Diablo-lite
Licensed games usually fall into two camps. They either play it safe, recycle familiar settings, and hope nostalgia does the heavy lifting, or they swing big and risk faceplanting under the weight of ambition. Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny, developed by Petit Fabrik and Fair Play Labs with publishing by GameMill, leans toward the second camp. Instead of dropping SpongeBob and friends into another forgettable kart racer or party game, Dice of Destiny reimagines them in a fantasy action RPG. That’s a bold move, and the results are surprisingly interesting, if not without a few caveats.
The setup is simple but clever. Timmy Turner who real ones know has some Fairly Oddparents, was playing his favorite TTRPG which is a legally distinct game from Dungeons and Dragons; when he wishes that he could play it in real life. With their trademark ‘POOF’ his wish is granted. After the wish a mysterious set of magical dice scatters across dimensions, twisting Nickelodeon’s cartoon worlds into fantasy playgrounds. Bikini Bottom morphs into a medieval town, Amity Park becomes a haunted quest hub, and the Fire Nation looks like it was ripped straight out of a dungeon crawler. The heroes, drawn from across Nick’s roster, are re-cast into RPG archetypes. Sandy Cheeks, usually the scientist and adventurer, is now a barbarian swinging her lasso with area-of-effect power. Leonardo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles slots neatly into a Samurai role, while Timmy Turner brings magical hijinks into battle with fairy-infused Mage abilities. It’s the kind of reimagining that feels more inspired than forced.
MSRP: $49.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $49.99
Gameplay centers around real-time combat with light RPG systems layered on top. Players can string together combos, block and dodge, cast spells, and unleash special abilities. Each character handles differently, which is critical for replay value. SpongeBob balances melee and ranged attacks with goofy utility powers, while Sandy bulldozes through mobs with brute force. Bosses like Plankton and Azula mix spectacle with mechanics, forcing players to juggle positioning, enemy waves, and timing. It isn’t Diablo-level deep, but it’s far more engaging than the button-mashy combat you’d expect from a Nickelodeon tie-in. Which I’m not going to lie, this really surprised me more than anything; this publisher doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to these licensed games.
Progression gives you reason to keep grinding. Defeating enemies and completing quests nets experience points, which unlock abilities and strengthen gear. Weapons can be upgraded, spells tweaked, and characters leveled to feel more distinct as the hours roll on. Side quests pop up to break the flow, offering bite-sized stories or puzzles that keep the tone playful. It’s not a hardcore RPG by any means, but the loop of fight, upgrade, and return is handled with enough variety to keep you invested.
Presentation-wise, Dice of Destiny goes for a colorful, slightly cartoonish 3D style that blends the various Nicktoons into a cohesive whole. The fantasy twist means no one looks entirely out of place, though some characters fare better than others. SpongeBob, as always, translates seamlessly. Human characters like Timmy Turner and Susie from Rugrats (who was my favorite btw, and not just because Cree Summer was doing her VO) occasionally veer toward awkward, but the environments help sell the package. Voice work is a mix of returning actors and soundalikes, which means purists will notice when certain characters don’t sound quite right. Still, the energy is there, and the overall production value is higher than you might expect from a mid-tier licensed release.
Multiplayer is where Dice of Destiny starts to stumble as far as this reviewer is concerned. Up to four players can jump in for local co-op, sharing the screen as they bash through mobs and tackle bosses together. The lack of online play though feels like a HUGE miss in 2025, but the local focus works well for the target audience. This is the kind of game you hand a second controller to your kid, cousin, or roommate, and before long you’re yelling across the couch about who stole the healing potion. For a crossover that thrives on personality, the ability to experience it shoulder-to-shoulder is a smart design call, even if online matchmaking would have broadened its reach.
Another area for concern is how much longevity and replayability Dice of Destiny will have. The campaign promises a variety of worlds and bosses, but the depth of its systems will ultimately determine whether players stick around. Without randomized loot or deeper skill trees, the risk is that once you’ve finished a run with your favorite characters, there’s little incentive to dive back in beyond couch co-op sessions. Replay value hinges on how distinct each hero feels and how challenging the higher difficulties become.
Despite these concerns, Dice of Destiny succeeds where so many licensed games fail: it takes its source material seriously without being overly reverent. It isn’t content to simply copy-paste Nickelodeon characters into a generic framework. Instead, it reimagines them in a playful, RPG-inspired way that feels fresh. For younger players, it’s approachable and fun without being overwhelming. For older fans, it offers a novel spin on childhood icons. And for families, it delivers a cooperative experience that bridges generations.
Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny more than likely won’t compete with the likes of Diablo or Path of Exile, but it doesn’t need to. Its goal is smaller and more focused: to give Nickelodeon characters a new stage to play on while delivering a lighthearted RPG that works for both kids and nostalgic adults. On that front, it rolls a nat’ 20!
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
