For a game that's not out yet, Scribblenauts is already buckling under the strain of having to carry all of its awards and prizes around with it!

Luckily, the inventive write-your-own adventure from 5th Cell (Drawn to Life, Lock's Quest) can probably just describe a bag to help lug 'em all around, as it basks in the glow of becoming the unexpected "must-see" game from E3 2009. It seems everybody from "mommy bloggers" to the hardcore gamer crowd fell in love with the game's totally original (and fun!) gameplay.

In Scribblenauts, gamers help Maxwell in his quest to collect Starites. Each level requires the use of the DS touch-screen and stylus (plus some imagination!) to solve a series of puzzles - simply write down the word for any object that comes to mind that might help you reach your goal. The developers are claiming they sat down one day, opened a dictionary and started creating objects based on each word they read - meaning there are tens of thousands of objects that can be written in to help solve problems.

The theory is "write anything, solve everything" - and gamers can simply write in the words to solve puzzles using the DS touchscreen + stylus combo. Whether you're a novice or an expert, the only limit is your imagination...


So - what awards did Scribblenauts actually pick up?
Well, the big one is the prestigious Game Critics Award (compiled by an independent group of 29 US gaming media outlets) for Best Original Game.

Some of the others, though:

• Four honors as the best overall game of the E3 Expo
• Six awards for innovation and originality
• More than ten distinctions as the best handheld and/or Nintendo DS title of the show

In a world where - honestly - a lot of games look the same, Scribblenauts stands out as something truly unique, and offering an all-new, original gameplay experience for everybody to enjoy.

Download the Scribblenauts E3 2009 Trailer

• Create Your Own Interactive Experience: Objects you write down in the game are only limited by your imagination.


• Everyone Can Play: Pick-up-and-play fun for everyone.


• Touch-screen Controls: Easy to pick up and play on Nintendo DS™. If you can tap, you can play!


• Unlimited Replay Value: Use less objects to increase your score, or experiment with different objects for endless replay value. Write anything; solve everything!


• Playground Mode: Play the entire game in a sandbox style right on the title screen.


• Create and Share Levels Online: Share levels you create with the Level Editor via Nintendo DS™ Wi-Fi Connection.


• Innovative New Title from Leading Developer: 5TH Cell, the creator of the Drawn to Life franchise and Lock's Quest, has experience creating high-quality, innovative DS games.

Currently in development, exclusively for the DS, Scribblenauts is set to "surprise and delight" gamers in spring of this year. I personally can't wait!