Parents' Guide to

SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit

By Chris Morris, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Arcade game with a few bugs but plenty of laughs.

Game Apple Arcade 2020
SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Spongebob: Patty Pursuit Screen #1
  • Spongebob: Patty Pursuit Screen #2
  • Spongebob: Patty Pursuit Screen #3

Community Reviews

See all
age 6+

Based on 1 parent review

Lebron12James3
Lebron12James3 Parent
January 14, 2022
age 6+

I guess I’m gonna drink apple juice

See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

In SPONGEBOB: PATTY PURSUIT, Plankton, once again, is trying to steal the Krabby Patty formula, but this time he has taken SpongeBob's friends hostage as well. Players will chase him down over a series of levels, jumping, dashing, and dropping while trying to collect coins and avoid pitfalls. As you rescue friends, they become allies that will give you new abilities to crack the game's puzzles and move toward your secondary goal of retrieving the recipe. Machines in the game will transform SpongeBob into a variety of shapes and forms, which can be utilized to solve puzzles and gain coins. And the game is loaded with secret areas for players to explore.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

The most important thing about a game from this franchise isn't the gameplay, it's the characters. And on that front, SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit hits the target. Utilizing the show's voice cast and some clever writing makes the game a goofy, fun diversion that will have you smiling as you progress. As a game, though, it's a little less on the mark. The arcade aspects are fun but can be repetitive. And the controls are often imprecise, so timing a jump to avoid death is more challenging than it should be. That gets frustrating fast.

If you can get past that, though, the levels do have plenty of hidden areas to explore. And the shape-shifting machines, which turn SpongeBob into different shapes (such as an accordion) do create some nice diversity the first few times you encounter them. It's a game that's made for a younger audience, who will laugh at the jokes and won't notice the repetition. But older players might find it a bit lacking.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about friendship and loyalty. How far would you go for your friends?

  • If you had to choose between two things you love, which would you choose? Why?

Game Details

  • Platform: Apple Arcade
  • Pricing structure: Paid
  • Available online?: Available online
  • Publisher: Nickelodeon
  • Release date: May 31, 2020
  • Genre: Arcade
  • ESRB rating: NR for No Descriptions
  • Last updated: June 5, 2020

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended game lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate