Nubby's Number Factory

About

In "Nubby's Number Factory," players operate a number-making machine by launching the spherical character, Nubby, down a pegboard to create increasingly large numbers. The goal is to meet production quotas and prevent the sun's immediate explosion, while over 50 unique items can be harnessed for creative solutions to surpass ever-expanding quotas. This plinko-style roguelike offers a blend of strategy, chance, and number-based challenges.

Genres & Tags

Strategy

Play Modes

Single-Player

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 12,338 reviews

graphics310 positive mentions

grinding22 negative mentions

The addictive gameplay loop and engaging mechanics provide a satisfying experience, with players enjoying the thrill of launching the ball and generating massive numbers.
The game's charming visuals and nostalgic 90s aesthetic, combined with a catchy soundtrack, create an immersive and enjoyable atmosphere.
The emotional depth of the story, particularly Nubby's character development, resonates with players, making it a memorable and impactful experience.

The randomness and balance of the core gameplay mechanics can lead to frustrating experiences, with some players feeling that luck plays too significant a role.
The limited item variety and repetitive nature of gameplay can detract from long-term replayability, making it feel grindy at times.
While the game performs well on some systems, players have reported bugs and freezing issues that can disrupt gameplay.

graphics
672 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
53%
1%
The graphics of "Nubby's Number Factory" are characterized by a nostalgic 90s and early 2000s aesthetic, reminiscent of retro PC games and educational software, which many players find charming and engaging. The intentionally low-fidelity visuals, combined with quirky sound design, create a unique and immersive experience that appeals to those who appreciate the simplicity and whimsy of that era. While some may find the graphics off-putting, the overall presentation is celebrated for its cohesive and fun design, enhancing the addictive gameplay.
- “As for presentation, the retro Windows 97/XP era art style, paired with the simplicity of the interface and the soothing background music, blend together and create a perfect and niche time capsule to when I first started playing games on a computer.”
- “The immensely charming visuals, the amazing music, the numbers going up, the sound design... it's damn near perfect.”
- “This game is a beautiful mesh of Peggle and Balatro with a gross, low-effort aesthetic that I really vibe with.”
- “The graphics remind me of those old 90s sites that had hidden porn on them.”
- “The graphics in this one are pretty charming to me - like it was made in 2003, but people who expect real life graphics definitely should avoid this game.”
- “Weird graphics that feel like a back-scratcher on my brain.”
gameplay
478 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
53%
3%
The gameplay of "Nubby's Number Factory" is characterized by its addictive, plinko-style mechanics that blend elements of roguelikes and casual arcade games, offering a satisfying loop of launching a ball down a pegboard to generate increasing numbers. While many players appreciate the engaging visuals and the potential for item synergies, some express concerns about the randomness and balance of mechanics, which can lead to frustrating experiences. Overall, the game is praised for its charm, replayability, and the fun of experimenting with various builds, making it a compelling choice for fans of the genre.
- “Do not be fooled by my current played-time review; as far as gameplay goes, this game is a gem and a real dopamine simulator.”
- “The gameplay loop is satisfying and addicting.”
- “The gameplay is simple yet addictive—launching nubby down a pegboard to generate massive numbers, while unlocking over 50-ish unique items to build powerful combos.”
- “I admit, I love the design of the game, I love the unbalanced perk and item system, but damn it's not enjoyable to play when the core gameplay mechanic pegs you in the ass with each bounce.”
- “The game is about build making because there is no gameplay behind launching a ball.”
- “I feel the core game mechanic of Nubby bouncing around is actually far too random and a little unfair at times.”
music
194 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
50%
2%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its nostalgic charm, effectively capturing the retro aesthetic reminiscent of the late '90s and early 2000s. Players describe the soundtrack as catchy, relaxing, and well-integrated with the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience. However, some users express a desire for more variety in the tracks, noting that the current selection can feel repetitive over time.
- “The immensely charming visuals, the amazing music, the numbers going up, the sound design... it's damn near perfect.”
- “Everything feels great, the sound design, the visuals, and the music all blend together to make an incredible roguelike.”
- “The music is entrancing and the art style is hilarious and reminiscent of old 90s websites and flash games, though this may turn off some people.”
- “I wish there were more different songs instead of alt versions of one song, but it still handles this better than Balatro.”
- “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
162 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurdity and playful design, with players enjoying the nonsensical elements like "funny balls" and quirky graphics reminiscent of 90s games. Many reviews highlight the comedic value of watching numbers increase in ridiculous ways, alongside amusing scenarios that keep the gameplay light-hearted and entertaining. Overall, the game's charm lies in its ability to blend humor with engaging mechanics, making it a delightful experience for those with a silly sense of humor.
- “Picking perks, optimizing your builds, praying your math holds up — all while laughing at how absurdly fun it is to make numbers go higher than they have any right to.”
- “The humor and absurd scenarios, like meeting quotas to prevent the sun from exploding, add to the charm.”
- “This game is amazing, has hilarious graphics and design and feels like you can't stop playing.”
replayability
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
34%
3%
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with many players enjoying its engaging mechanics, diverse characters, and various modes that encourage multiple playthroughs. However, some users note limitations in item variety and challenge difficulty, which can affect long-term replay value. Despite these critiques, the game's fun aesthetic and addictive gameplay contribute to a generally positive perception of its replayability.
- “This game is so much fun; there is so much replayability.”
- “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.”
- “With a lot of depth, replayability, and promised content for years to come, definitely a game you could play for hundreds of hours.”
- “There's like 12 items in the entire game and I want to love it, but it's too repetitive with very little replayability.”
- “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, and even the fact that the soft cap on scoring is extremely easily obtainable.”
- “There is barely any replayability after a while.”
emotional
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is profoundly impactful, with players expressing a range of feelings from joy to heartbreak, often leading to tears. Many reviewers highlight the relatable backstory of the character Nubby and its exploration of themes like abuse and personal growth, making the experience feel both nostalgic and life-changing. Overall, the game is described as an emotional rollercoaster that resonates deeply with players, leaving a lasting impression.
- “Emotionally life changing must play.”
- “The story, to put it simply and to prevent any spoilers, moved me emotionally.”
- “I found myself questioning my choices, my sanity, and whether I’d ever recover from the emotional rollercoaster it put me through.”
story
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
75%
10%
The game's story is widely praised as a masterclass in storytelling, with emotional depth and relatable themes, particularly highlighted through the character of Nubby and his challenging relationship with his father. Reviewers note that it stands out in a landscape often filled with lackluster narratives, making it a significant piece of storytelling in video games. Overall, the narrative is described as both moving and engaging, elevating the gaming experience to new heights.
- “Probably one of the best pieces of storytelling media in our time.”
- “The story, to put it simply and to prevent any spoilers, moved me emotionally.”
- “It is a masterclass in storytelling through the medium of video games, and there's a possibility that nothing like this can be reached again.”
- “☑ no story”
- “☐ no story”
- “Companies spend millions on high fidelity graphics, big open worlds and next gen technology to create 100+ hours AAA experiences that pretty much are carbon copies of every 3rd person action adventure game out there with lackluster storylines and boring & tedious gameplay.”
grinding
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
85%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a double-edged sword; while it offers satisfying dopamine farming and quick retries after failures, it can also become tedious and repetitive, especially when luck affects shop pulls or when players achieve overly powerful builds. Some updates have made the early game feel more grindy, detracting from the initial charm and explosiveness. Overall, the experience can be enjoyable but may require significant time investment, leading some to feel that it lacks meaningful progression.
- “Getting the ball rolling often feels kind of tedious, especially when you get unlucky with your shop pulls.”
- “Very cool game and I really recommend experiencing it, however after playing it a lot (outside Steam, because I dislike loading it just to play a single game), 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.”
- “It became tedious and there's seemingly no way to save and continue later.”
stability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
73%
The game generally performs well across various systems, including high-end setups and the Steam Deck, but users report it is somewhat buggy, with issues like crashes and glitches that can disrupt gameplay. While the developer is actively addressing these problems, players note that the game could benefit from more content and item variety. Overall, the stability is a mixed bag, with many enjoying the experience despite the occasional technical hiccup.
- “Fun game runs great on my 7800X3D with the AMD 970XT Sapphire Nitro+.”
- “Well optimized, runs great on a 4060!”
- “I usually play this in short sessions, and it runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “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.”
- “Really fun but pretty buggy, though the dev is very active about the issues.”
optimization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
65%
21%
The game's optimization is generally well-received, particularly on the Steam Deck, where players report no stuttering. However, some users experience freezing issues on PC during initial runs, indicating that while the game performs well in some environments, there are still optimization challenges to address. Overall, it appeals to a wide range of players, from casual gamers to those who enjoy intricate optimization mechanics.
- “I recommend this game to ubercasual fans that need a good game after work to chill out to, complete dorks that froth at the mouth for min-maxing and optimization, honest maximalist-numberphiles, and general audiences of any skill level.”
- “Every click, every calculation, every perfect optimization feeds the machine.”
- “Great little roguelike, mentions achievements in game but has none on Steam (so I assume that is coming later?), weirdly had no stuttering on Steam Deck but on my actual PC it had issues freezing on the first few throws during new runs.”
- “Forget a bad performance review, everyone's life counts on you and nubby.”
- “Rather, the literal fate of the universe rests on your job performance.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by well-executed, nostalgic 2000s-style graphics that enhance the overall experience. While player participation is minimal, the simple interface and engaging ambiance contribute to a highly enjoyable experience.
- “The graphics are very 2000s-like and supremely well done, creating an excellent atmosphere.”
- “There isn't too much active participation from the player, but the game's simple interface and nostalgic atmosphere allow for extremely enjoyable engagement.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Nubby's character development in the third act is particularly impactful, evoking strong emotional responses from players, with many expressing that it brought them to tears.
- “Nubby's character development in the third act brought tears to my eyes.”

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Nubby's Number Factory
$3.74
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6h Median play time

10h Average play time

4-13h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 38 analyzed playthroughs

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