Oxygen Not Included Regarding complex, resource-management simulation games, Oxygen Not Included stands out as one of the most unique and challenging experiences. Developed by Klei Entertainment, this game throws players into a bizarre underground world, where they are tasked with managing a group of colonists who are struggling to survive in an alien environment. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just diving in for the first time, Oxygen Not Included presents a detailed and rewarding gameplay experience. In this article, we’ll explore every aspect of this fascinating survival simulator, offering insights, strategies, and tips to help you thrive in the game’s harsh, underground world.
A Deep Dive into the World of Oxygen Not Included
At its core, Oxygen Not Included is a survival simulator where you manage a group of colonists stranded in a mysterious asteroid. The primary goal is simple: ensure your colony survives and eventually thrives in a hostile environment with limited resources. However, the complexity of managing resources, infrastructure, and even the colonists’ emotional well-being quickly turns the game into a satisfying and often overwhelming puzzle.
In the game, you must manage oxygen, food, water, and waste while also addressing more complex challenges like temperature control, energy production, and the psychological needs of your colonists. This depth makes Oxygen Not Included a gratifying game for players who enjoy strategy, micromanagement, and creative problem-solving.
The Gameplay Mechanics: A Survival Simulator Like No Other
Managing Your Colonists
At the heart of the game is the management of your colonists, or “duplicates” as they’re called in the game. Each duplicate comes with unique traits, skills, and personalities, which adds a layer of complexity to the management. Some duplicates are better suited to specific tasks, such as farming, digging, or research, while others might have particular weaknesses, like a tendency to get stressed out or become sick more easily.
As the player, it’s your job to ensure that these duplicates have their needs met while also maximizing their productivity. This involves building up an efficient base, assigning the right tasks to the right people, and making sure they have access to the essentials: food, water, oxygen, and rest. Balancing these needs becomes increasingly difficult as your colony grows, and managing your duplicants’ well-being is one of the game’s most challenging and rewarding aspects.
Resources and Infrastructure
The game’s setting presents a unique set of challenges when it comes to resource management. Unlike traditional survival games, where you can explore vast open worlds to gather resources, Oxygen Not Included takes place within a confined underground world. Resources are limited and finite, meaning you must plan and make every decision count.
To survive, you need to establish complex systems to generate oxygen, provide clean water, grow food, and produce energy. Building these systems is a major part of the game, and the game’s intricate plumbing, electrical, and air systems require careful planning and consideration. You’ll need to dig tunnels to access different materials, mine rare resources, and deal with dangerous environments like toxic gas pockets and extreme temperatures.
In addition to oxygen, food, and water are crucial resources that need to be carefully managed. Food production, while seemingly straightforward at first, can quickly become an intricate puzzle as you expand your colony. You’ll need to grow crops, raise animals, and keep your food supply stable, all while dealing with the dangers of disease and contamination.
Environmental Challenges: Navigating the Unknown
Toxic Atmosphere and Contaminants
The environment in Oxygen Not Included is hostile to your colonists from the moment they arrive. The asteroid’s atmosphere is filled with toxic gases, including carbon dioxide and other dangerous chemicals that can quickly lead to suffocation. If you don’t manage oxygen production and ventilation properly, your duplicates can easily run out of breathable air, resulting in panic, stress, and even death.
Managing the oxygen levels within your base is one of the core gameplay mechanics of Oxygen Not Included. To provide breathable air, you must use different resources and technologies to generate oxygen. For example, you can build oxygen generators powered by electricity or water, or tap into natural gas vents for a sustainable supply. As the game progresses, you’ll unlock more advanced technologies that will help you manage air quality, but this requires careful planning to avoid contaminating your colony with harmful gases.
The environment also introduces other challenges. The terrain is full of hot and cold pockets, and various liquids like polluted water and oil present their own sets of problems. Hot areas can cause overheating and damage your infrastructure, while cold areas freeze your water supply or damage your machinery. If your duplicants spend too long in these extreme conditions without proper protection or clothing, they’ll suffer from temperature-related ailments. These environmental factors make each new area of the map a puzzle that must be solved.
Diseases and Contamination
Another unique aspect of Oxygen Not Included is how diseases and contamination affect your colony. As your duplicates work, they’ll spread germs and contaminants around the base. These can lead to infections, illnesses, and even death if left unchecked. Preventing contamination requires careful design of your colony’s plumbing, filtration, and sanitation systems.
Diseases like food poisoning, slime lung, and other ailments can be a constant threat to your duplicates, especially in the early stages of the game. You’ll need to research and implement methods of sanitizing your water, cleaning your food, and even treating Oxygen Not Included duplicants. The introduction of medical facilities and the management of sick duplicates adds yet another layer of complexity to the game.
Expanding Your Colony: New Challenges and Opportunities
Research and Technology Tree
As your colony grows and you encounter new challenges, research plays a crucial role in expanding your capabilities. Oxygen Not Included has a robust technology tree that unlocks new tools, machines, and resources to help you manage your colony more efficiently. Research allows you to access advanced technologies like automated systems, power generation, and new ways of processing resources.
However, research comes at a cost. You’ll need to assign duplicates to the research stations, and doing so means they won’t be available to perform other essential tasks like building or maintaining your infrastructure. Balancing research with the day-to-day survival needs of your colony can be tricky, but it’s essential for progressing through the game.
Some of the most important research topics include advanced farming techniques, space exploration, and the ability to create more efficient power systems. With each new advancement, your colony’s potential expands, but it also opens the door to new, more complex challenges. You’ll have to manage your resources wisely to ensure that new technologies don’t put too much strain on your existing infrastructure.
Expanding Your Base
Expanding your base is another key part of surviving in Oxygen Not Included. As your colony grows, you’ll need more space for food production, medical facilities, and living quarters. Expanding also introduces new risks, as you’ll be digging into unfamiliar areas that could contain hazardous materials or hostile creatures.
Efficient base design becomes crucial at this stage. You’ll need to plan how to create optimal layouts that reduce energy consumption, manage airflow, and allow your duplicates to move and work efficiently. Overcrowding and inefficient space management can lead to bottlenecks, which will hinder your progress and make life harder for your duplicates.
Additionally, your base needs to be designed to handle emergencies. It’s not unusual for a catastrophic event, such as an explosion or gas leak, to occur. Having fail-safes like emergency exits, backup oxygen supplies, and damage control mechanisms can mean the difference between life and death for your duplicates.
Endgame: The Road to Space Exploration
Unlocking the Stars
Once you’ve established a stable colony, the ultimate goal of Oxygen Not Included becomes clear: space exploration. Unlocking space travel and building a rocket base allows you to expand your colony’s reach beyond the confines of the asteroid. This is the point where all the systems and management you’ve built up throughout the game culminate.
Space exploration introduces a new set of challenges, from the need for advanced rocket technology to the dangers of venturing into deep space. You’ll need to design and build rockets, fuel them, and ensure that your duplicates can survive in space. New resources will need to be gathered, and scientific advancements are essential to push the boundaries of what your colony can achieve.
While the endgame is rewarding, it also presents a final, intense challenge. You must manage the logistics of space missions, the fuel requirements, and the technical needs of your rockets, all while keeping your colony functioning. The space program is the ultimate test of your survival skills and resource management capabilities.
Conclusion: The Endless Fun of Oxygen Not Included
Oxygen Not Included is a game that continually challenges players with its complex systems, resource management, and environmental hazards. Whether you’re managing oxygen levels, dealing with toxic gases, or expanding your colony into space, the game provides a deep and engaging experience that rewards careful planning and strategic thinking.
With its combination of simulation, creativity, and survival mechanics, Oxygen Not Included stands as a masterclass in game design. Its intricate world and ever-evolving challenges keep players coming back for more, ensuring that every playthrough feels fresh and exciting.
So, if you’re up for a challenge, don’t hesitate to dive into this underground world. The colonists are counting on you, and survival is far from guaranteed.
