Nubby's Number Factory

About

A plinko-style roguelike where you work at a number factory. Launch your spherical friend, Nubby, down a pegboard to make bigger and bigger numbers! But beware, if you fail to meet your number quota, the sun will explode.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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97%

Audience ScoreBased on 11,702 reviews

graphics250 positive mentions

grinding22 negative mentions

The gameplay is addictive and engaging, blending elements of plinko and roguelike strategy to create a satisfying experience.
The charming aesthetics and fun sound design enhance the overall experience, making it appealing to fans of casual and strategic gaming.
The game features a unique art style and nostalgic music that evoke fond memories, contributing to an immersive atmosphere.

The game suffers from a lack of variety in challenges and item pools, leading to repetitive gameplay after a few runs.
Some players find the gameplay loop frustrating due to RNG and physics issues, which can make the experience tedious.
There are frequent bugs and glitches that disrupt gameplay, with some crashes resulting in lost progress.

graphics
542 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
53%
1%
The graphics of "Nubby's Number Factory" are characterized by a nostalgic, quirky aesthetic reminiscent of late 90s and early 2000s educational games, often described as charmingly primitive or "ugly" in a way that enhances its appeal. Players appreciate the unique art style, which evokes fond memories of early computer graphics, while the visuals and sound design work together to create an engaging and addictive gameplay experience. Overall, the game's graphics are seen as a significant part of its charm, successfully capturing the essence of retro gaming while providing a fun and satisfying experience.
- “The visuals are great, the sound design is so fun, and the gameplay is lowkey addictive.”
- “I absolutely adore this game, the aesthetic, music & gameplay are all so well done that only quality of life improvements are desired.”
- “The art style is fantastic, the gameplay is addictive & fun and the difficulty is challenging enough for me to keep playing!”
- “The graphics looked neat but after a few minutes the charm wears off.”
- “Gameplay loop isn't fun and the game is horribly ugly; being ugly isn't an aesthetic, it's just lazy.”
- “The graphics style is novel for a while, but after that nostalgia has been serviced, I am reminded of why exactly things changed so much since that era in games.”
gameplay
434 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
54%
2%
The gameplay of "Nubby's Number Factory" is characterized by its addictive and engaging mechanics, blending elements of plinko and roguelike strategy to create a satisfying experience. Players enjoy the simplicity of launching Nubby down a pegboard to generate numbers while experimenting with various items and synergies, although some find the randomness and lack of variety in challenges can lead to frustration. Overall, the game is praised for its charming aesthetics, fun sound design, and the rewarding nature of its core gameplay loop, making it a compelling choice for fans of casual and strategic gaming alike.
- “The gameplay is simple yet addictive—launching nubby down a pegboard to generate massive numbers, while unlocking over 50 unique items to build powerful combos.”
- “The gameplay loop is satisfying and addicting, with a lot of interesting mechanics that mesh together well, and I'm glad that the developer is continuously improving it with new patches.”
- “The gameplay is engaging, making every decision towards creating a new build, reaching a higher score, or just messing around feel fantastic.”
- “While very charming, Nubby's fails to stay interesting after the first few runs due to a lack of variety in runs because of its small item pool and frustrating gameplay loop.”
- “It's a shame because there is so much opportunity for other item/perk synergies that could keep the game fresh past 20 hours of gameplay, but my experience is that they pretty much don't exist.”
- “The old '90s style graphics are charming, but the actual gameplay gets irritating, and you suffer so much from RNG and wonky physics that it becomes tedious.”
music
168 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
55%
2%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its nostalgic, chill vibe, reminiscent of early 2000s educational games and retro aesthetics. Players appreciate the catchy and relaxing soundtrack, which enhances the gameplay experience and evokes a sense of fun and whimsy. Overall, the sound design, including satisfying sound effects, complements the visuals and gameplay, creating an engaging and immersive atmosphere.
- “The music is relaxing and catchy, the sound design is great, I can tell that a lot of passion and personality was put into this project.”
- “The music and sounds here are equally great, the songs feel a bit hazy and compressed, but not in a Friday Night Funkin' 2000's nostalgia MP3 bitcrunch FL Studio legend way, it's quite subtle and does a good job at enhancing the immersion of the game's old looks.”
- “The immensely charming visuals, the amazing music, the numbers going up, the sound design... it's damn near perfect.”
- “The music and sounds just add, the music feels most like elevator music and it makes you both relaxed but focused.”
- “The music for Nubby's Number Factory sounds like I'm put on hold for a phone call forever.”
- “Was hoping for more music as the track that plays during the gameplay is pretty numbing.”
humor
164 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in this game is widely praised for its absurdity and nostalgic charm, reminiscent of classic 90s graphics and flash games. Players enjoy the quirky character designs and the comedic premise of "funny numbers going up," which creates a lighthearted and engaging experience. While some find the humor hit-or-miss, the overall consensus is that it adds a delightful layer to the gameplay, making it both entertaining and addictive.
- “The art is really funny and reminds me of classic DOS shareware or Newgrounds games.”
- “Developed by mogdogblog, this oddball roguelike takes the mechanics of a plinko machine, stirs in number-based scoring, and then overlays a layer of absurd humor, making it feel like a cross between Peggle, Balatro, and a fever dream from the flash game era.”
- “The humor and absurd scenarios, like meeting quotas to prevent the sun from exploding, add to the charm.”
replayability
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
43%
6%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its addictive gameplay and variety of characters and power-ups, while others criticize the limited content and repetitive nature after a few runs. Many appreciate the ongoing updates and community engagement, which promise to enhance replay value, but some feel that the current state lacks depth and variety typical of more robust roguelikes. Overall, while there is potential for replayability, it may not meet the expectations of all players.
- “Nubby's Number Factory is a surreal game with limitless replayability and fun.”
- “The gameplay is simple yet highly addictive, with great replay value as there are plenty of power-ups and perks to combine to get the highest score possible.”
- “It's compulsively replayable and really scratches that 'oh god this build is absurd' itch better than any other game has done since Binding of Isaac.”
- “For now, with very little variety and no achievements, I don't really find the game replayable.”
- “The only gripe I have is that there isn't a whole lot of content; you'll see nearly everything the game has in terms of items and perks really quickly, which results in a bit less variety and replayability than I'd like from a roguelike like this.”
- “There isn't really a ton of replayability for me here due to the limited item pools and there really being only a couple of super viable loadouts.”
story
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
63%
10%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its emotional depth and memorable characters, particularly highlighting the journey of the protagonist, Nubby, and his relationship with his supervisor, Tony. Others feel the narrative lacks progression and depth, describing it as minimal or even non-existent, while a few appreciate the unexpected plot twists and humor. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a unique blend of fun and emotional resonance, though opinions vary on its complexity and execution.
- “The story has an incredibly memorable cast. I am impressed considering this game has zero voice acting. I can quote this entire game off the top of my head; insane plot twists, incredible character arcs, this game has it all. Incredible work by the developer.”
- “Nubby's journey through this environment may symbolize an individual's quest for meaning in a structured and often impersonal world.”
- “The storytelling evokes such immense emotions for the player that even the most hard-headed, steeled heart could not handle.”
- “You just have to restart the same shit again with no story or progress.”
- “There's no story (well, a bit), there's no characters (well, you don't have to care too much about their background), I don't have to 'play' as a character, it's just a game.”
- “And in fairness, even if there weren't, it's pretty clear this was never meant to be some kind of deep fifty-hour rabbit hole with a story that will change your heart forever.”
emotional
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is profoundly impactful, with players expressing a wide range of feelings from heartbreak to joy. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to evoke tears through its relatable storytelling and character connections, particularly with the character "nubby" and their experiences. Overall, the game is described as a heartwarming and life-changing experience that resonates deeply with players, making them feel both challenged and emotionally fulfilled.
- “The story, to put it simply and to prevent any spoilers, moved me emotionally.”
- “Incredibly emotionally in-depth, Nubby's Number Factory is surprisingly impactful.”
- “It broke me down and built me back up, only to shatter me again with its relentless challenges and heart-wrenching moments.”
grinding
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
85%
Players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game, noting that while it offers good replayability and a dopamine rush, it can also become tedious and frustrating due to RNG and physics issues. Many find the character selection and item management overly grindy, leading to repetitive gameplay, especially when trying to achieve high scores or unlock new features. Overall, while the game is enjoyable in short bursts, excessive grinding can lead to burnout.
- “The old '90s style graphics are charming, but the actual gameplay gets irritating and you suffer so much from RNG and wonky physics that it becomes tedious.”
- “Character selection is also too grindy.”
- “Very cool game and I really recommend experiencing it, however after playing it a lot, I find it extremely easy to break, and when you get some disgustingly broken build that just 9999x every round, the gameplay becomes very repetitive and grindy, and it's not fun trying to get high scores for that reason.”
stability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
71%
The game is generally well-optimized and performs well across various systems, including the Steam Deck and high-end PCs. However, users report frequent bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, with some crashes leading to lost progress. Despite these issues, the developer is noted for their transparency and commitment to improving stability.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck even though it isn't verified.”
- “Well optimized, runs great on a 4060!”
- “Fun game, runs great on my 7800X3D with the AMD 970XT Sapphire Nitro+.”
- “Currently a bit buggy and could do with more content (at the time of this review), but the developer has been very transparent in their intents to improve upon it.”
- “I fire my nubby, the game proceeds to throw up an error sign telling me something along the lines of 'cannot divide by zero' and freezes my run and aborts the game, deleting that run and the score with it, forever.”
- “This game is a slightly buggy mess, but in the single best possible way, a crash signifies a run well done.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The game is highly praised for its optimization, running smoothly even on lower-end hardware while effectively managing complex visual elements. Users appreciate the clever techniques employed to enhance performance, such as pre-rendered backgrounds and frame rate adjustments. However, some players have reported occasional freezing issues on certain platforms, indicating that while the overall optimization is strong, there may still be room for improvement in specific scenarios.
- “If you like Peggle or any Plinko game, this is the most optimized and best version of that ever.”
- “The spatial reasoning required is of a formidable caliber, demanding the construction of an optimized architecture that minimizes redundancy and maximizes throughput.”
- “Every click, every calculation, every perfect optimization feeds the machine.”
- “Pre-rendered backgrounds and some sneaky techniques such as lowering the FPS on item animations result in the game being extremely optimized; it runs well on my low-end PC even with thousands of particles firing off.”
- “Great little roguelike; it mentions achievements in-game but has none on Steam (so I assume that is coming later?). Weirdly, it had no stuttering on the Steam Deck, but on my actual PC, it had issues freezing on the first few throws during new runs.”
- “I didn't think that this direction in art or performance would be taken in modern games, yet here we are.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by cutting-edge graphics and a surreal, Y2K-inspired aesthetic that creates a captivating and nostalgic experience. Players appreciate the quirky sound design and the well-executed visuals, which evoke a sense of nostalgia while providing an engaging, albeit passive, gameplay experience. Overall, the atmosphere is described as bizarre yet satisfying, setting the game apart from others.
- “Sound design and overall atmosphere is nostalgic and satisfying!”
- “Graphics are very 2000s-like and supremely well done, excellent atmosphere.”
- “The game's surreal, Y2K-inspired visuals and quirky sound design immediately set it apart, creating an atmosphere that's both bizarre and captivating.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some users appreciate the emotional depth of characters like Nubby, others criticize the overall character design and art style as lacking. The humorous character designs and sounds add a lighthearted touch, but the cautionary feedback suggests that not all aspects of character development resonate positively with players.
- “Nubby's character development in the third act brought tears to my eyes.”
- “Number and strategy with funny character designs and sounds.”
- “Instead, it’s a cautionary tale in how not to design characters for a game.”
- “The character design and art style leave nothing to be desired.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviews indicate a desire for the inclusion of microtransactions, suggesting that players are open to additional monetization options within the game.
- “The game feels like it's designed around pushing microtransactions rather than providing a balanced experience.”
- “I can't enjoy the game when every feature seems locked behind a paywall.”
- “The constant prompts to spend money really ruin the immersion and enjoyment of the gameplay.”