Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a 2020 video game created by Sumo Digital and released by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. It is part of the LittleBigPlanet series and follows the character Sackboy. Unlike earlier games in the series, which used a side-scrolling view, this game uses 3D platforming. In October 2022, the game was made available for Windows, which was the first time the LittleBigPlanet series appeared on personal computers. By February 2022, Sackboy: A Big Adventure had sold over 1.2 million copies worldwide.
Gameplay
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a platformer. Unlike previous LittleBigPlanet games, which used side-scrolling platforming, this game offers different perspectives and 3D movement. Players control Sackboy on world maps that provide access to many platforming levels and bonus content. As Sackboy completes each stage, new ones unlock, allowing him to progress further. All levels contain collectable objects called Dreamer Orbs, which must be collected all together to reach the end of the game.
Sackboy’s move set is much larger than in previous games. Players can now slap, roll, nosedive, pick up objects, and flutter jump, among other actions. Moves can be combined to create special moves that help skilled players travel farther. Each level includes interactable objects that require at least one of Sackboy’s moves to progress. Sackboy can also use new powerups in multiple stages. The Grappling Hook, now called the Clawstring, returns from LittleBigPlanet 2, allowing Sackboy to grab distant objects. The Whirltool is a boomerang-like device that can be thrown to defeat enemies and break objects. The Plasma Pumps let Sackboy hover and fire energy blasts.
The game does not include a Create Mode like previous LittleBigPlanet entries, but it includes collectables that reference it. Players can still customize their Sackboy through ZomZom’s Shop. ZomZom is a traveling haberdasher who returns after appearing in LittleBigPlanet 3. In his shop, players can buy new costumes, try on collected outfits, and paint costume pieces. Costumes created by players can be saved and chosen when entering a level.
The game can be played locally or online with up to four players. Some levels require multiple players to work together to progress. The game originally did not include online functionality. This feature was added later through a patch on December 17, 2020.
Plot
In the world of Craftworld, in the village of Loom, the Sackpeople live peaceful lives until the villain Vex (Richard E. Grant) swoops down from the sky. Vex uses his machines to suck up everything around him, trying to capture the Sackpeople to build his Topsy-Turver machine. His goal is to take over Craftworld with his evil plan called the Uproar. Sackboy avoids being captured and steals the plans for the Topsy-Turver. He escapes in a rocket and travels across Craftworld with the help of an elder Sackperson named Scarlet (Dawn French). Together, they work to stop Vex from gathering the final materials needed to complete the Topsy-Turver. Along the way, they solve problems caused by Vex and collect special items called Dreamer Orbs.
Later in the journey, Vex attacks Sackboy and takes the Dreamer Orbs, revealing that he tricked Sackboy into collecting them to power the Topsy-Turver. Encouraged by Scarlet, Sackboy travels to the center of Craftworld, where Vex plans to replace the Tree of Imagination with his machine. There, Sackboy confronts Vex again and meets up with Scarlet, who shares a plan to destroy the machine. Vex suddenly knocks Scarlet unconscious. Sackboy enters the Topsy-Turver, faces Vex one final time, defeats him, and destroys the machine. Afterward, Scarlet honors Sackboy by making him a Knitted Knight. Peace is restored in Loom and Craftworld.
Development and release
Sackboy: A Big Adventure was developed by Sumo Digital. Sumo Digital also created LittleBigPlanet 3. Sony Interactive Entertainment published the game. It is the latest game in the LittleBigPlanet series.
The game was announced during the PlayStation 5 reveal event on June 11, 2020. It was released for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in North America and Oceania on November 12, 2020. It was released in most other regions on November 19, 2020. A version for Windows was released on October 27, 2022.
Reception
Sackboy: A Big Adventure received "generally favorable" reviews on all platforms, according to Metacritic, a website that collects reviews.
In 2020, the game was the 8th most downloaded PlayStation 5 game in the United States and Canada, and the 9th in Europe. In January 2021, it was ranked 11th in the United States and Canada, and 13th in Europe. The next month, it was ranked 16th in the United States and Canada, and 18th in Europe. In March 2021, the game was ranked 15th in the United States, Canada, and Europe combined. As of February 2022, the game had sold 1.2 million copies worldwide. After its release on Steam, the game earned nearly $1 million in sales during its first month, bringing in about 30,000 new users on the platform. As of 2025, 10.4% of the game's Steam reviews were written by players who mainly used the Steam Deck.