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Ocean View Games
Rebuilding a Java Puzzle Game in Unity

Rebuilding a Java Puzzle Game in Unity

Four months rebuilding Inferna Games' isometric puzzler from the ground up, recreating its levels by hand and bringing it to PC, iOS and Android.

Nub is Inferna Games' isometric puzzle game, originally written as a standalone Java app for an Android games console and designed around a game controller. Inferna Games wanted to bring Nub to a wider audience on PC and mobile, and asked Ocean View Games to make that possible. The original codebase was not a good foundation to carry forward. It was a pure Java application with no structure that mapped onto Unity's systems, and parts of the code had been lost. Rather than force a port, we rebuilt the game in Unity, using the original as the reference for how every mechanic should look, sound and behave. David Edgecombe rebuilt the game single-handedly over four months in 2021, recreating the levels by hand in Unity's 2D Tilemap system and redesigning the controls for keyboard, mouse and touch. The result was playable builds on PC, iOS and Android from a single Unity project.
The starting point and the Unity remake of Nub
AreaOriginalUnity remake
EngineStandalone Java appUnity and C#
PlatformsA single Android games consolePC, iOS and Android builds from one project
InputGame controllerKeyboard and mouse on PC, touch on mobile
LevelsDefined in the original Java codeRebuilt by hand in Unity's 2D Tilemap
Source codePartly lostA complete, maintainable Unity project
Why We Rebuilt Instead of Porting

Porting only makes sense when the original code is worth keeping. In Nub's case, it was not.

A Pure Java App

A Pure Java App

The original was a self-contained Java application with no engine underneath it, so none of its systems had a direct equivalent in Unity.

Missing Code

Missing Code

Parts of the original source had been lost, ruling out any automated conversion of code or level data.

The Original as Reference

The Original as Reference

We ran the original game alongside the Unity project and used it as the definitive guide to how each mechanic should behave.

Rebuilding the Levels by Hand

With no converter possible, every level had to be recreated manually.

Unity 2D Tilemap

Unity 2D Tilemap

We rebuilt Nub's isometric levels in Unity's 2D Tilemap system, which gives the game a clean, visual level format that can be edited without touching code.

Level by Level

Level by Level

Each level was recreated with the original Java game open next to Unity, matching layouts and puzzle logic tile by tile.

Faithful Puzzle Logic

Faithful Puzzle Logic

The puzzle mechanics were reimplemented in C# and checked against the original, so solutions worked the way the designers intended.

Making It Feel Like Nub

A remake only works if it plays like the original. Most of the effort went into feel, not just function.

From Controller to Touch

From Controller to Touch

Nub was designed around a game controller. We redesigned its controls for touchscreens so moving around the isometric grid feels natural on a phone or tablet.

Keyboard and Mouse on PC

Keyboard and Mouse on PC

The PC version received keyboard and mouse controls, tuned to keep the same pace and responsiveness as the original.

Matching the Original Feel

Matching the Original Feel

Movement, timing and feedback were compared against the original game until the remake played the way Nub always had.

The Results

Playable on Three Platforms

Nub ran on PC, iOS and Android from a single Unity project, a huge step up from the one console it was built for.

True to the Original

The puzzle mechanics and the feel of the game carried across into the remake, checked directly against the original throughout.

A Foundation Built to Last

A partly lost Java codebase was replaced with a clean Unity project and Tilemap-based levels that are far easier to extend and maintain.

What the Client Said

“Seeing Nub running on PC, iOS and Android from a single project was a real moment for us.”
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“Nub is our baby, an isometric puzzle game we originally wrote in Java, and we always felt it deserved a bigger audience. We brought in Ocean View Games to rebuild it in Unity, and they did a fantastic job. They took our original code and rebuilt the whole game from the ground up, keeping every puzzle mechanic exactly as we made it while properly rethinking the controls for touchscreens. Seeing Nub running on PC, iOS and Android from a single project was a real moment for us. They were brilliant to work with, and I'd jump at the chance to work with them again.”

Nick Bolton

Owner, Inferna Games

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