Nodebuster

About

"Nodebuster is a single-player strategy game with a focus on ingenious gameplay and resource management. Pretty visuals and exceptional music enhance the experience as you harvest nodes, acquire upgrades, and climb the skill tree to become all-powerful. Be prepared for lots of grinding as you work towards godhood."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 6,197 reviews

gameplay199 positive mentions

grinding126 negative mentions

gameplay
431 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
52%
1%
The gameplay of this game is characterized by a simple yet addictive loop that combines straightforward mechanics with satisfying progression, making it enjoyable for casual play. Players appreciate the engaging upgrade system and the relaxing atmosphere, although many note that the game is relatively short, typically lasting around 3 to 5 hours. While the core mechanics are fun, some reviewers express a desire for more depth and replayability, suggesting that the gameplay could benefit from additional features or a prestige system.
- “The gameplay loop is fun and rewarding, and the power increase from each level of talents is fun to work towards.”
- “This game is honestly great, the mix of visual effects, stellar music, and a rewarding gameplay loop leads to a wonderful experience.”
- “The gameplay is satisfying and well-designed with a smooth progression system.”
- “The gameplay feels optional and upgrades make it redundant.”
- “The gameplay is repetitive, upgrades are uninteresting and run out very quickly, the game is very short.”
- “Unfortunately not a lot of game :/ it really lacks more gameplay or at least making it harder to progress so quickly.”
music
338 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
1%
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing and chill qualities, often described as lo-fi or ambient, which enhances the overall gameplay experience. Many players appreciate how the soundtrack complements the simple yet addictive mechanics, creating a soothing atmosphere that allows for extended play sessions without feeling repetitive. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal and enjoyment.
- “The music is very relaxing and just adds to the vibe, allowing you to zone out and play.”
- “The gameplay is unbelievably satisfying, the music is very relaxing, and it's all in all just a great experience.”
- “The music and sound design is great, creating an atmosphere of infinite chill.”
- “The music goes way too crazy for no reason but gets repetitive by the end of the game.”
- “The music is very chill albeit a bit monotone - additional songs would be a big boon for it, but not a requirement.”
- “Calming soundtrack, but you can listen to literally anything and still play and enjoy this game.”
graphics
174 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
41%
2%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their simplicity and retro aesthetic, often described as charming and visually pleasing, with a nostalgic CRT monitor effect. Players appreciate the minimalist design, colorful visuals, and the ability to customize settings to reduce intense flashing effects. Overall, the graphics complement the gameplay well, contributing to a satisfying and engaging experience.
- “The graphics are literally just different shapes, but I love it.”
- “I love the style of the game with all the old TV graphics and that you can turn them off if you don't want them on.”
- “The CRT effect and the pixel graphics made it visually pleasing and easy to navigate.”
- “I had to look away quite a bit because the visuals were just too much.”
- “First off, the visuals get noisy the later in the game you get, to the point that the dev should probably add a seizure warning.”
- “This is the first time I've ever been motion sick looking at a video game, and that was after I made all the graphics as simple as possible.”
grinding
142 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
9%
89%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience. While the early and mid-game progression is generally satisfying and engaging, many reviews note that the final stages can become tedious and overly grindy, often feeling like a chore as players accumulate resources without meaningful upgrades. Despite this, the game's short length and enjoyable mechanics make it a worthwhile experience for those who appreciate incremental gameplay.
- “Progress was steady and not grindy.”
- “Not too grindy yet feels rewarding at the same time.”
- “The game mechanics are simple and easy to get into, and the upgrade/skill tree is expertly designed to keep you hooked while not being grindy.”
- “The last hour before you finish the game is just grinding to get the last upgrades and to fill up the 'god virus' to finish the game.”
- “Towards the end it got a tad grindy, but overall it's fine taking into account the length of the game.”
- “I know, other games also have a very grindy endgame, but in other games you still kinda have fun while doing it.”
replayability
90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
46%
36%
Overall, the game has been criticized for its low replayability, with many players noting that it can be completed in just a few hours and lacks significant content to encourage multiple playthroughs. While it is described as fun and enjoyable for a short session, the absence of varied gameplay options or unlockable content leaves players feeling that it doesn't justify repeated plays. Many hope for future updates to enhance replayability, but as it stands, the game is primarily a one-time experience.
- “Short and simple enough to be comfortably replayable.”
- “Sure, I'd love for it to have even more upgrades, but the game feels complete, and there is some replayability in choosing what upgrade path you want to take on another playthrough.”
- “An enjoyable, relaxing game that reminded me of a classic flash game in terms of its length, difficulty, and replayability.”
- “Replay value is pretty low for this game.”
- “Probably not worth the price tag, given the lack of replayability.”
- “Very fun game but not much replayability, would really love to see this game get future content updates.”
story
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
70%
13%
The game's story is generally perceived as minimal or vague, with many players expressing a desire for more depth and content. While some appreciate the simple narrative elements and the satisfaction of progression, others find the lack of a substantial storyline disappointing, suggesting that additional storytelling could enhance the overall experience. Overall, the story is seen as a secondary aspect, with gameplay taking precedence.
- “The progression felt both natural and rewarding, and I enjoyed the continually updating gameplay, and the vague story behind it.”
- “I like the story arc, how the main characters are introduced, the choice of love interests, and the character design.”
- “I love the ambient storytelling; the completion of my first full run felt satisfying and solid.”
- “It has a twisted way of telling an unclear story.”
- “There is no story and the gameplay is very basic.”
- “It just has a 'pseudo story' that ends and that is it.”
humor
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it both funny and addictive, making it a worthwhile experience for its short duration of around 3-4 hours. Many users were drawn to the game after seeing it played by the YouTuber dangerouslyfunny, and they appreciated its lightheartedness and comedic elements, despite some wishing for more content. Overall, the game is seen as a fun way to unwind, delivering laughs and entertainment at a low price.
- “I did buy it because dangerouslyfunny made it look fun, and in this case, it wasn't just video editing and his funny quips that made the game seem better than it is.”
- “If you’re looking for a mix of humor and challenge, this is a great pick!”
- “Damn, I need updates and more content please! 11/10 was very funny to shut my brain off for 4 hours.”
optimization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
43%
21%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with smooth performance on various platforms, including the Steam Deck. However, some users noted issues with specific features like fullscreen mode and resource management during idle gameplay, suggesting that further optimization could enhance the experience. While the game runs efficiently on older hardware, improvements are still needed in areas such as drop spawning and a pause menu.
- “An absolute gem, I do not know how, but the game is optimized for dopamine and satisfaction.”
- “The game runs smoothly and is beautifully stylized.”
- “Very optimized, low CPU & GPU use on a 6-year-old PC, only too much resources on the ground lower performance.”
- “Also works fairly well on the Steam Deck in terms of performance, but for some reason it doesn't open in fullscreen.”
- “Entertaining but could use some optimization when spawning the drops, like Minecraft that combines the experience orbs to avoid the computer dying.”
- “Looking forward to future updates; it needs work on some things like a pause menu and heavily needs optimization for the idle style it becomes at the end.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
17%
17%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its seamless integration of stunning graphics, engaging sound design, and a phenomenal soundtrack that creates a chill and addictive experience. While the overall ambiance is immersive and well-crafted, some players felt that the final cutscene disrupted the established mood. Overall, the attention to detail in presentation enhances the game's world-building and player engagement.
- “The music is phenomenal as it just creates this atmosphere of infinite chill.”
- “The experience is seamless and free of complications, featuring a stunning atmosphere that makes the game highly addictive.”
- “Great care is given to the presentation, with highly engaging graphics that remain clear and readable, and a weighty sound design that is so important to the feel of a good screen clear and which contrasts wonderfully with the atmospheric music.”
- “The final cutscene was scary and didn't fit the chill atmosphere the game had for me.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The game is praised for its fair monetization model, offering an enjoyable experience without the burden of microtransactions, ads, or costly DLC. Players appreciate its affordability and addictive gameplay, highlighting the developer's success in creating a satisfying game without exploitative practices.
- “Good job to the game developers for creating a fun game without a season pass and microtransactions.”
- “This game is a prime example that a good game providing an amazing experience does not need to be expensive, force you to play forever, or have microtransactions.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be highly impactful, with gameplay that evokes strong feelings and a sense of connection, leading to an overall positive reception. The experience is described as both touching and enthralling, contributing to a perfect score from some reviewers.
- “Highly emotional and enthralling gameplay 10/10”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report significant stability issues, with frequent freezing lasting 20-60 seconds upon launching the game, severely impacting playability.
- “Sorry, but I really want to play this game. However, every time I launch it, it freezes for 20-60 seconds at a time, making it almost impossible to play.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviewers appreciate the character development for its engaging story arc, well-introduced main characters, thoughtful selection of love interests, and appealing character design.
- “I love the story arc, how the main characters are introduced, the choice of love interests, and the character design.”
- “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
- “Each character evolves throughout the game, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”