Scribblenauts is a series of action puzzle video games primarily developed by independent studio 5th Cell.

The first game in the series was titled Scribblenauts and was first released on September 15, 2009, in North America, exclusively on the Nintendo DS.

Players are tasked with solving puzzles by summoning different items and creatures using the notebook, leading to emergent gameplay elements.

[10] Scribblenauts is a series of emergent puzzle games, where players primarily take control of a young boy named Maxwell, who has a magical notebook that summons anything he writes in it.

The general concept of Scribblenauts was that "anything you write, you can use", with 5th Cell spending three months just listing different objects to be added to the game.

The game was developed using an engine named "Objectnaut", which allowed 5th Cell to quickly add properties to objects and creatures.

[4] According to 5th Cell creative director Jeremiah Slaczka, Scribblenauts was developed to be more of a casual game, akin to that of Brain Age and Nintendogs.

[43] Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment was chosen to publish the series in English territories, due to them showing gradual interest in the first Scribblenauts game as it was developed.

Club's John Teti, reviewing the original Scribblenauts game, felt that most objects are pointless, noting one scenario where a plumber with a wrench would not fix a leaking pipe.

[60][61] Casey Malone of Paste wrote that Scribblenauts has an adorable art style, describing it as being akin to paper dolls.

[62] IGN's Chuck Osborn, reviewing Scribblenauts Unmasked, felt that the series' "cutesy art style and presentation" made it clear that the games can be enjoyed by different age demographics, opining that even DC Comics characters such as Doomsday and Mr. Zsasz, who are normally "bloodthirsty killers", become adorable when in the series' art style.

[64][65] In a review for Scribblenauts Unlimited, Game Informer's Kyle Hilliard complimented the music, writing that it "rests pleasantly in the background".