Noby Noby Boy

One of the most soothing, effortlessly playable things you've ever likely had the pleasure to experience. It's a surreal and simple sandbox with no hidden subtleties or complex underlying system of progress and reward, no contrived meaning. It's appeal purely lies with its gentle, happy-go-lucky lunacy, and that's what makes it so bafflingly absorbing.

As the toy it is, do not expect missions or other accessories in addition to the short list of trophies that can be taken as a minimalist group of goals. The real experience is hidden behind the great objective of Noby Noby Boy - teamwork.

Noby Noby Boy is more a toy than a videogame, a surreal experience unlike anything else you've ever played before. It's a "love or hate" kind of game, but it will keep you hooked if you get in sync with it.

Aside from being in a league of its own, Noby Noby Boy is so charming it can transform you from a respectable adult to a child in minutes. Don’t resist the urge – rediscover why you decided to play games in the first place.

The community aspect, the interesting use of newly added PS3 features, and the whole "WTF is going on" level of amusement is well worth the price of entry.

Much like Flower, there’s not much of a game or a point to Noby Noby Boy, but the cool community aspect of working together to unlock new locales for you to explore is a really unique hook that makes this a game you can come back to more often to see the progress towards that next planet.

Keita Takahashi, Katamari Damacy's creator, offers us this new and original game exclusively for PlayStation 3. Noby Noby Boy is a game without rules, endless, in which fun is mixed with random situations and a surreal world. A simple game, cheap, and extremely fun.

Noby Noby Boy appears to be confusing from the outset, but it's a surprisingly rewarding experience once you've cut through its eccentricities. It offers a lot but appears to be about nothing.

From the creator of Katamari Damacy comes something even stranger that redefines the idea of gameplay.

Sandbox silliness at its best. [Apr 2009, p.123]

It's a highly compelling new form of social gaming, if only because the already-bizarre nature of the experience makes the promise of new settings and potential abilities an exciting prospect.

Noby Noby Boy lacks structure or challenge, but this whimsical little game is still a captivating delight.

We can't pin it down, but Noby Noby Boy is uniquely addicting. Love it or loathe it, there's nothing else like it.

Not bad for 3 quid 19, but don't expect hours of entertainment. [May 2009, p.76]

It’s not a game, it’s a toy, and it’s one that will only work long term if people keep stretching. It’s a wicked idea, though, and is priced at that impulse-buy level so hopefully enough of you will take the chance with Noby Noby Boy and see what all the fuss is about.

If you're willing to give Noby Noby Boy a chance, if you fancy something a little different, hell, very different, you'll find fun from Noby Noby Boy's bizarre world.

Noby Noby Boy is a title that will really divide gamers. With a little more work and tangible elements this could have been a really fun and unique experience.

Keita Takahashi should be saluted for releasing something that could have so easily fallen flat on its face. Adventurous and inventive software such as this, definitely deserves a look.

Sure it is aimless, frankly quite off-the-wall-zany, and definitely a little repetitive but it also manages to be kind of fun.

An odd but very welcome addition to PSN. [Apr 2009, p.97]

Cheap and cheerful, although the lack of formal structure may put some people off. [May 2009, p.80]

Noby Noby Boy is weird, but that's ok. Less game than activity, there's no point other than what you decide there ought to be. [Summer 2009]

This game can be very addictive, but it's also a bit disappointing. There's no goal in the game other than making Girl grow, and there's no competition either.

I will say that the concept of GIRL is cool and if the community helps her grow to reach new planets, then that's great. But really, though, Noby Noby Boy feels like a tech demo with a couple cool concepts to me, and nothing more.

Even with a fun premise and colorful, simplistic visuals, Noby Noby Boy ultimately falls short when a basic fundamental of design hinders the overall experience.