A short, wtf am I playing, type of game. Wish there were a little more to it with a little less directness (THIS IS NOT A GAME over and over). Either way, I still enjoyed it and look forward to more.

Review copy provided by developer via Curator Connect

If “malicious software” isn’t a genre unto itself yet, it really should be. The crowd of games that masquerade as one kind of game before revealing themselves to be something entirely different is growing rapidly on Steam. Tusker’s Number Adventure is one of the newest to join the lineup, and one of the most brazen about it, too. You won’t need to wait long for this one to tip its hand, and the revelations will seem familiar to anyone who’s played titles like these before. But there’s just enough charm and creativity to keep Tusker and his suspicious pals from falling into the depths of indie obscurity.

Tusker’s going on a number adventure, yay! Here in his idyllic woodland village, he can put his counting skills to work collecting berries for Mrs. Wolf’s pie and distributing it evenly between the townsfolk. But there’s more that our adorable elephant avatar can do, and he won’t have much of a choice in the matter. Something is very wrong in Tusker’s Number Adventure, something that goes past the bright colors and simple interface, and plunges straight into the very code of the game. It’s something ominous, something threatening, and if you don’t heed the warnings, something deadly.

It’s impossible to talk much more about this title without a few modest spoilers, so I hope you’ll forgive me for turning over the first few cards of the deck. While the basis of this adventure is a bright, kiddie edutainment game, there’s some kind of malware wreaking havoc around the edges. It’s not just visual glitches and missing assets, either… you’re going to have to take action from within the game on a number of fronts, though what they are exactly I won’t say. You’re also not as alone as you might think for a single-player game, and some of those revelations will lead to a greater scope to explore than just the apple trees and cottages.

Again, this trope of “infected programs” is becoming more common by the day, but Tusker at least puts some new spins on it. Some of the tasks you’ll take on to get past glitches are pretty inventive, and make good use of the meta aspects of the game. Dialogues are pretty good, there are some genuine surprises to be had, and there’s one big shift late in the game that has you working on several interconnected layers of the game at once, something that quite impressed me. It also wraps up in a suitably ominous way, and also offers a second, altered playthrough to flesh out parts of the story. Compared to other glitch games, Tusker offers a pretty robust package.

One run through the game should take around an hour, if not less, and not much of that time is wasted on the glitchless preamble. The only thing I’d really knock this title for is a lack of polish, with the edutainment portion itself looking more like a cheap Flash game than any of the weird motifs actual games went by. There’s decent variety to the gameplay as well but it never really goes deep, so don’t expect any serious hacking or puzzling here. For what it does, though, Tusker’s Number Adventure does it well and with enough novelty to stand out from the crowd.



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I kind of wish there was a "maybe?" on the recommendation column. It's not expensive and it doesn't take long to beat, but if you've played anything in this genre, you will get what's going on long before you get the chance to get immersed.

I hate to give this a downvote because I like the ideas and world behind this, but ultimately, the "the game is not what it seems" subgenre is pretty crowded (Pony Island, Doki Doki obviously come to mind) and this one just isn't ambitious enough to execute on its premise in a way that is fulfilling or thought-provoking.

All that said, I would absolutely play a new game from this developer just to see new ideas they had. I'm convinced that Tusker's--and the dev, by proxy--have something good going on at their core.

If there weren't other games that did this schtick better it'd be ok. But it's a little bland and disappointing. Maybe get it on sale.

Not nearly as good as Pony Island. Not trying to spoil anything, so all I can say is that the game was never convincing for me.

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Tusker’s Number Adventure is a bright and colourful children’s educational game until it isn’t. It all starts innocently enough, asking you to complete some basic maths problems, then collecting some fruit in order for Grandma Wolf to bake a delicious pie you’re tasked with delivering to neighbouring chums. Everything’s all simplistic and vibrant and a small child should be happy enough to sit through it, so long as we all pretend kids have ever shown any interest in educational software. But that all falls apart pretty quickly; the game starts to show some weird glitches and things stop working as well as they should. Some of the once innocent content starts to become more… questionable. Some of the things you’ll need to do should probably be kept well away from a younger audience.

Meta pseudo-horror has stealthily become my favourite obscure sub-sub genre. Games like The Stanley Parable or Pony Island that present you with an innocent enough looking experience, but then slowly subvert it into something more sinister are starting to become a little more common. Though taking such a direction is a hell of a risk and certainly has all the potential in the world to fall flat on its face, it’s a massive draw to the wonderful world of indie gaming. Nowhere else could you take the huge creative risks hedged by small development teams who don’t need to answer to demanding developers, contrary focus groups or even each other; they’re limited only by their own imagination and whatever reserves of sanity they have left after they’ve started to make some sense of Python.

What’s that all have to do with Tusker’s Number Adventure? Both everything and nothing. It’s a game within a game, decaying its outer shell to hide a more sinister secret within, but the main reason I’m talking around the edges of the concept rather than at the game is that it wastes little time shedding its kiddy friendly skin and throwing you into its stuttering electronic guts where you need to marry up malfunctioning file paths and align flicking sub-folders. Herein lies the issue for us reviewers; I can either talk around the edges of what happens next, or discuss it directly, ruining the entire point for prospective players. I mean, the latter is probably healthier for my ailing word count, but I should probably continue to avoid that kind of thing.

That doesn’t give me a lot of things that I can talk about, then. You can run through Tusker pretty comfortably in about an hour, learn the dark secret within, then play through it again a couple more times in a kind of New Game + setting to either learn more, or try your best to make the entire thing collapse in upon itself. It doesn’t have the sheer spectacle of Stanley Parable and it doesn’t mess with you on the same level as Pony Island, but it’s a fun exercise in screwing around with your expectations. So long as you can get past the basic maths part at the start. I know a few of you who could struggle.

// Full Review[www.honestgamers.com]

An attempt at a glitchcore game.
The programming is correct but that's all, it's far from the subtlety or brilliance of the best games in the genre.
The game itself is pretty short with less than one hour of play.
The worst offense is that the devs waste your time by trying to force you into more playthroughs that contain no difference except in the silly texts.
Play Pony Island instead

Not sure if I can recommend this game. It's very slow and plodding and the metanarrative stuff just isn't that interesting. It's just a very slow and unengaging game. Kind of unfortunate.

This game was silly, but I can say I honestly had fun and laughs.
I only wanted it so badly because it reminds me of Pony Island (one of my favourite games). I can tell you it has similar qualities but it's not as good sadly. There's stuff to do but I felt like there wasn't as much as I expected and not as many hard parts that stump you or have you second guessing yourself.
Overall good to kill some time with.

Tusker's Number Adventure is a delightful addition to the world of educational games, offering a fun and engaging experience for players of all ages.

From the moment I started playing, I was impressed by the game's charming art style and vibrant visuals. The colorful landscapes and adorable character designs immediately drew me into Tusker's world, creating a welcoming atmosphere that is perfect for young learners.

The gameplay is both entertaining and educational, striking a perfect balance between fun and learning. As players embark on Tusker's adventure, they'll encounter a variety of math challenges and puzzles that help reinforce essential number skills. Whether it's counting, addition, subtraction, or more advanced concepts, Tusker's Number Adventure covers it all in a way that feels intuitive and enjoyable.

One of the standout features of the game is its accessibility. The controls are simple and easy to grasp, allowing even the youngest players to jump right in and start having fun. Additionally, the game offers multiple difficulty levels, ensuring that it can adapt to the skill level of each individual player.

Beyond its educational value, Tusker's Number Adventure also promotes positive messages about teamwork, perseverance, and problem-solving. Through their journey with Tusker and his friends, players will learn valuable life lessons that extend far beyond the realm of mathematics.

In conclusion, Tusker's Number Adventure is a wonderful game that not only teaches important math concepts but also fosters creativity, critical thinking, and a love of learning. Whether you're a parent looking for educational games for your children or simply someone who enjoys charming and well-crafted experiences, Tusker's Number Adventure is sure to delight. Highly recommended!