Ooblets [Nintendo Switch] | REVIEW

Part farming sim, part monster collectathon, Ooblets combines two of the most addictive gaming mechanics into one super cute experience. After an early access period where developer Glumberland ironed out bugs and introduced new features, it has now officially launched on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC.

I’ve spent a ton of hours with the game on the Nintendo Switch already and had a whole bunch of fun, with the game’s quirky setup ticking plenty of the right boxes for me. Sure, it can be a little repetitive in places and there were a few little technical issues, but the kooky amalgamation of genres is certainly a success.

Check out some screenshots down below:

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Ooblets sees players moving to the peaceful village of Badgetown where humans live their lives along with a bunch of charming creatures know as Ooblets. The mayor gave you an idyllic little home there for free, but it came with a catch: you have to help out around the town, performing a myriad of jobs to help folk out and ensure that Badgetown thrives. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to do this, with all sorts of fun tasks to complete as you build up the fortunes of the town.

The best way to make money is by farming, with players able to clear out their land, plant seeds, and nurture them to ensure they grow nicely. There are a variety of tools to use to help this and a whole bunch of different produce you can grow, so there’s plenty to get stuck into. If you’ve played a farming sim before, you’ll feel right at home. Ooblets doesn’t try to reinvent the formula too much, but still offered enough that it feels worthwhile to invest in your farming venture.

There is one thing that makes farming more interesting and that’s the Ooblets themselves. Throughout your adventure, you’ll encounter a whole myriad of these kooky little creatures that are looking for particular items. If you have that item, you’ll be able to challenge them to a Dance Off, which is essentially a card-based turn-based battle. If you win? You’ll be awarded a seed which you can then grow into your very own Ooblet on your farm. It’s a LOT different to using something like a Poké Ball, but it fits the vibe of the game perfectly.

“There really is PLENTY on offer throughout the world of Ooblets and it’ll certainly tick all the right boxes for fans of farming sims, monster collecting, or simply living a charming little life, with the experience offering a pure form of escapism.”

Battling (or rather ‘dancing’) in the game is pretty fun, with the player able to customise the party of Ooblets they take into the showdown (each of which has their own unique abilities) as well as decide which cards they want to use. It’s not the deepest battle system you’ll see in an RPG like this, but there’s still a surprising amount of strategy to embrace. The only downside? It can be a bit TOO easy, so much so that I didn’t lose a single Dance Off in the game. Whilst they didn’t stop being charming to play, it could make some aspects of battling feel a little repetitive by the time you reach the double digits in your playtime. But hey, at least you get plenty of seeds to grow your own Ooblets, whilst the fact they come in various rarities means they never lose their allure to collect.

Once you’ve grown some Ooblets, they’re able to help out on the farm in a variety of ways as well as expand your repertoire for Dance Offs, so it’s definitely worth getting as many as possible. If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to get ‘em all, with plenty of fun had simply exploring the world, finding them, and making sure you’ve got what they’re looking for. It ties in nicely to the progression of the game, with growing your farm and expanding the variety of things you grow helping make your collection of Ooblets bigger.

Of course, there’s a lot more to Ooblets than just farming and collecting the little creatures, with folk to meet in Bridgetown and quests to complete to progress the story. Whilst the Ooblets need items in order to obtain them, you’ll also need to make sure you have the right materials to unlock new buildings in Bridgetown, keeps its inhabitants happy, or unlock new areas to explore. Much like similar farming sims, there’s a massive need for the items you can grow in the game, so you’ll quickly find yourself getting into a routine of farming, delivering, and repeating as you spend more hours playing. I’d be lying if I said there weren’t some moments where it could feel a little tedious (especially when waiting for specific produce to grow), but the rewards for doing so always felt worth it so it never got too frustrating.

Check out some screenshots down below:

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Progression through the game always feels satisfying though, whilst unlocking new clothing to wear, customising your home, or making extra cash by selling items in your own shop feels good too. The various areas you get to explore all bring something fresh to the adventure, whilst ticking off quests is addictive (even if some feel a little repetitive). There are neat little tasks to complete on the side too, whether that’s competing in the daily dance competitions to win prizes or fishing to find those items you just can’t grow. There really is PLENTY on offer throughout the world of Ooblets and it’ll certainly tick all the right boxes for fans of farming sims, monster collecting, or simply living a charming little life, with the experience offering a pure form of escapism.

What makes the whole thing all the more endearing are the visuals, which are full of colour and creativity. The world itself looks fantastic and is full of kooky little sights, whilst the Ooblets have some brilliant designs that really help them stand out. Don’t get me wrong, some are a little simple and not too out of the ordinary, but others like Gloopy Long Legs, Jama, or my personal favourite Giles all feel wonderfully wacky. It’s always a treat to encounter a new Ooblet and they fit the whimsical vibe of the game perfectly.

It is worth noting that the performance on the Nintendo Switch could be a little iffy though, with semi-regular frame rate drops bringing the game below 30fps. It isn’t game breaking by any means and the slower pace of the game means it won’t throw players off, but it was certainly noticeable on occasions. I also encountered a few little bugs, and whilst a lot of the serious ones have been ironed out by Glumberland since the game’s launch, there are still some imperfections. But hey, I’ve put close to forty hours into Ooblets on the Nintendo Switch so far and still had plenty of fun, so the issues aren’t TOO much of a problem… they’re just noticeable.

Developer: Glumberland
Publisher: Glumberland
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), Xbox One, PC
Website: https://ooblets.com/