Norwegian indie tackles math anxiety with this explosive puzzle game – That’s Gaming

Indie studio Filiokus is launching its debut title Cal & Bomba on October 16, 2025 on Steam. This tactical puzzle game, which requires you to pre-program, with 20% off at launch and invites players to plan, sequence and unleash explosive chain reactions in more than 170 hand-crafted levels.

Cal & Bomba is all about a mission beyond entertainment. Filiokus was founded by Martin Lothe Sæterdal and Gjermund Mørkved Bohne to explore the intersection of math, design and play. For Martin, this journey began in the classroom: math felt joyous to him, but frustrating to many classmates. A contrast that raised a lifelong question, “Why is math easy for some and so hard for others?”

The answer became Filiokus’ philosophy, rooted in the Norwegian word “matteglede,” the joy of mathematics. Cal & Bomba is designed to instill this feeling by turning abstract logic into playful, visual problem solving. Instead of punishing mistakes, the game turns them into colorful explosions, surprises and opportunities to learn by doing.

Cal & Bomba follows the explosive adventures of Cal, a pyromaniac gnome with a talent for math, and Bomba, his troll partner, who enjoys the colors of big bangs. Players program their moves in advance, load bombs, potions and commands into their wagon cannon and then watch their plans unfold in spectacular chain reactions.