SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide is the latest entry in the modern SpongeBob gaming lineup, serving as a successor to The Cosmic Shake. Much like its predecessors, Titans of the Tide strikes a charming balance between modern platforming polish and that familiar GameCube-era nostalgia longtime fans love.
Gameplay
At its core, Titans of the Tide sticks to the tried-and-true SpongeBob formula—an upbeat mix of combat, platforming, and light puzzle-solving. From the demo alone, it’s clear that collectibles will play a major role in the full release. Even in this short preview, there were plenty of shiny treasures scattered around, encouraging exploration and rewarding curious players.
Where Titans of the Tide shakes things up is with the introduction of the BFF Ring, a mechanic that lets you seamlessly swap between SpongeBob and Patrick at any moment. It’s a clever touch that adds a layer of strategy and fun to familiar gameplay.
Overall, the demo left me feeling optimistic. It captures that bright, goofy SpongeBob energy while adding some new flavor to the series’ structure.
Expectations
Going into the full release, I’m hoping for a good balance of character interactions without too much filler. A few engaging side quests are fine, but I’d rather not see the experience weighed down by unnecessary fetch quests. Since this is technically a family-friendly title, pacing will be key—it should be short enough to hold younger players’ attention but still long enough to deliver value for older fans who grew up with SpongeBob’s earlier adventures.
Verdict
SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide looks like another fun, colorful outing under the sea. It’s not trying to reinvent the wheel, but it seems to understand what makes these games enjoyable: lighthearted humor, tight platforming, and plenty of collectibles to chase. If the full game can maintain that balance while building on its charming duo mechanic, it could easily become one of the stronger SpongeBob titles in recent years.
There is a demo available for SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide available now during Steam Next Fest! For more SNF demo recommendations check out our Steam Next Fest Demo hub.
