The SpongeBob SquarePants video game series is a collection of video games and arcade games based on the Nickelodeon animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants and its film series with the same name. The television series' massive rise in popularity during the 2000s led to a myriad of video games that span different genres. Several of these games are based on concepts from specific episodes, two of which are based on theatrical releases. Some of these titles had multiple different versions developed for a variety of home consoles and handheld consoles. Until 2013, the vast majority of titles were published by THQ. From 2013 to 2015, the license for most titles was handed to Activision. The license is currently held by THQ Nordic. Video games based on the series have often received mixed reviews from critics, yet many of these titles have performed well in sales.
SpongeBob-related characters have appeared in numerous other Nickelodeon crossover video games as well, featured alongside other Nicktoons.
Releases
+YearTitlePlatform(s)Acquired label(s) Console Computer Handheld 2001 SpongeBob SquarePants: Legend of the Lost Spatula SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Krabby Patty SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge PlayStation Greatest Hits 2002 SpongeBob SquarePants: Employee of the Month SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman 2003 SpongeBob SquarePants Collapse Windows SpongeBob SquarePants Darts Windows SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom PlayStation 2 Greatest Hits Xbox Platinum Family Hits GameCube Player's Choice 2004 SpongeBob SquarePants and Friends in Freeze Frame Frenzy Game Boy Advance SpongeBob SquarePants Movin' with friends SpongeBob SquarePants Typing SpongeBob SquarePants: Krusty Krab Adventures The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie PlayStation 2 Greatest Hits Xbox Platinum Family Hits GameCube Player's Choice SpongeBob SquarePants Bowling 2005 SpongeBob SquarePants: 3D Obstacle Odyssey SpongeBob SquarePants: Lights, Camera, Pants! PlayStation 2 Greatest Hits Xbox Platinum Family Hits GameCube Player's Choice SpongeBob SquarePants and Friends: Unite! PlayStation 2 Greatest Hits SpongeBob SquarePants: The Yellow Avenger PlayStation Portable Greatest Hits, Essentials 2006 SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab PlayStation 2 Greatest Hits SpongeBob and Friends: Battle for Volcano Island SpongeBob SquarePants Diner Dash 2007 SpongeBob and Friends: Attack of the Toybots SpongeBob SquarePants: Bikini Bottom Bowling SpongeBob SquarePants Obstacle Odyssey 2: Time Trouble Windows SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam 2008SpongeBob Atlantis SquareOff Windows SpongeBob SquarePants: The Game of Life SpongeBob SquarePants: Monopoly SpongeBob SquarePants Featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition 2009SpongeBob Dinner Dash/SpongeBob Dinner Dash lite SpongeBob vs. The Big One: Beach Party Cook-Off SpongeBob's Truth or Square PlayStation Portable EssentialsSpongeBob's Truth or Square: SpongeBob SquarePants 2010SpongeBob's Boating Bash SpongeBob for iOS 2011SpongeBob SquigglePants SpongeBob Dinner Dash Deluxe and SpongeBob Dinner DashSpongeBob's Surf & Skate Roadtrip SpongeBob SquarePants: the Clam Prix 2013SpongeBob Moves In! SpongeBob SquarePants: Plankton's Robotic Revenge 2015SpongeBob: Sponge on the Run SpongeBob HeroPants 2020SpongeBob Krusty Cook-Off Windows (Microsoft Store) SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated 2021 SpongeBob’s Idle Adventures 2022 SpongeBob SolitairePants 2023SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake SpongeBob Adventures: In a Jam SpongeBob Simulator Windows 2024 SpongeBob: Bubble Pop F.U.N. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game 2025SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit 2 Notes:
+ Other video games including SpongeBob SquarePantsYearTitlePlatform(s)Acquired label(s) Console Computer Handheld 2000 Nicktoons Racing 2001Nicktoons Nick Tunes Windows 2002 Nickelodeon Party Blast 2003Nickelodeon Toon Twister 3-D Windows 2004 Nicktoons Basketball Nicktoons: Freeze Frame Frenzy Nicktoons: Movin' 2005Nicktoons Unite! PlayStation 2 Greatest Hits 2006 Nicktoons Winners Cup Racing Windows Nicktoons: Battle for Volcano Island 2007Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots 2008Nicktoons: Android Invasion 2009 Nicktoons Nitro 2011 Nicktoons MLB 2018 Nickelodeon Kart Racers Super Brawl Universe 2020 Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix 2021 Madden NFL 21 Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2022Hot Wheels Unleashed Nickelodeon Extreme Tennis Nickverse Minecraft x SpongeBob DLC Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway Fall Guys 2023PowerWash SimulatorNickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Toca Boca iOS, Android Survivor.io iOS, Android Stumble Guys WindowsiOS, Android Brawlhalla Windows, MaciOS, Android Oh Baby! Kart Windows, Mac Epic Roller CoastersPlayStation 5Windows, Mac 2024Brawl Stars Just Dance 2025 Edition2025Sonic Racing: CrossWorldsNicktoons & The Dice of Destiny Fortnite Notes:
Reception
The SpongeBob SquarePants video game series received mixed reviews from critics. Although the video game based on the movie is the highest rated according to Metacritic, Battle for Bikini Bottom is considered by fans to be one of the best video games in the series.
Edge declared Operation Krabby Patty as the 29th game in their list of "The Top 100 PC Games of the 21st Century" in 2006.
HeroPants was nominated for the "Favorite Video Game Award" at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in 2016, but lost to Just Dance 2016. Employee of the Month was nominated by the editors of Computer Gaming World for the "Adventure Game of the Year" award in 2003, but the award was given to Uplink: Hacker Elite.
Lights, Camera, Pants! was nominated for the Best Animated Video Game title at the 33rd Annie Awards in 2005, but lost to Ultimate Spider-Man. Creature from the Krusty Krab was nominated for the Best Animated Video Game at the 34th Annie Awards in 2006, but lost to Flushed Away. It also won the award for Favorite Video Game at the 2007 Kids' Choice Awards.
The highest rated spongebob game according to metacritic is Spongebob Titians of the tide, meanwhile the lowest rated is Spongebob SquarePants featuring nick toons: Globs of doom
Sales The PlayStation version of SuperSponge sold 1.06 million copies, becoming one of the console's best-selling games. Battle for Bikini Bottom sold over 1.25 million copies. Both games were added to the PlayStation Greatest Hits by Sony, and the latter was added to the Xbox Platinum Family Hits and the GameCube Player's choice by Microsoft and Nintendo, respectively.
By 2006, SpongeBob SquarePants video game series sales totaled 1.5 million copies sold, with Operation Krabby Patty having an estimated sales total of 490,000 copies.
Edge also ranked Revenge of the Flying Dutchman, Battle of Bikini Bottom, and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie at numbers 34, 31, and 25 respectively in their list "The Century's Top 50 Handheld Games," based on the number of copies sold. The Game Boy Advance versions of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, Battle for Bikini Bottom, and Revenge of the Flying Dutchman sold an estimated total of 780,000, 710,000, and 740,000 copies, respectively.
By 2007, the video game series totaled more than 20 million copies shipped worldwide, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises. By 2010, the series reached more than 29 million copies shipped worldwide.
SpongeBob Moves In! peaked at #6 at the App Store Official Charts of Top Paid iPhone Apps, and on #4 at the Top Paid iPad Apps in 2013.
In June 2020, The NPD Group released a ranking of the Top 10 best-selling SpongeBob games in the United States as of May 2020, with The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie being in the number 1 spot followed by Battle for Bikini Bottom and Revenge of the Flying Dutchman.
On August 13, 2020, Rehydrated had sold over 1 million copies. And as of May 19, 2021, it reached more than 2 million copies.
References