Oxygen Not Included

About

"Oxygen Not Included" is a space colony simulation game where players manage a crew of duplicants, building and maintaining a sustainable underground base. Resources are limited and must be managed carefully, including oxygen, water, and power. The game features complex systems and challenges, requiring players to balance the needs of their duplicants with the constraints of their environment.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 46,724 reviews

gameplay1.1k positive mentions

grinding404 negative mentions

The gameplay is highly engaging and rewarding, offering endless possibilities for creativity and problem-solving.
The charming art style and whimsical animations enhance the immersive atmosphere, making the game visually appealing.
The game features exceptional replayability, with unique challenges in each playthrough due to randomly generated worlds.

The steep learning curve and complex mechanics can be overwhelming, requiring players to seek external guidance.
Performance issues, particularly in late-game scenarios, lead to significant frame drops and lag, detracting from the overall experience.
The game lacks a strong narrative focus, with minimal story elements that may disappoint players seeking a rich narrative experience.

gameplay
3,400 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
65%
2%
The gameplay of "Oxygen Not Included" is characterized by its intricate mechanics and deep resource management systems, requiring players to balance oxygen, food, heat, and other survival elements while managing a colony of duplicants. The game features a steep learning curve, with many mechanics not immediately explained, leading players to rely on external resources for guidance. Despite its complexity, the gameplay is highly engaging and rewarding, offering endless possibilities for creativity and problem-solving, making it a standout title in the colony simulation genre.
- “The learning curve at the beginning is gentle and sweet to get you into the groove of how the game operates mechanically.”
- “You have several main mechanics to handle: oxygen, food, morale, germs, and heat. This is when the game starts to shine and make you really think.”
- “The gameplay is incredibly satisfying, combining base-building with intricate resource management.”
- “The gameplay is incredibly deep and complex.”
- “The mechanics are so unique when it comes to gases, weight of the gas, temperatures, germs, waters.”
- “The learning curve is steep, but the satisfaction of mastering the mechanics and creating a thriving colony is incredibly rewarding.”
graphics
2,137 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
50%
1%
The graphics of "Oxygen Not Included" are widely praised for their charming, cartoonish art style that effectively contrasts with the game's complex mechanics. Players appreciate the whimsical animations and vibrant visuals, which enhance the overall experience while maintaining a lighthearted tone despite the game's challenging nature. While some users express a desire for more advanced graphics options, the unique aesthetic and attention to detail in character design and environments are consistently highlighted as standout features.
- “Klei Entertainment’s Oxygen Not Included is a top-tier colony sim with deep mechanics and charming visuals.”
- “The charming art style, combined with the well-thought-out animations and sound effects, brings the world of duplicants to life, making it easy to get lost in the game’s immersive atmosphere.”
- “The graphics are cute and funny at the same time.”
- “Don't let the cute graphics fool you; this game will challenge your strategic thinking at every turn.”
- “The graphics are cute, but don't let them mislead you; this game is incredibly complex and requires a lot of planning.”
- “The art style is charming and whimsical, but it can be misleading; the gameplay is much more challenging than it appears.”
humor
693 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Oxygen Not Included" is a standout feature, characterized by its quirky animations, clever character interactions, and a blend of lighthearted and dark comedic elements. Players often find themselves laughing at the absurd situations their duplicants get into, such as stress-induced mishaps and chaotic failures, which add a delightful layer to the challenging gameplay. The charming art style and witty writing further enhance the game's appeal, making it both entertaining and engaging.
- “Your duplicants are hilariously flawed, and their shenanigans—like compulsively pranking each other mid-crisis—make you laugh when you should be panicking.”
- “The quirky characters, clever animations, and funny interactions—like panic when they run out of air—add humor to the strategic gameplay, making it both entertaining and deeply rewarding.”
- “The humor is a delightful touch, making even the most stressful moments enjoyable.”
- “The humor in the game feels forced and often falls flat, making moments that should be funny feel awkward instead.”
- “While the game attempts to be humorous, most jokes miss the mark and come off as cringeworthy rather than entertaining.”
- “The comedic elements are repetitive and lack originality, leading to a sense of fatigue rather than laughter.”
replayability
625 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
41%
1%
The game "Oxygen Not Included" is widely praised for its exceptional replayability, with players noting that each playthrough offers unique challenges due to randomly generated worlds and various starting conditions. Many reviews highlight the game's depth, complexity, and the ability to experiment with different strategies, making it engaging for hundreds of hours. While some players mention a diminishing replay value after extensive play, the overall consensus is that the game remains highly replayable, especially with ongoing updates and a supportive modding community.
- “With endless replayability, each world offers unique challenges that keep things exciting.”
- “The replayability of this game is incredible.”
- “Its complex mechanics, charming presentation, and endless replayability make it one of the best games in its genre.”
- “It is not worth its full price due to utter absence of any replay value.”
- “After a few times trying and trying again I realized the replay value was poor... why would I restart playing?”
- “The replayability diminishes as players feel they have explored everything the game has to offer.”
story
505 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
75%
11%
The game's story is often described as minimal or secondary, with many players noting that it lacks a strong narrative focus. While some elements of lore and backstory can be discovered through exploration, the gameplay primarily revolves around survival and resource management rather than a structured storyline. Overall, players seeking a rich narrative experience may find the game lacking, as it emphasizes emergent storytelling and player-driven narratives instead.
- “With a deep and complex gameplay loop, an engaging story, and charming pixel art graphics, Oxygen Not Included is a game that will keep you entertained for hours on end.”
- “The visuals are beautiful, the environments are fantastic, and the story is presented in a glorious way that keeps me invested.”
- “The story unfolds very slowly as you play and is not a strong presence in the game.”
- “The story/lore is very dull; a bunch of pointless emails and diary entries to read.”
- “The other issue I have with Oxygen Not Included is its story, or rather how flimsy it feels and how little there is of it.”
grinding
453 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
10%
89%
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and overly complex, with many players feeling that it requires excessive micromanagement and planning. While some enjoy the depth and challenge of managing resources like farming, oxygen, and power, others find the experience frustrating and repetitive, particularly in the late game where tasks can feel like a chore. Overall, the game offers a mix of fun and grind, appealing to those who appreciate intricate systems but potentially overwhelming for players seeking a more straightforward experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A lot of grinding.”
- “Not grindy enough.”
- “It will get more and more tedious the farther you get until you start cheating, planning (which kills the immersion) or just give up.”
- “The game starts out fun and charming but it gets way too tedious and throws problem after problem at you with no simple solutions.”
- “Playing this game has been a frustrating and tedious experience.”
optimization
339 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
67%
13%
The optimization of "Oxygen Not Included" has received mixed feedback from players. While many appreciate the game's intricate systems and the satisfaction derived from optimizing their colonies, performance issues, particularly in late-game scenarios, are a common complaint, with significant frame drops and lag reported as colonies grow larger. Despite ongoing updates aimed at improving performance, players still express a desire for further optimizations to enhance the overall experience, especially for those with less powerful hardware.
- “Oxygen Not Included is perfect for anyone who loves automation and optimization.”
- “There's always room for improvement and better optimization.”
- “The game has great performance on lower-end systems and is pretty addictive.”
- “The optimization is a bit iffy; my FPS drops to the low 50s sometimes in a decent base while still using less than 40% of my CPU or GPU.”
- “Unfortunately, the game was released in a pretty buggy state where the release update was mostly content and balance tweaking, where bug fixes and performance improvements were desperately needed.”
- “The game desperately needs optimization.”
music
319 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
46%
1%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to create an engaging and immersive atmosphere, with many players noting its relaxing and soothing qualities that complement the gameplay. While the soundtrack is generally well-received, some users express a desire for more variety, as it can become repetitive over extended play sessions. Overall, the combination of charming sound design and a fitting soundtrack enhances the game's whimsical art style and gameplay experience.
- “The sound design complements the visuals perfectly, with ambient sounds that bring the asteroid to life and a soundtrack that evolves with your colony’s progress.”
- “The game's soundtrack, composed by Vince De Vera, complements the gameplay perfectly, with soothing tunes to alleviate the stress of colony management.”
- “The audio design is equally impressive, with a soothing yet engaging soundtrack that adapts to your colony's state.”
- “However, some players might find themselves craving a bit more variety in the music selection.”
- “The music isn't exactly anything to write home about, but it fits and compliments the game's wacky survival/space theme quite nicely.”
- “Don't expect any halo-like theme music; the current music fits the game, but it's just so you don't play in complete silence. I'd rate it maybe 3/10 as it gets very repetitive after a while.”
stability
179 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting frequent bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, particularly in late-game scenarios. While some users find the issues entertaining or manageable, others experience significant frustration due to crashes and performance problems. Despite these challenges, the developers are actively working on updates, which has led to improvements over time, making the game enjoyable for many, albeit with a persistent level of instability.
- “Runs great on default graphics settings.”
- “The game looks beautiful, and has run completely bug free over the entire time I've played.”
- “The game is virtually bug free.”
- “First off, there are lots of glitches making the game feel unstable.”
- “Game sucks, it's a buggy mess. I literally can't play without encountering bugs and crashes; too bad Klei doesn't bother fixing them.”
- “The game is a bit of a buggy mess that tends to crash now and then, and occasionally a bug pops up that prevents you from playing anymore. But when it is working, it's really fun.”
atmosphere
173 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
51%
2%
The atmosphere in the game is described as immersive and charming, enhanced by a quirky art style and a soothing soundtrack that complements the gameplay. Players appreciate the depth of atmospheric management, which adds complexity and strategic challenges, though some find the micromanagement aspects overwhelming. Overall, the game's unique blend of cute visuals and intricate systems creates a captivating environment that keeps players engaged, despite occasional frustrations with its mechanics.
- “The atmosphere is immersive, and the duplicants are endlessly entertaining with their quirky reactions to the environment.”
- “The charming art style, combined with the well-thought-out animations and sound effects, brings the world of duplicants to life, making it easy to get lost in the game’s immersive atmosphere.”
- “The graphics and sound design further enhance the experience, creating a visually stunning and cute atmospheric world.”
- “The attempt to create an industrial atmosphere ends up as a cheap and flimsy rattling and clanging; a droning, tense, migraine-inducing racket.”
- “If the game's cutesy visuals and casual atmosphere promised a more laid-back experience akin to RimWorld or Fallout Shelter, it delivers instead a micro-management nightmare in a genre that doesn't allow for direct control of your workers.”
- “While the game has a charming art style and atmosphere, everything about it feels like the developers were trying to imitate mechanics of games like Factorio or Space Station 13 without actually understanding what makes those click.”
emotional
71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The emotional aspect of the game is a significant highlight, with players expressing a mix of heartwarming joy and gut-wrenching heartbreak as they navigate the challenges of colony management. Many reviewers noted the deep attachment they formed with their characters, often feeling a profound sense of loss when things went awry, while also appreciating the game's wholesome and humorous elements. Overall, the game evokes a roller coaster of emotions, balancing moments of triumph with the pain of inevitable failures.
- “I will never emotionally recover from this.”
- “It's really satisfying to watch your colony grow and thrive, but it's equally heartbreaking to see it fall apart due to poor planning or bad luck.”
- “You get really attached to your dupes...don't get too attached, though...because if they perish, it's heartbreaking.”
- “So elegantly driven and emotional that you cry.”
monetization
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
28%
62%
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the absence of microtransactions and in-game purchases, which they find refreshing in today's gaming landscape. However, concerns have been raised about recent updates introducing potentially exploitative content and the influence of the publisher Tencent, which may lead to future monetization practices that could detract from the game's integrity. Overall, players value the game's complete experience without additional costs, but there is apprehension about the direction of its monetization strategy.
- “There are no in-game purchases to tempt you to spend more money, and you unlock skins as you play the game.”
- “And no microtransactions, thank god!”
- “Though this isn't an inherent part of the game, it's also very refreshing to see a complete game with tons of replayability, reasonably priced, with no essential DLCs or microtransactions.”
- “Another good game turned into a cash grab with DLCs.”
- “I will not recommend this game anymore due to its recent update advertising 'dairy milk' and the depiction of exploitation of sentient beings, which is unconceivable given the industry's failing practices.”
- “Klei has decided to sell their studio to the publisher Tencent, who has already purchased multiple studios in the past and influenced them into the direction of microtransactions and extensive data collection.”
character development
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
41%
18%
Overall, the character development in the game is highlighted by charming and unique character designs that enhance the gameplay experience. While the animations and artwork are praised for their detail and appeal, the depth of character development is somewhat limited, primarily manifesting through the triggering of negative traits. Players appreciate the balance between the game's complexity and its endearing character attributes, contributing to an engaging and visually delightful experience.
- “The animations are charming, and the character designs for the duplicants are unique and endearing.”
- “Artistically, this is a wonderful game for the level of detail that goes into every facet, whether it is character designs, the procedural element of world building, or the tiny little animations that come with any given machine in the world - it's all pretty characteristic of all of Klei's other wondrous works.”
- “Well balanced, with a well-developed tech tree requiring different resources and conditions, and not to mention the endearing character designs and attributes, are some of the highlights of this side-scrolling base management game.”
- “Engineering problem solving in a builder setting, and in some character development & research aspects.”
- “The most character development you get from them is when one of their negative traits trigger.”
- “Well balanced, with a well developed tech tree requiring different resources and conditions, and not to mention the endearing character designs and attributes, are some of the highlights of this side-scrolling base management game.”