Patrick! The Game

"Patrick! The Game" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season nine. In this episode, Patrick invents a new board game and invites SpongeBob, Sandy, and Squidward to play it with him.

Characters

• Patrick Star
• SpongeBob SquarePants
• Squidward Tentacles
• Sandy Cheeks
• Mini Brain Patrick ^(cameo)
• Fred ^{(cameo on Surgery box)}
• Purple cellmate ^(blue)
• Highway Speed Patrol officer
• Nancy O'Malley

Synopsis

Patrick and SpongeBob play a game, but they do not like it. They decide to play louder, which annoys Squidward too much. He then gives Patrick an idea to make a real game.

Later, Patrick goes to the Krusty Krab and tells Squidward that he invented a game. He explains how hard Tic Tac Toe is for him, and says that he made an easier version: Tic-Tac, which is the same but with a 2x2 grid. Patrick and Squidward play numerous games of Tic Tac, but Squidward wins them all. Patrick, disappointed, says that he should have gone with his first idea: Tic. He then comes up with "Rock, Paper, Butter." Squidward trashes that idea by saying an awful pun. Patrick then comes up with "Whose rope is longer?" Squidward easily wins this, but Patrick thinks Squidward played it before. Patrick goes over to Sandy's treedome and tells her he cannot make a game. Sandy tells Patrick to find what's best out of the games Patrick likes.

So, Patrick starts cutting, gluing and taping his favorite board games together. He then says he knows what it is like to be a game maker, Frankenstein style. Squidward, SpongeBob, and Sandy all go to Patrick's rock to try out his new game. SpongeBob asks what it is called. Squidward suggests "Garbage" but Patrick comes up with "Patrick! The Game|thumb." Squidward determines a turn order which goes: Patrick, Sandy, SpongeBob, Squidward. Patrick goes first. He passes a go square and gets a lot of money. Sandy rolls and builds a beach hut on Goo Lagoon. SpongeBob lands on a chest and gets a driver's license, which means on his next go, he can move or race a car. Squidward rolls and ends up in jail. Patrick then puts a box on Squidward's head to show he is in jail which then a fish is shown inside the jail Squidward is in. Patrick rolls and lands on snacks. Patrick then eats the snacks. Sandy lands and buys Coral Avenue. SpongeBob rolls a 12 and decides to race the car. Squidward tries to roll, but Patrick says "you cannot roll in jail." After asking, Squidward is told that the only way to get out of jail is rolling a 6. Squidward questions that and Patrick changes it to "If a person is in jail, he or she shall stay there until he rolls a 6 or someone says his name." Sandy lands on "do surgery." Her operation card says "Remove finbone from player to your left" (Squidward). It turns out she just has to remove the finbone out of an operation fish. SpongeBob decides to race the car. Squidward decides to just leave, causing everyone else to say his name multiple times, thus getting him out of jail. SpongeBob decides to race the car again. Squidward rolls a 2 and lands on snacks. His piece, however, is knocked back to jail by the car. Patrick puts the box over Squidward's head again. Squidward starts thinking the game is random because it jumps from one game to another, nobody knows how to win and Patrick is making up the rules as he goes along. Squidward decides to go outside after SpongeBob and Sandy start feeding Patrick snacks. Patrick then makes up a rule that "If a person declares outsidsies everyone must go outside." Squidward tries to take that back but he is too late and everyone goes outside. Patrick then rolls a 4 getting everyone into the giggle zone. Everyone giggles (Squidward is forced by Sandy). SpongeBob's roll then results in everyone making silly faces. Squidward then rants that the rules are that the game does not matter. He then demonstrates by saying he could just roll and then say "Automatic winner." SpongeBob and Sandy then celebrate Squidward's win until Patrick makes up a rule that "No player can declare himself automatic winner." Squidward starts beating up the game board. He is then taken to real jail for destruction of private property and for being a repeat offender which Squidward is happy about until he sees his cellmate. He then yells at SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy to say his name. The episode ends with a box of the game with the words "Game over!" on it and Patrick saying "Game over!"

Shower In A Can! This section is in need of cleanup in order to comply with Encyclopedia SpongeBobia's Manual of Style. Please help Encyclopedia SpongeBobia by making this section specific and short.

Production

Vincent Waller confirmed the episode on Twitter on October 11, 2015.^[1]

Music

( ‣ ) Associated production music

( • ) Original music

( ◦ ) SpongeBob music

 ‣ Marlin March - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [title card]

 ‣ Fooling Around - Barry Anthony [SpongeBob and Patrick playing "Certified Public Accountant"/Patrick wants to make his own game.]
 ‣ Lopey Sailor's Jig - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr [Patrick comes to the Krusty Krab to show Squidward his new game]
 ‣ Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr [Many tic-tacs later...]
 ‣ Drama Link (c) - Hubert Clifford ["Tic and... tac."]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks (i) - Jeremy Wakefield ["I should have gone with my first idea."]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks (k) - Jeremy Wakefield [Squidward laughs at Patrick's game.]
 ‣ Hot Steel and Slide Licks - Jeremy Wakefield ["Aw, you've played this before!"]
 ‣ The Donut Dilemma - Nicolas Carr [Patrick goes to Sandy]
 ‣ Harp Ding - Nicolas Carr [Patrick gets an idea]
 ‣ Fanfares 18 C Maj - Marcin Pospieszalski ["I know what to do!"]
 ‣ Baroque Fin 22 C Maj - Marcin Pospieszalski ["I know what to do!"]
 ‣ Open - Tom Hedden [Patrick cutting and pasting different board games together]
 ‣ Frankenstein's Niece (a) - Gregor Narholz [Patrick as mad scientist]
 ‣ Holy Grail - Larry Hochman [Game night at Patrick's]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks (k) - Jeremy Wakefield ["Are we finished? Who won?"]
 ‣ Hot Steel and Slide Licks - Jeremy Wakefield [Sandy growls to Squidward]
 ‣ Harp Ding - Nicolas Carr [Patrick gets an idea]
 ‣ Holy Grail - Larry Hochman ["It's called Patrick: The Game!"]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks (f) - Jeremy Wakefield ["Can we just get started already?"]
 ‣ Cartoon Sting 5 - Game begins/Patrick explains SpongeBob what he must do.
 ‣ Nude Sting - Nicolas Carr [Squidward goes to jail]
 ‣ Hot Steel and Slide Licks (IX) - Jeremy Wakefield ["What are you in for, pal?"]
 ‣ A Fishy Conversation - Barry Anthony [Game continues]
 ‣ Unknown Track 33 - Patrick yells at Squidward
 ‣ A Fishy Conversation - Barry Anthony [Patrick invents a rule for his game]
 ‣ Cartoon Sting 10 - Sandy rolls dice
 ‣ Increase (b) - Dick De Benedictis [Surgery]
 ‣ Cartoon Sting 10 - Fin bone removed
 ‣ Cartoon Sting 9 - Barry Anthony ["Sound like someone's mad because he hasn't moved."]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks (s) - Jeremy Wakefield ["That’s it!"]
 ‣ Vibe Q Sting - Nicolas Carr ["Wait, how'd he get out of jail?"]
 ‣ Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr ["That was a smart move, Squidward!"]
 ‣ The Pollywog Strut - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony [SpongeBob rolls dice]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks (w) - Jeremy Wakefield ["But I was on snacks!"]
 ‣ Unknown Track 33 - Squidward complains about the game
 ‣ An Underwater Conversation - Barry Anthony [Starving Sea Star Time]
 ‣ Hot Steel and Slide Licks (y) - Jeremy Wakefield [Patrick says everyone must go outside]
 ‣ Twelfth Street Rag - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Everyone goes outside]
 ‣ Unknown Track 50 - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield ["Oh, I get the rules all right"]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks (a) - Jeremy Wakefield ["That was a good play."]
 ‣ Puka A - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Ending]

Release

• This episode is available on the SpongeBob LongPants, Complete Ninth Season, and Next 100 Episodes DVDs.

Reception

• As of June 21, 2019, The Internet Movie Database (IMDB) gives this episode a rating of 8.1/10 based on 256 ratings by users.^[2] TV.com users give this episode a rating of 6.0/10 based on 30 votes.^[3]

Trivia

General

• This episode marks the fifth time Squidward gets sent to jail. The first was in "Good Ol' Whatshisname," the second was in "Professor Squidward," the third was in "Fiasco!," and the fourth was in "Squid Defense." Ironically, two months after this episode aired in January 2016, Rodger Bumpass, who voices Squidward, was arrested in Burbank, California for driving under the influence. Bumpass was released a few days later on bail and didn't lose his job.
• This episode premiered twelve years after Friends Forever was released, ten years after "Have You Seen This Snail?" premiered, five years after "The Great Patty Caper" premiered, four years after "A SquarePants Family Vacation" premiered, and two years after "SpongeBob You're Fired" premiered.
• This episode premiered in Canada eleven years after The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie was released in Norway, two years after "Skill Crane" and "Good Neighbors" premiered in Poland, and one year after the SpongeBob Comics Annual-Size Super-Giant Swimtacular No. 3 was released.
• This episode premiered in Israel fifteen years after The Good, the Bad, and the Krabby and A Christmas Coral were published, ten years after the SpongeBob DetectivePants: The Case of the Missing Spatula book and The Art Contest: No Cheating Allowed! were published, and three years after "Don't Look Now" and "Séance Shméance" premiered in Greece.
• This was the first episode to premiere on November 11 and not be a double length special (since both this episode segment and "The Sewers of Bikini Bottom" premiered on the same day, the episode number [194] could count as a full length special).
• This is the third episode to mention Squidward being an octopus, after "The Play's The Thing" and "Sweet and Sour Squid."
• Patrick's game, Tic Tac, is a reference to a game in the SpongeBob SquarePants Magazine, also called "Tic Tac." Patrick complains that SpongeBob won every time.
• This episode holds the record for the most references to real-world objects.
• The games that Patrick used to make Patrick! The Game were: Apologies!, Battling Robo-Tops, The Game of Misery, Grab 'Em Twigs, Bottomopoly, Sea Snakes and Ladders, Secret Date, World Take Over, Battle Boats, Surgery, Brain Trivia, Rat Catcher, Birdiecheesi, Ker-Gloosh!, Cavityland, and Slot Car Race Set.
• Starting with this episode, Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller were both promoted to supervising producers.
• By what is shown in the "Game Over" shot, "Patrick! The Game" is for ages 6 and under and may cause brain damage.
• The "Game Over" shot is used similar to a "The End" card.
• This was the first episode to have five opening credit transitions, not counting guest stars.
• This episode was paired with "Sold!" when that episode first aired on May 6, 2016.
• In the Middle East (except Turkey), this episode airs with "Patrick-Man!," because its sister episode, "The Sewers Of Bikini Bottom," doesn't air there.
• List of games Patrick tries to invent:
  • "Tic-Tac," a version of Tic-Tac-Toe that is easier to play, according to Patrick.
  • "Rock, Paper, Butter," a parody of Rock, Paper, Scissors
  • "Whose Rope Is Longer?"
• This is the first episode to play "Marlin March" as the title card music since "Grooming Gary."
• This episode was paired with "Sing a Song of Patrick" in 2018.
• This is one of the few times the Krusty Krab appears without Mr. Krabs.
• Patrick appears on the screen at the end and says to the viewers, "Game Over", breaking the fourth wall.

Cultural references

• Squidward is shown to be using an iPod Classic with earbuds.
• There are many parodies of games that are made by Patrick:
  • Apologies! is a parody of Sorry!
  • Battling Robo-Tops is a parody of Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots.
  • The Game of Misery is a parody of The Game of Life.
  • Grab 'Em Twigs is a parody of Pick-up sticks.
  • Bottomopoly is a reference to three things. It is a parody of Monopoly, a reference to the fact that there are many different parodies of Monopoly, including ones for different cities, and a reference to Monopoly SpongeBob SquarePants Edition.
  • Sea Snakes and Ladders is a parody of Snakes and Ladders.
  • Secret Date is a parody of Mystery Date.
  • Brain Trivia is a parody of Trivial Pursuit.
  • World Take Over is a parody of Risk.
  • Battle Boats is a parody of Battleship.
  • Surgery is a parody of Operation.
  • Rat Catcher is a parody of Mouse Trap.
  • Birdiecheesi is a parody of Parcheesi.
  • Cavityland is a parody of Candy Land.
  • Starving Starving Sea Stars is a parody of Hungry Hungry Hippos.
  • Ker-Gloosh! is a parody of KerPlunk.
  • The colored dotted sheet shown in Patrick's game is a reference to Twister.
  • Rock, Paper, Butter is a parody of Rock-paper-scissors.
  • Tic-Tac is a parody of Tic-tac-toe.
• When Patrick finishes making his game, he parodies Frankenstein.

Errors

• During the scene in which Patrick shows Squidward how to play Tic Tac and Squidward beats him, the Xs and Os drawn on the papers disappear right before the bubble transition.
  • The writing on the "Galley Grub" and "Order Here" signs disappear as well before the bubble transition.
• Squidward should have been able to get out of jail the second time when Patrick said "Jail for Squidward!," as he could leave jail if someone said his name.
• The button Patrick uses to raise his game right after creating it disappears in the next shot.

Running gags

• Squidward being sent to a cardboard jail by Patrick.
• Patrick making new rules.
• A mini Patrick coming out of Patrick's head when he has an idea.
• Sandy getting annoyed at Squidward for his rude behavior.

Videos

References

1. ^ Vincent Waller tweet
2. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5162808/
3. ^ http://www.tv.com/shows/spongebob-squarepants/patrick-the-game-3310009/