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

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 93,448 reviews

gameplay2.2k positive mentions

grinding808 negative mentions

The game features engaging and rewarding gameplay with deep mechanics and endless replayability, allowing for creative problem-solving.
The charming cartoonish art style and quirky animations enhance the immersive atmosphere, making the game visually appealing and enjoyable.
Players appreciate the humor and emotional depth of the game, creating a unique blend of lightheartedness and serious survival challenges.

The steep learning curve and lack of clear explanations for many mechanics can make the game frustrating, often requiring external resources for guidance.
Performance issues, particularly in late-game scenarios, lead to significant frame drops and crashes, making the game unplayable for some players.
The game can become tedious and grindy, especially in the mid to late game, leading to a sense of frustration and overwhelming micromanagement.

gameplay
6,800 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 clearly explained, often necessitating external resources like tutorials or wikis for players to fully grasp its complexities. Despite its challenges, the gameplay is highly engaging and rewarding, offering endless replayability and opportunities for creative 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 (sort of), and the last one isn't really obvious until it becomes a critical problem (and it will if unprepared), this is heat... heat is actually so crucial, and failing will teach you that, and this is when the game starts to shine and make you really think.”
- “The gameplay combines survival elements with extreme micro-management, making it one of the most challenging games in its genre.”
- “Possibly the worst part of the game is that there are some mechanics that are needed to have a successful run that aren't really easy to discover in-game; you need to resort to online resources.”
- “The game is too hard (in a bad sense — too many mechanics with no good explanations).”
- “The mechanics are so unique when it comes to gases, weight of the gas, temperatures, germs, waters.”
graphics
4,274 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
50%
1%
The graphics of "Oxygen Not Included" are widely praised for their charming, cartoonish art style that effectively balances whimsy with the game's complex mechanics. Players appreciate the unique visual aesthetics, which are reminiscent of Klei's previous titles like "Don't Starve," and find the animations and character designs endearing. While some users note that the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they contribute significantly to the game's immersive experience and overall enjoyment, making it a standout in the colony simulation genre.
- “Klei entertainment’s Oxygen Not Included is a top-tier colony sim with deep mechanics and charming visuals.”
- “The art style is charmingly cartoonish, making the stress of impending disaster oddly delightful.”
- “The graphics are cute and funny at the same time.”
- “Don't be fooled by the cute graphics; this game is hard.”
- “Don't let the cutesy graphics fool you, this game is not easy!”
- “The graphics are cute, but that's the only thing it has going for it.”
humor
1,386 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Oxygen Not Included" is a standout feature, blending quirky animations, clever character interactions, and dark comedic elements that keep players engaged even during challenging gameplay. Players often find themselves laughing at the absurd situations their duplicants get into, from stress-induced mishaps to catastrophic failures, making the game both entertaining and rewarding. The charming art style and Klei's signature humor enhance the overall experience, ensuring that even the most stressful moments are lightened by laughter.
- “Your duplicants are hilariously flawed, and their shenanigans—like compulsively pranking each other mid-crisis—make you laugh when you should be panicking.”
- “The charming art style and clever duplicant personalities bring humor and life to even the most dire situations.”
- “The graphics are cute and funny at the same time.”
- “The humor in the game is inconsistent; it tries to be funny but often falls flat, especially when characters die in absurd ways like drowning, starvation, and animal attacks all at once.”
replayability
1,250 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
41%
1%
The game "Oxygen Not Included" is widely praised for its exceptional replayability, with many players noting that each playthrough offers unique challenges due to randomly generated worlds and various starting conditions. Users highlight the game's depth, complexity, and the ability to experiment with different strategies, making it engaging for hundreds of hours. Continuous updates and a supportive modding community further enhance its replay value, ensuring that players can always find new ways to enjoy the game.
- “With endless replayability, each world offers unique challenges that keep things exciting.”
- “The complexity and replayability are unmatched.”
- “The replayability of this game is incredible.”
- “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?”
- “Wasted a lot of hours on this, would love to play more but once you've solved all the engineering problems a few times the replayability is exhausted.”
story
1,010 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
75%
11%
The game's story is often described as minimal or non-existent, with many players noting that it lacks a traditional narrative structure. While some appreciate the emergent storytelling that arises from gameplay and character interactions, others express a desire for a more defined storyline or quest system to enhance engagement. Overall, the focus remains on survival and resource management rather than a compelling narrative, making it less suitable for those seeking a story-driven experience.
- “Plus, it has some really cute graphics and a great story.”
- “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 story, yes, there's a story besides the one you make yourself with the wide variety of choices you make and how you progress around your asteroid, a common story that gives us the background of why the scenario we play in each save exists.”
- “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
906 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
10%
89%
The grinding aspect of "Oxygen Not Included" is frequently described as tedious and complex, with players noting that the game requires extensive micromanagement of resources, including farming, plumbing, and oxygen management. While some find the depth and challenge engaging, many reviews highlight that the gameplay can become repetitive and overwhelming, especially in the mid to late game, leading to a sense of frustration and the need for significant time investment to progress. Overall, the game is characterized as both grindy and rewarding, appealing primarily to those who enjoy intricate management systems.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “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 tedious progression and poor design around strategy resource management makes this game really dull, and also your run could be bricked and you'll have no idea and sink 20 hours into a dead run.”
- “The game starts out fun and charming but it gets way too tedious and throws problem after problem at you with no simple solutions.”
optimization
678 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 potential for optimization, 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.”
- “Before you know it, you're designing the most optimized and aesthetically pleasing air and water systems imaginable.”
- “Whether you’re building a meticulously optimized base or embracing chaos, there’s always a new challenge to tackle or a creative solution to discover.”
- “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 is unplayable past the mid-game because of how poorly optimized it is.”
- “The performance drops considerably in the late game.”
music
638 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 the music can become repetitive over extended play sessions. Overall, the combination of charming sound effects and a fitting soundtrack enhances the game's whimsical art style and gameplay experience.
- “The soundtrack is one of my favorites and creates a great atmosphere.”
- “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.”
- “However, some players might find themselves craving a bit more variety in the music selection.”
- “But it really suffers from a poor interface, repetitive music, sound cues that don't tell you anything, and other problems that just stop the game from being as fun as it could be.”
- “The music is the game's weakest point at the moment.”
stability
358 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many players reporting frequent bugs and crashes, particularly in late-game scenarios. While some users find the glitches entertaining and manageable, others express frustration over game-breaking issues that require constant restarts. Despite these challenges, the developers are noted for their regular updates and improvements, which help mitigate some stability concerns over time.
- “The game looks beautiful, and has run completely bug free over the entire time I've played.”
- “The game is virtually bug free.”
- “It has a lot of potential and is as bug free as an early access game can get.”
- “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
346 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
52%
1%
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 to the simulation, though some find the micromanagement aspects overwhelming. Overall, the game successfully combines a lighthearted aesthetic with serious survival mechanics, creating a unique and engaging environment that keeps players invested.
- “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.”
- “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 like in RTS or even user-made blueprints (or any at all, really) like in automation games.”
- “The attempt to create an industrial atmosphere ends up as a cheap and flimsy rattling and clanging; a droning, tense, migraine-inducing racket.”
- “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
142 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The emotional aspect of the game is a significant highlight, with players experiencing a roller coaster of feelings ranging from joy and attachment to heartbreak and frustration. Many reviews emphasize the game's ability to evoke deep emotional connections with the characters, particularly the duplicants, leading to feelings of loss when they perish or fail. Overall, the game is described as both heartwarming and gut-wrenching, providing a unique blend of wholesome gameplay and emotional challenges that resonate with players long after they finish.
- “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.”
- “So elegantly driven and emotional that you cry.”
monetization
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
33%
62%
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players appreciating the absence of microtransactions and in-game purchases, which is increasingly rare in modern gaming. However, concerns have been raised about recent updates that introduce potentially exploitative content, leading some to question the developers' direction, especially following their acquisition by Tencent. Overall, while the game is praised for its complete experience without additional costs, there are fears that future monetization practices may shift negatively.
- “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 ('Song of the Moo') advertising 'dairy milk' and even the depiction and making it sound like there's nothing wrong with exploitation of a sentient being to the point that it causes immense suffering to it. It's inconceivable how the people responsible for the company behind this game will stand behind such an industry and add content that suggests similar practices to be 'okay' to have in a game.”
- “Basically they used loyal early-access hardcore gamers as guinea pigs during their development, only to change the target group to mass market to maximize monetization right for the release.”
character development
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
50%
9%
Character development in the game is primarily reflected through charming and unique character designs, which enhance the overall atmosphere and engagement. While players appreciate the endearing animations and detailed artwork, the depth of character development is somewhat limited, mainly manifesting through the triggering of negative traits. Overall, the combination of appealing visuals and a well-balanced gameplay experience contributes to a captivating environment, though the character growth aspect may not be as pronounced.
- “The animations are charming, and the character designs for the duplicants are unique and endearing.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “The most character development you get from them is when one of their negative traits trigger.”
- “Engineering problem solving in a builder setting, and in some character development & research aspects.”
- “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.”

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130h Median play time

337h Average play time

90h Main story

441h Completionist

20-500h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 796 analyzed playthroughs

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