exclusive, Developer Puts Expected Backlash In Perspective". Kotaku. Archived from the original on August 2, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- ^ Khan, Imran (August 6, 2019). "Ooblets Developer Deals With Harassment Over Epic Games Store Exclusivity". GameInformer. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ Perplamps (August 6, 2019). "Regarding what's been happening". Medium. Archived from the original on November 16, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
- ^ "Ooblets dev received thousands of "hateful, threatening messages" over Epic exclusivity". GamesIndustry.biz. August 5, 2019. Archived from the original on August 5, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
- ^ "Ooblets Epic exclusivity results in thousands of hate messages, claims dev". GameRevolution. August 5, 2019. Archived from the original on August 5, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
- ^ "Ooblets: The Story So Far - What's with the outrage and fake screenshots?". PC Invasion. August 6, 2019. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- ^ "Ooblets is coming to Steam!". September 18, 2023. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ "Ooblets (Switch)". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
- ^ "Ooblets (PC)". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
- ^ Warner, Noelle (September 22, 2022). "Review: Ooblets". Destructoid. Archived from the original on December 31, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ "Ooblets Review". Edge. No. 376. September 8, 2022. pp. 112–113.
- ^ Stewart, Marcus (September 9, 2022). "Ooblets Review - A Cheerful Grind". Game Informer. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ Peeples, Jeremy (September 12, 2022). "Review: Ooblets". Hardcore Gamr. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ DeFreitas, Casey (September 3, 2022). "Ooblets Review". IGN. Archived from the original on November 18, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ Phillips, Kara (September 1, 2022). "Ooblets - An Adorable Life Sim Full Of Charm, Character, And Dancing". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ DeVader, Joe (September 1, 2022). "Ooblets Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ Delmage, Greg (September 24, 2022). "Ooblets Review". www.rpgfan.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ Musgrave, Shaun (September 5, 2022). "SwitchArcade Round-Up: Reviews Featuring 'Ooblets' and 'Aquadine', Plus the Latest Releases and Sales". Touch Arcade. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
