Now and then, an indie game comes out of nowhere and tears up the Steam charts. We’ve seen it happen withVampire Survivors,Balatro, and now a wonky-looking game calledNubby’s Number Factory.
This mash-up of simple plinko gameplay and early-2000s Microsoft design sensibility is easy to pick up but devilishly hard to put down. It won’t tax your brain, your reflex skills, or your wallet either.
What IsNubby’s Number Factory?
Nubby’s Number Factoryis a plinko-styleroguelikewrapped up in a retro aesthetic. Like other roguelikes, this is a run-based game where you start over each time you die. The goal of the game is to satisfy each round’s score requirements before running out of lives. You can earn more lives by scoring big and filling up the meter that appears on the right side of the board.
The game is heavily inspired by Plinko, requiring that you drop a ball onto a board of pegs in order to score the required points in one go. Each peg has a number, which halves each time your ball (that’s Nubby, by the way) touches it, awarding you the corresponding number of points. When a peg reaches 1, your ball no longer bounces, and the peg is collected.
The game requires nothing but a mouse to play. Hold the right mouse button to ready Nubby, aim with your cursor, then use the left mouse button to let rip. you may also play using a controller. I’ve been using the Steam Deck, which defaults to a community layout that uses the triggers to hold and release and the analog stick or thumb pads to aim.
The game costs $5 and has an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating on Steam, having initially released in March 2025.
The Perfect “Numbers Go Up” Game
I’ve recently been hooked onThe Division 2, getting back into thedyingHalo Infinitemultiplayer scene, and failing miserably to land tricks inTony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4. Then I downloadedNubby’s Number Factoryand became utterly consumed.
It’s not that those other games aren’t fun or engaging, but none of them are as blissfully simple to play asNubby’s Number Factory. This is the perfect “numbers go up” game that taps into the same satisfying combination of physics and popping noises that made the originalPeggleso easy to play.
WhilePegglewas level-based,Nubby’sis a lot more freeform. There’s more depth and strategy to it, being a roguelike that allows you to buy and equip objects that improve your chances, take permanent buffs, and achieveBalatro-style scores that break the game (no, really—many Steam reviewers refer to the game crashing if your score reaches a certain level as if it’s some sort of badge of honor).
While there’s inarguably some form of “technique” here, the game also has a playful element of randomness to it (just try performing the same shot twice without moving your cursor and see what happens). The real strategy comes from combining items in slots and permanent perks (since perks normally consist of firing off certain slots multiple times).
By the later stages, the game starts to feel a lot likeVampire Survivors, where your inputs are minimal but items are firing off all over the place and your score feels out of control (complete with sudden game over moments that seem to come out of nowhere).
The fun here comes from jumping in and having a quick bash, without committing to a grand story or epic campaign. At $5, there’s very little to complain about, especially on a handheld like the Steam Deck, which feels tailor-made for these kinds of casual experiences.
Valve Steam Deck
The Steam Deck LCD is, hands down, the best budget handheld gaming PC you may get, thanks to its phenomenal price, top-notch build quality, excellent software support, and pretty solid gaming performance.
Valve Steam Deck OLED
The Steam Deck OLED is a clear improvement over Valve’s original handheld console, with a larger battery, more storage, faster Wi-Fi, and more. Not to forget the bigger and better-looking OLED screen that gives the device its name.
Cozy Windows XP Vibes to Boot
The overall style ofNubby’s Number Factoryfeels heavily inspired by games like Windows XP pack-in3D Pinball: Space Cadetand Microsoft’s legendary 3D Pipes screensaver. There’s Comic Sanseverywhere, the soundtrack consists of laid-back upbeat vaporwave-esque dated synth, and the UI feels like a website made in Macromedia Flash.
Much likeVampire Survivors, this doesn’t harm the game but gives it a sense of charm. It’s tickling my nostalgia receptors for sure.
Nubby’s Number Factoryis available onSteamright now, and there’s even a free demo you’re able to download and try before you buy. It’s the perfect “one more go” game, which means it will hopefully make its way to other platforms like Nintendo Switch and mobile before long.
If you’re a fan of the game and its style, check out thedeveloper’s websitefor a blast from the past.
