Skip to main contentSkip to project detailsSkip to contact
Ocean View Games
Nub: Java to Unity Remake

Nub: Java to Unity Remake

Rebuilt Inferna Games' isometric puzzler from a legacy Java app in Unity, recreating its levels by hand and adapting its controls for PC, iOS and Android.

Summary

The project
Nub is Inferna Games' isometric puzzle game, first written as a Java app for an Android games console and played with a controller.
What we did
Parts of the original code had been lost, so rather than port it, David rebuilt the game in Unity over four months and recreated every level by hand.
The result
Playable builds on PC, iOS and Android from a single Unity project, with controls redesigned for keyboard, mouse and touch.
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. For the detail of how the levels and controls were rebuilt, read the Nub case study.

What the Client Said

“Seeing Nub running on PC, iOS and Android from a single project was a real moment for us.”
Read full quote
“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

See more testimonials →

Case Studies

Nub Remake

Rebuilding an Isometric Puzzle Game in Unity

How we rebuilt Nub, an isometric puzzle game, from a legacy Java app in Unity, recreating its levels by hand with Unity's 2D Tilemap for PC, iOS and Android.

Read Case Study
Nub Remake gameplay screenshot
Our Contributions
Full Remake in Unity

Full Remake in Unity

Rebuilt the core game in Unity and C#, using the original Java game as the reference for how each mechanic should behave.

Levels Rebuilt by Hand

Levels Rebuilt by Hand

Recreated Nub's isometric levels in Unity's 2D Tilemap system, a visual format that can be edited without touching code.

Control Redesign

Control Redesign

Redesigned the controller-based controls for touch on mobile and for keyboard and mouse on PC.

Need to Remake a Legacy Game?

Tell us what the original was built with, what state the code is in and where you want it to run next.

Tell Us About Your Project