Gubbins, the silly word game for mobile developed by Melbourne’s Studio Folly, is officially out worldwide, with those on iOS and Android devices able to download and play the game for free.
Following a brief period in early access, Studio Folly has revamped the gameplay cycle of Gubbins, with the game now offering bite-sized daily challenges on a free basis, and a unlimited play and extra features for those who pay a small fee (with 10% of these proceeds going to charity).
Regardless of whether you choose to fork out for these features, Gubbins is a real blast – and well worth adding to your daily mobile game rotation. Even popping in for a short word puzzle is enough for your daily blast of serotonin. Gubbins is short, sweet, and absolutely joyful.
In the game, which plays out a bit like Scrabble, you must form words on a grid while a pack of unruly creatures – the titular Gubbins – cause chaos by scrambling your letters, swapping them around, erasing them, or confusing you. Once your struggle to create the best words is over, you’ll get to place them on a cool postcard, and then send this to your friends.
Read: Gubbins launches worldwide in November 2023
Beyond its moreish gameplay, Gubbins also rocks a colourful, cartoony art style that makes every word placement and Gubbins intervention feel purely delightful.
Studio Folly has been working on the game for several years, with the backing of Australian government funding bodies and a rather unlikely ally – content creator Hank Green. As revealed by Green, he saw Gubbins on social media earlier in the year, and immediately fell in love, later contacting Studio Folly to chat about the game.
The team revealed trouble with the financial aspect of funding and monetising Gubbins, as a small mobile game entering a highly competitive space, and in response, Green offered “a fair-sized hunk of cash” to continue working on the game. As part of this investment, Green asked Studio Folly to given 10% of its profits to The Foundation to Decrease Worldsuck, a charity organisation working to make the world better.
So while you’re fooling around in Gubbins, giggling over word submissions like ‘ORGY’ and ‘WART’ know that any funds spend on the game are going to a great cause, beyond amusing or annoying your friends.
Gubbins is now available worldwide.
