Scribblenauts Strategy Guide

The game will present you with a series of challenges which can be solved by summoning items into the level by writing their names. These items can then be moved around with the stylus and rotated by the L and R buttons to position them, or given to your character (Maxwell) or non-player characters for use. Items can be combined using glue.

In puzzle or adventure modes, you attain merit, style points, and ollars for solving a challenge in few moves and stylish ways. You have to "buy" new areas using the ollars you earn, but ollars are easily earned in normal play. Each area you buy starts with just the first level unlocked. Completing it unlocks others, and from there you have some freedom which levels you will do. You aren't locked into completing every puzzle before you can move on.

The point of it all is to find the items or combination of items to use to complete the objective of the level, causing a starite to appear, or get Maxwell close enough to touch the starite waiting somewhere on the level. With over 20,000 words programmed into the game, options seem nearly infinite and limited by your own imagination or experience.

One of the best tips in expanding your choices is to use the looking glass mode to identify new objects, tools, and creatures you come across in the levels, giving you their name for use in meeting later challenges. That monster that takes out your utility clean-up monster like it was nothing may be just the thing to summon to dispatch a later bad guy. That stronger bridge may be a far better choice for precarious work than the one you knew before.

Remember, too, that when it seems impossible to get Maxwell to the starite, it's often possible to bring the starite to Maxwell.

Sandbox mode is the title screen, which has several possible backgrounds or settings. You unlock those through play on the title screen, by typing different categories of words to summon their items. You'll know when you've unlocked a new one by a little pop up on the left side of the screen that looks like the backgrounds icon, only gold, and with an exclamation mark on it.

Is there a way to control which direction an object is facing?

Yes. Click the L or R buttons on the DS to rotate an object. If you're not familiar with them already, those are the buttons on its shoulders, still exposed when it's closed.

How do you make objects larger?

You can't make objects bigger. At least, not with the ease of making them smaller. There are a few objects that have a large version as well as a normal one, so you can try typing large or big before or after its name and see if that works.

With most objects the best you can do is attach a second object to the first. Ropes and chains, for instance, link together easily. Other objects require glue to combine. There are different types of bridges and ladders that have varying sizes, but to get those you need to know their respective names.

How do you make objects smaller?

Drop shrinking magic on them, or have Maxwell shoot them with a Shrinkray.

How do I get more style points?

The most common theory about style points is that you get points for solving puzzles in unusual ways. That's so subjective it's about impossible to confirm. We do know we get style points for earning merits during levels; the more merits, the more points. Merit points seem to have some variation, as well, though, so there's no definitive answer of X = ___ style points at this point.

Scribblenauts has two modes: action, and puzzle, each with their own puzzles and solutions. To keep from spoiling the game for readers who would rather not see puzzle solutions, and keep this page from becoming much too long, each mode has its own solution page. Just click the link you need below:

Scribblenauts Puzzle Mode Solutions

Scribblenauts Action Mode Solutions

There are several avatars you can purchase with your ollars, to change the appearance of Maxwell. Another avatar can be unlocked by completing advanced mode, in which you solve every puzzle three different ways, earning a gold star on every level.

Here are the purchasable avatars and their prices:

1000 Ollars
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Alien
Witch
Zombie

2500 Ollars
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DJ
Pirate
Bride

5000 Ollars
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Ninja
Robot
Shaman