Anoxia Station

About

Anoxia Station is a single player management game with a horror theme. It was developed by Abylight Studios and was released on May 9, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

Anoxia Station is a mining management game set in a dystopian near-past where a supervolcanic eruption has rendered Earth’s surface uninhabitable. Players lead a crew of Terranauts exploring extreme depths to extract vital petroleum deposits amid harsh radiation, heat, and unstable terrain. Survival and resource management are key to sustaining humanity's fragile existence.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 60 reviews

story4 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Anoxia Station delivers a unique atmosphere that combines elements of horror and strategy, creating a deeply immersive experience.
The art direction and sound design are exceptional, effectively enhancing the game's oppressive and claustrophobic mood.
The gameplay, while challenging, rewards perseverance and strategic thinking, making every small success feel hard-earned.

The tutorial is poorly designed, leaving players confused about essential mechanics and controls, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
Resource management can feel overly complicated and punishing, with some mechanics leading to situations where players can easily become stuck.
The game suffers from technical issues, including glitches and a lack of quality-of-life features, which detract from the overall experience.

story
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
79%
9%
The game's story is delivered through mission briefings, radio transmissions, and environmental storytelling, creating an atmosphere of oppressive realism, though it is often described as scarce and lacking in memorable characters. Players noted that the main campaign is short, consisting of only six missions, and while the narrative has intriguing elements, it may not be fully grasped without careful attention. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a central focus, leaving some players feeling disconnected from the plot.
- “The story gradually unfolds through mission briefings, radio transmissions, and environmental storytelling rather than traditional cutscenes, maintaining an atmosphere of oppressive realism.”
- “But beyond that, what truly stands out in this game are the unique setting and story, that together create an amazing sci-fi atmosphere that is strongly reminiscent of the classic movies of the 80's.”
- “Along the way, you will have to make minor choices like which expert to send on an investigation and they might not come back, and there is an overall story that develops the deeper you go.”
- “It's a shame, because I anticipated the end of this story.”
- “The main campaign is short, only 6 missions long.”
- “It doesn’t really help that Anoxia Station’s story is told with a very light touch—while it’s an engaging premise, you won’t be encountering any memorable characters, and the text-based dialogue, while well-written, never felt essential to my ability to complete each level.”
gameplay
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
75%
9%
The gameplay is characterized by a turn-based structure that emphasizes decision-making and emotional weight, but it suffers from simplistic mechanics and a lack of polish, leading to a clunky experience. While the narrative and sound design enhance immersion, many players find the mechanics unbalanced and poorly explained, resulting in a gameplay experience that feels more like a narrative framework than a fully realized game. Overall, the gameplay is serviceable but lacks depth and complexity, leaving some players wanting more engaging mechanics.
- “The gameplay revolves around maintaining a delicate balance between progress and preservation.”
- “Mechanically, the game’s turn-based structure allows time for contemplation, but it also reinforces the weight of every decision.”
- “I'm not that good with resource management games, but Anoxia made just the right balance between difficulty, story, and gameplay mechanics.”
- “From what I could see from clicking around, even figuring out how things work isn't going to reward you with much - the game mechanics appear to be bare-bones and only exist to add a flimsy pretext of 'game' around what is essentially an attempt at narrative horror.”
- “But it's also simplistic with unexciting mechanical design and nonsensical writing.”
- “It’s a little too clunky from a mechanical standpoint to earn praise—the combat, for example, really just amounts to clicking a few buttons per turn; it’s more a maintenance nuisance than anything, as I never died from big ol’ bug baddies.”
atmosphere
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
32%
12%
The atmosphere of Anoxia Station is widely praised for its oppressive and immersive qualities, effectively blending elements of horror, strategy, and resource management. Set in a post-apocalyptic underground world, the game utilizes environmental storytelling, art direction, and sound design to create a claustrophobic and tense experience reminiscent of classic 1980s sci-fi. Players appreciate the unique setting and mood, which contribute to a gripping narrative atmosphere that enhances the overall gameplay experience.
- “Anoxia Station, developed by Yakov Butuzoff and published by Abylight Studios, is an atmospheric blend of turn-based strategy, resource management, and psychological survival horror that ventures far beneath the surface of the earth—both literally and thematically.”
- “The game excels at creating a suffocating atmosphere, with its 'analog horror' aesthetic (think grainy CCTV footage) and eerie sound design amplifying the dread.”
- “Set in an alternate version of the late 1980s after a cataclysmic volcanic eruption has poisoned the planet’s atmosphere, the game imagines humanity’s desperate attempt to survive by burrowing deep underground in search of resources that might sustain civilization.”
- “The story gradually unfolds through mission briefings, radio transmissions, and environmental storytelling rather than traditional cutscenes, maintaining an atmosphere of oppressive realism.”
- “The atmosphere of the game is claustrophobic (set underground) with horror elements and an ominous soundscape (wear headphones).”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
27%
17%
The game's graphics are a mixed bag, featuring a unique pixel-art aesthetic that evokes 1980s science fiction dystopias and creates an immersive, suffocating atmosphere. While some players appreciate the thematic visuals and art style, others criticize graphical bugs and a confusing design that hampers gameplay. Overall, the visuals are noted for their ability to enhance the game's tension, despite some players finding them difficult to navigate.
- “Together, the visuals and soundscape create an immersive tension that is both beautiful and suffocating.”
- “The art style especially excels at maintaining a dark, repressive atmosphere and keeps you on the edge, despite this being an isometric game.”
- “The pixel-art aesthetic, rendered in grimy, muted tones, evokes the feeling of 1980s science fiction dystopias, while the claustrophobic isometric view reinforces the sense of entrapment.”
- “The further you descend into the crust, the more surreal and alien the visuals become, as natural geology collides with unnatural horrors.”
- “Weird and awkward graphical style which, while thematic, makes it very difficult to actually see or select what you want.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overly complicated and tedious, with micromanagement detracting from creativity rather than enhancing it.
- “The resource system is needlessly overcomplicated, and the micromanagement aspect is tedious rather than encouraging creativity.”
- “Grinding feels like a chore rather than an engaging part of the game, making it hard to stay motivated.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding detracts from the overall enjoyment, turning what could be exciting into a monotonous task.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The game offers limited replayability due to its short duration and lack of content, with users suggesting it may only be worth purchasing at a discount. While there are some choices, such as selecting an expert and difficulty level, the overall replayability is rated around 6/10.
- “There is some replayability - you choose from one of three experts to start with, and one of three difficulties (start on easy your first time, trust me).”
- “In my opinion, it is worth getting this game at a good discount, as for the full price, considering its short duration, limited content, and poor replayability, I would pass and wait.”
- “There is some replayability - you choose from 1 of 3 experts to start with, and 1 of 3 difficulties (start on easy your first time, trust me).”
- “Replayability: 6/10”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The music in the game features a minimalist soundtrack that enhances the oppressive atmosphere through low-frequency drones and mechanical pulses, creating a sense of unease even during calm moments. However, some players found the music forgettable, leading to mixed impressions overall.
- “Combine it all with top-notch music, and what you have is an experience.”
- “The minimalist soundtrack contributes to the oppressive mood, using low-frequency drones and mechanical pulses that make even periods of calm feel uneasy.”
- “Interestingly, I can't recall anything about the game's music, so I'll leave it with a 3, which is my scoring system's default score.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find that the game's realistic permanence elevates it from a mechanical experience to an emotionally charged one, offering a thoughtful and unsettling journey. Anoxia Station is praised for its ability to evoke deep emotions, making it a haunting and unforgettable experience that transcends traditional strategy gameplay.
- “This permanence gives the game a grave sense of realism and transforms what could have been a purely mechanical experience into an emotional one.”
- “For players seeking a thoughtful, unsettling experience that pushes beyond traditional strategy and into the realm of emotional survival, Anoxia Station delivers something haunting and unforgettable.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report significant stability issues, including unresponsive moments after completing levels and a lack of clear instructions for progressing. Additionally, visual glitches are prevalent, such as duplicated monsters and misaligned animations, detracting from the overall experience.
- “After beating a level, everything seemingly freezes unless you remember that you're supposed to press space to skip a text scene (it's not written).”
- “There are visual glitches everywhere: you see the monster twice as it moves, and the slime trail of a snail is perpendicular to its movement rather than following it.”