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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,623 reviews

graphics88 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Nubby's Number Factory is an incredibly fun and addictive game that perfectly captures the nostalgic aesthetic of early 2000s computer games.
The gameplay is simple yet satisfying, allowing players to create powerful combos and experience the joy of watching numbers go up.
The developer is actively working on updates and improvements, making it a promising title with potential for more content in the future.

The game suffers from balancing issues, with some items being overpowered while others feel useless, leading to repetitive gameplay.
Challenges can be frustratingly difficult and often rely too much on luck, making it hard to unlock new characters and content.
The game crashes frequently, especially during high-scoring runs, which can be frustrating and result in lost progress.

graphics
175 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
48%
2%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their nostalgic 90s and early 2000s aesthetic, reminiscent of low-poly computer games and educational titles from that era. Reviewers appreciate the charming, quirky visuals and cohesive art style, which evoke a sense of nostalgia while enhancing the gameplay experience. Despite some initial reservations, many players find the graphics to be a delightful and integral part of the game's appeal, contributing to its addictive nature and overall enjoyment.
- “The graphics are very 2000s-like and supremely well done, excellent atmosphere.”
- “The aesthetic is extremely well executed in both music and art style.”
- “Drenched in gorgeous 90's PC aesthetics, the gameplay is satisfying and doesn't easily get into the 'plays itself' point that similar games can end up in.”
- “Nubby's fits perfectly in this period; all items are fully 3D models with very low graphics quality for modern standards.”
- “The art style may look off-putting at first, but the early Windows Vista 3D weirdness is actually really cohesive and fits the game perfectly.”
- “This is aesthetically an early 2000s freeware game but mechanically a roguelite from the current year.”
gameplay
120 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
44%
3%
The gameplay of "Nubby's Number Factory" is characterized by its addictive and charming mechanics, blending elements of peggle and roguelike strategy to create a satisfying experience that encourages repeated play. Players appreciate the unique item synergies and the balance of skill and randomness, although some express concerns about item balance and challenge difficulty. Overall, the game offers a fun, engaging loop with a quirky aesthetic and relaxing soundtrack, making it a standout in the indie gaming scene.
- “The overall style of the game is unique and wacky in a charming way, the gameplay is solid enough, and it definitely has the mildly addictive quality of 'one more run' that the best roguelikes have.”
- “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 both very challenging but also fairly simple to get to large (and sometimes infinite) chains.”
- “I feel the core game mechanic of Nubby bouncing around is actually far too random and a little unfair at times.”
- “The balancing of items feels quite poor and there are a lot of items and mechanics that seem pretty useless, leading to low variation in viable builds and the classic mode of the game feeling very samey after only a few runs.”
- “While attempting to blatantly replicate the dopamine rush of making builds that reach impossibly large scores, the game makes the crucial mistake of generously rewarding such builds, making it so your runs will always either quickly fizzle out or snowball into a guaranteed victory with very little strategic gameplay in between.”
music
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
51%
6%
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing and nostalgic qualities, effectively complementing the quirky visuals and gameplay. Many players find it charming and addictive, with a retro vibe reminiscent of 90s and early 2000s games, although some note that the soundtrack can become repetitive. Overall, the combination of music, sound effects, and art style creates a cohesive and enjoyable experience that enhances the game's appeal.
- “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.”
- “The music and art direction in general are very delicious cherries on top of an already very great game.”
- “The soundtrack complements the gameplay, it's relaxing and never gets overexcited, which contrasts the frantic gameplay and special effects that get thrown around.”
- “I fucking hate how the music has burrowed its way into my brain.”
- “The music that plays when you lose is so loud it almost woke everyone up in my house, other than that it's fun.”
- “Was hoping for more music as the track that plays during the gameplay is pretty numbing.”
humor
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its absurdity and nostalgic charm, drawing comparisons to 90s flash games and meme culture. Players appreciate the nonsensical elements, such as quirky items and hilarious scenarios, which contribute to a fun and engaging experience. Overall, the game's comedic style and entertaining design resonate well with fans, making it a delightful and addictive play.
- “The presentation might seem just low quality and 'memey' at first glance with the general look of the game and funny items, but it's clear how much effort went into the style of the game and everything feels very consistent with the style rather than clashing several art styles just to make it funnier.”
- “The humor and absurd scenarios, like meeting quotas to prevent the sun from exploding, add to the charm.”
- “Ignoring the fact that it is inherently hilarious to stop and think about how a pregnancy test will augment my build, there's genuine smart design with perks and items here.”
replayability
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
14%
13%
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with many players enjoying the variety of unlocks, strategies, and community engagement it offers. While some reviewers note a need for more items and balancing to enhance replay value, the game's charm, aesthetics, and fun gameplay contribute to its appeal as a title worth revisiting.
- “Basically this game is really good and offers enough variety in theory to be nearly endlessly replayable as I still try and get high scores on all the various unlocks!”
- “With a vibrant community and plenty of replay value, this game is a hidden gem for fans of strategy and humor.”
- “Deceptively simple, fun art style, infinitely replayable, 5 bucks... no brainer”
- “Surprisingly fun, but definitely could do with some balancing and replayability.”
- “- In my opinion, there is a lack of items, perks, and foods, which makes the game overall less replayable and forces you into certain synergies and combos.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
60%
30%
The game's story is described as entertaining and quirky, reminiscent of a fictional game from a 2000s movie, with a unique charm that stands out against typical AAA titles. Players appreciate the creative narrative and engaging challenges, which add depth to the gameplay experience, making it feel both fun and rewarding. Overall, the storytelling is noted for its originality and appeal, contrasting sharply with the often lackluster narratives found in mainstream games.
- “Such a cool dev with such a fun story.”
- “This feels like a made-up video game that a stereotypical nerdy kid in a 2000s movie would obsess over as a mild plot point.”
- “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.”
- “Storytelling: Nolan would be jealous.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
The game currently experiences several bugs and stability issues, including crashes and errors that can disrupt gameplay, but it performs well on most platforms, particularly the Steam Deck. Despite these challenges, the developer is actively addressing the problems, and many players find the game enjoyable despite its imperfections. Overall, while stability is a concern, the game's potential and developer transparency are noted positively.
- “I usually play this in short sessions, and it runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “Beyond buggy and far from finished.”
- “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.”
- “Really fun but pretty buggy, though the dev is very active about the issues.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a deeply emotional experience with the game, describing it as a powerful rollercoaster of feelings that evokes tears of both joy and frustration. The narrative and character interactions resonate strongly, leading to moments of introspection and connection, making it a memorable and impactful journey. Overall, the game is praised for its ability to elicit genuine emotional responses and create a lasting impression.
- “This game made me cry—tears of frustration, joy, and everything in between.”
- “It broke me down and built me back up, only to shatter me again with its relentless challenges and heart-wrenching moments.”
- “I found myself questioning my choices, my sanity, and whether I’d ever recover from the emotional rollercoaster it put me through.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's graphics evoke a well-executed 2000s aesthetic, contributing to an excellent and nostalgic atmosphere. While player interaction is minimal, the simple interface enhances enjoyment and engagement within this immersive environment.
- “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.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The game's optimization is mixed; while it runs smoothly on the Steam Deck without stuttering, players have reported freezing issues on PC during initial gameplay. Additionally, the absence of Steam achievements suggests potential future updates.
- “Great little roguelike! I noticed that it mentions achievements in-game but has none on Steam (so I assume that is coming later?). Interestingly, I experienced no stuttering on the Steam Deck, but my actual PC had issues freezing during the first few throws in new runs.”
- “Great little roguelike, mentions achievements in the game but has none on Steam (so I assume that is coming later?). Weirdly, I 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.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of many AAA games to be tedious and repetitive, often feeling like a chore rather than an engaging experience. The lack of save options exacerbates this issue, as players are forced to commit to long sessions in games that frequently rely on formulaic gameplay and uninspired narratives.
- “It became tedious, and there's seemingly no way to save and continue later.”
- “Companies spend millions on high-fidelity graphics, big open worlds, and next-gen technology to create 100+ hour AAA experiences that are pretty much carbon copies of every third-person action-adventure game out there, with lackluster storylines and boring, tedious gameplay.”

Buy Nubby's Number Factory

Nubby's Number Factory
$4.99
See offer on Steam

6h Median play time

9h Average play time

3-19h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 10 analyzed playthroughs

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