Bubbaruka!

About

"Bubbaruka!" is a video game that can be purchased on Steam, where players adopt a virtual keychain pet similar to an unreleased toy from the past. Upon purchasing a second-hand laptop, the game was discovered in a folder called "Bubbaruka," bringing back memories of the once-longed-for toy. To update the game, transfer the contents of the old RootFiles folder to the newly downloaded game folder's RootFiles folder, replacing any excess files in the process.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 29 reviews

story6 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

Bubbaruka offers a captivating and immersive story that combines horror with a cozy atmosphere, reminiscent of classic creepypastas.
The game features a unique art style and sound design that enhances the overall experience, showcasing the developer's passion and attention to detail.
With a variety of content, including a sizeable post-game, Bubbaruka provides a satisfying experience that keeps players engaged and eager to explore its secrets.

Some players have reported frustrating gameplay mechanics, particularly during boss fights and navigation, which can lead to unfair challenges.
The graphics and layout can make exploration tedious, as many areas look similar, making it difficult to map out the environment mentally.
There are occasional bugs and technical issues, such as game crashes and inventory problems, which can detract from the overall experience.

story
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
18%
27%
The story of Bubbaruka is a captivating blend of horror and nostalgia, reminiscent of classic creepypastas, with a well-paced narrative that draws players in. While some elements are conveyed through notes and scribbles, the overall storytelling is praised for its depth, coherence, and engaging evolution over time, leaving no plot holes. Players appreciate the game's ability to deliver a compelling narrative without needing to innovate drastically in gameplay mechanics.
- “Bubbaruka is a game that saw what it was expected to be and went above and beyond those expectations purely for the love of telling a good story.”
- “The storyline is flawless, it's so interesting learning more about the story and the events that took place.”
- “The story is, despite being a horror game, feels cozy - it reminds me of classic creepypastas like Godzilla NES.”
- “The final area of the game, Flou's, brings home the creature's presence of fear and provides the story of Onaga, who was first afflicted.”
- “Without spoiling the story of the game, Bubbaruka's is captivating and presented in a way which draws you deeper into it.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The graphics in the game are custom-made and evoke a nostalgic aesthetic reminiscent of 90s and Game Boy visuals, contributing effectively to the horror atmosphere. While some players appreciate the unique art style and chilling sprites, others find the graphics too basic and repetitive, making exploration tedious. Overall, the visuals are seen as a mixed bag, enhancing the horror experience despite their simplicity.
- “The puzzles are consistently varied, each of the game's three areas feel distinct, and all the graphics and interfaces you'll see were custom-made by the creator.”
- “The spooks, creepy ambiance, and art style made it a true and absolute horror experience.”
- “If you have a bit of nostalgia for fads of the 90's or the old Game Boy aesthetic, or are just a fan of great horror stories in general and want to cleanse your palate from all the flashy stuff released nowadays, give this one a chance!”
- “Exploration is rather tedious and time-consuming because most of the challenge of the game is trying to map out the layout of the world in your mind, which is incredibly difficult when the graphics are so basic and every room and hallway looks so similar.”
- “Bubbaruka is a great game, it horrified me, it was packed with major loads of content, heck, even the damn file size is a gigabyte, most of my games are a gigabyte and they have better graphics. Not saying these graphics are bad, they actually add a bunch to the horror, but this game has small pixel graphics, which means there is a lot of content.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its engaging ambiance and sound design, creating an immersive experience that draws players in. The simplistic character design adds an old-school charm, reminiscent of Tamagotchi, further enhancing the overall atmospheric quality. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “As genuinely good as this game is for its pacing, atmosphere, and story.”
- “I'm really liking the game and the atmosphere.”
- “The characters look simplistic but have an old-school charm that is reminiscent of Tamagotchi, and the atmosphere pulls you in with its ambiance and sound.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
Gameplay is a mixed bag, with some players finding it rough and unfair, particularly near the end game, while others appreciate the overall concept and visuals despite its repetitiveness and simplicity. Issues like poor area mapping have been noted, but they don't significantly detract from the enjoyment for some players. Overall, the gameplay experience varies widely among users.
- “There are three main gameplay segments in the game, accompanied by the three 'bubbies' who you guide through them.”
- “There are slight problems in the gameplay, such as having trouble mapping areas out; some sort of map would really have helped, but this wasn't a huge issue in my experience and I can definitely look past it because I love everything else about the game.”
- “The gameplay, on the other hand, can get rough at times and rather unfair.”
- “I can't recommend this game on its unfair mechanics alone near the end game.”
- “Some cool visuals and overall concept, but just way too repetitive and simple in terms of gameplay.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The music in the game is highly praised for its ability to enhance the psychological horror experience, effectively building tension and complementing the atmosphere. Reviewers note that the soundtrack is meticulously crafted, with most pieces created by a single artist, contributing to the overall immersive presentation of the game.
- “Such a deep psychological horror, with some jumpscares around, but mostly based on the tension given by the ambience, the music that fits perfectly in every scene and how well curated the presentation of the monsters, all of them different from the others.”
- “Every last detail (art, music, sprites, text, etc.) is done by him, and the music is particularly impressive.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of fear and sentimentality, offering players a mix of thrilling scares and heartwarming, cheesy moments that evoke a range of feelings.
- “Scary, yet heartwarmingly cheesy.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and time-consuming, primarily due to the challenging exploration that requires memorizing the layout of a visually repetitive world with basic graphics.
- “Exploration is rather tedious and time-consuming because most of the challenge of the game is trying to map out the layout of the world in your mind, which is incredibly difficult when the graphics are so basic and every room and hallway looks so similar.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is universally praised, with users rating it a perfect 10/10 for its comedic elements. Players find the jokes and comedic timing to be exceptionally well-executed, contributing significantly to the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “10,000 out of 10,000 funny!”
- “The humor in this game had me laughing out loud at every turn.”
- “I can't remember the last time a game made me chuckle this much!”