It's Balatro all over again: a $5 plinko roguelike from a new solo dev is one of the top-rated Steam releases of 2025, and 10,000 reviews agree looking like a pre-installed Windows XP game is a plus

Step aside, Balatro – there's a new indie icon in town, and it somehow manages to be just as wonderfully Windows XP-coded, too.

Said icon is none other than Nubby's Number Factory, a plinko-style roguelike that's simply soaring on Steam right now. With over 10,000 stellar reviews so far and an "Overwhelmingly Positive" rating, it's nearly impossible to contest the reach Nubby's Number Factory is seeing – and it sounds undeniably well-deserved, too. Fans are likening the 2025 banger to classic, nostalgia-inducing pre-installed Windows games, calling it "PEAK."

One player dubs the game "extremely charming," saying they "love the 90s-00s CD-ROM era-style graphics" and stating that the "gameplay is fun and rewarding," too. Others seem similarly impressed by solo developer MogDogBlog Productions' debut title, with somebody going as far as writing that it's "the best game I have ever played." Another fan jokes it's "like if Peggle and Balatro loved each other and had a really successful child."

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How does the game work, though? Players simply launch their spherical friend, Nubby, down a pegboard "to rack up increasingly large numbers." There are challenges, however – they need to ensure they meet their production quota by utilizing handy items and coming up with some creative solutions. As MogDogBlog Productions instructs, "Feel that sweet surge of dopamine as the components of your factory synergize to make those numbers big!"

If Nubby's Number Factory seems like it might be right up your alley, you can wishlist or purchase it for just $4.99 – a small price to pay for hours of chaotic fun.

Looking for more to play? Check out some of these upcoming indie games for other gems to be excited for after checking Nubby's Number Factory out.

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After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.