Wobbly Life Review (Switch eShop)

Editor's note: What's this? A non-Switch 2 game?!? Variety, my friends, is the spice of Nintendo Life...

A goofy life sim set in a physics-based sandbox, Wobbly Life by RubberBandGames is an entertaining amalgam of open-world adventure and indie party games. With its cartoonish tone and compulsive gameplay, it's clearly targeting younger players, but buckets of charm make it just as enjoyable for adults.

You play as a hapless Wobbler who is unceremoniously kicked out of their home by Grandma. Told to stop playing video games, get a job, and buy a house, your character is nothing if not relatable.

The whole island and its surrounding biomes are open to you from the beginning. Navigating this vast space and becoming a successful Wobbler forms the core loop of the game's World mode.

To earn enough money to become a homeowner and appease your overbearing grandma, you'll need to take on a variety of part-time jobs scattered across the map. Some of these are simple, like picking up taxi fares within a generous time limit. Others are a calculated test of patience and precision.

You start small, by picking up odd jobs around the neighbourhood. The first of these tasks is to fetch jelly from the supermarket and deliver it to a neighbour. Simple enough, right? The challenge becomes apparent when you realise that every inhabitant on this island is a stiff, humanoid blob. Lugging that tutorial jelly around quickly becomes a lesson in the game’s unpredictable movement.

Your Wobbler animates with the same awkward, floppy physics as a Fall Guys contestant, which makes even mounting a small pavement something that needs prior calculation. Every task on Wobbly Island is subject to the janky hobble of your character and the erratic motion of the objects they manipulate.

Each of your Wobbler’s arms is controlled by the left and right triggers. Holding in the triggers will thrust an appendage out and stick onto any surface they make contact with. Most tasks require you to grab and transport items to specific locations, demanding careful coordination. Certain jobs, such as the hamburger chef, introduce an extra layer of challenge by requiring quick, responsive management of your grip and the momentum of ingredients.

It takes some getting used to, and much of the game’s comedy stems from fumbling through this process. Wobbler arms stick to any surface, resulting in awkward accidents, like trying to pick up a well-caught fish, only to realise you're fused to the floor.

While the game is perfectly playable solo, most of its mechanics and minigames are clearly designed to be tackled as part of a group. Many of the part-time jobs involve driving around with some form of cargo, from pizzas to nuclear waste. Doing this alone is often laborious, and sometimes outright impossible. Earning money and taking on jobs with others transforms irritation into entertainment.

The multi-stage nature of the minigames demands self-organisation and stress management, much like in popular friendship destroyers Overcooked or Moving Out. There's splitscreen local co-op for up to four players and all modes can be played online, so there’s plenty of ways to live that wobbly life together.

Playing alongside others makes earning money a breeze. If you all work together, some of the more difficult jobs — like firefighter or paramedic — get a lot easier to manage. It's a shame that fishing is the best money earner in the early game, because it's also the most sedate and requires little cooperation.

Outside of the impressive open world, which is jam-packed with secrets and activities — not least the endless clothing combos and pets — there's an arcade that pits Wobblers against each other in three competitive modes. Hide and Seek is self-explanatory, while Trash Zone has Wobblers competing to throw garbage into a compactor. The best arcade title is Wobble Run, which is a thinly veiled copy of Fall Guys. These modes are a worthy distraction when you get tired of the Island rat race.

Capping off the arcade suite is Sandbox mode, which places Wobblers in an open arena with the freedom to experiment with the game's assets. The near-endless possibilities offered here should vastly increase the longevity of this game beyond its other modes.

One small caveat emerges when playing with a full local party: Joy-Con control. Wrestling with the deliberately stiff and erratic physics on the smaller controller is a physically demanding experience. Little ones will be fine, but adults with full-sized appendages should expect some cramp.

Other than that small physical niggle, Wobbly Life is lighthearted fun for all ages. There is so much to do in the open world, including a bonkers story mode and a wealth of customisation options. Pile on a bunch of other ways to play and this is a generous package wrapped up in a silly bow.

It can be a bit of a slog when played solo, but this game is clearly designed from the ground up to be enjoyed with friends and family. Pro tip: If you're the type of player who gets tired of your bickering party, just hit the ragdoll button and go limp. Let them carry you for a change.