The Oil Blue

About

The Oil Blue is a single player arcade management game. It was developed by Vertigo Gaming Inc. and was released on August 6, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

It is the future, and the world is in grave need of oil. You and a crew have set off into the ocean, reclaiming old island drilling sites for oil production as you work for the UOO, the biggest oil supplier in the world. The working conditions are dire. You have no choice.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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76%

Audience ScoreBased on 143 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Engaging and challenging multitasking gameplay that requires time management and strategic operation of multiple oil drilling machines.
Strong atmospheric presentation with calming, industrial sound effects and minimalist art style that evokes a lonely, haunting oil drilling environment.
Good progression system with machine upgrades, character ranking, and shifting oil market prices to add economic strategy and depth.

Outdated graphics with low resolution, lack of modern widescreen support, and scaling issues on high-resolution monitors.
Repetitive and sometimes frustrating minigames for machine repairs that rely on luck and feel tedious over long play sessions.
Steep difficulty curve with limited tutorial support, making it overwhelming for new players; plus UI quirks like lack of quick sell options and inefficient controls.

gameplay
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
63%
7%
The gameplay in "The Oil Blue" centers on managing multiple oil drilling machines under time pressure, balancing mechanical complexity with economic tension in a distinctive, micromanagement-focused experience. While some find it repetitive, slow, or lacking clear tutorials, many appreciate the engaging, original mechanics, atmospheric presentation, and challenging pacing that evolve throughout the game. However, certain design choices and interface quirks can feel clunky or frustrating, impacting overall flow for some players.
- “At its core, The Oil Blue is about running multiple drilling machines at once across limited windows of time, each with its own mechanics, limitations, and risks.”
- “What makes the gameplay compelling is how it balances mechanical complexity with economic tension.”
- “Mastering each machine, meeting your deadlines, and balancing your profits, repairs, and oil reserves are core gameplay features that don't grow stale and continue to evolve until the very end of the game.”
- “The tutorial leaves much to be desired, introducing mechanics quickly and expecting players to learn through experimentation rather than clear guidance.”
- “Nice game but the repairing mechanics are just stupid.”
- “The gameplay type is exactly what I expected (and what is marketed), but it is bland and clunky, even for a micromanagement/tycoon game.”
graphics
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
76%
10%
The game's graphics are minimalistic and subdued, featuring expressive, moody artwork with a slightly stylized, low-resolution, and sometimes pixelated look that fits its atmospheric, nighttime setting. While some find the visuals charming and effective for the game's calm, introspective mood, others note the limitations due to its age, such as limited resolution options and occasional scaling issues on modern monitors. Overall, the graphics serve the mood well but could benefit from an update to enhance clarity and detail.
- “Each brushstroke feels intentional, creating movement that makes the artwork come alive.”
- “Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates expressive, atmospheric artwork that speaks without words.”
- “Graphically, the game goes for a realistic yet slightly stylized look that, despite its age, still looks pretty good.”
- “While the game still runs smoothly on most setups, its age occasionally shows — screen resolution options are limited, and certain graphical scaling issues persist on high-resolution monitors.”
- “Graphics are basic, and while the control panels set the mood, there's just nothing that stands out as special.”
- “I find it extra sad because a lot of the art is great and there's not much in the way of intense graphics or motion, but fullscreen on my 1920x1080 monitor makes everything pixelate.”
music
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
70%
11%
The music in the game is widely praised for its moody, ambient electronic soundtrack that enhances the feeling of isolation and calm amid hectic gameplay. Many reviewers find it relaxing, atmospheric, and reminiscent of a futuristic, solitary world, with some highlighting its similarity to the vibe of Disney-Pixar's Wall-E. While generally well-liked, a few note occasional audio issues and repetitive track loops, but overall the soundtrack is considered a strong, immersive element of the experience.
- “The subdued visuals are complemented by a moody electronic soundtrack that mixes ambient synths with mechanical drones, reinforcing the feeling of isolation and detachment that pervades the experience.”
- “The music is the high point in the game for me; the music and atmosphere really remind me of Disney-Pixar's WALL-E, where WALL-E is in an abandoned Earth collecting all the trash and storing them into boxes.”
- “A multi-tasking management sim with very calming therapeutic music juxtaposed to the frantic operation of your oil drilling machinery.”
- “Music should have an audio slider.”
- “Secondly, I’ve had a couple of occasions where the music and sound effects wouldn’t work properly.”
- “The tracks play a little too often though, so you may end up playing your own music instead at some point.”
atmosphere
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
58%
13%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its minimal, melancholic, and introspective tone, creating a uniquely immersive and relaxing experience that contrasts with its demanding gameplay. Its expressive artwork, electronic soundtrack, and subtle design evoke a futuristic yet nostalgic mood, making the atmosphere a standout feature that deeply enhances the player's engagement and emotional connection.
- “But beneath that premise lies a slow-burning and surprisingly immersive experience that turns the grind of resource extraction into a strangely atmospheric ritual of maintenance, timing, and efficiency.”
- “It’s an unusual atmosphere for a management game — melancholic, introspective, and oddly beautiful.”
- “I can't say enough about how well crafted the atmosphere of this game is, as experiencing it is the truest way to appreciate it.”
- “Graphics are rather minimal (a crappy little drawing of an island surrounded by water, and the rest is nothing but the user interfaces for the various machines), but it works, and it helps to give a sense of atmosphere.”
- “Cook, Serve, Delicious has a very light atmosphere – Oil Blue does not.”
- “It had a strange tense but relaxing at the same time atmosphere.”
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
66%
17%
The story serves primarily as a subtle backdrop, emphasizing humanity's ongoing dependence on oil amid decaying infrastructure, while gameplay focuses on managing oil drilling operations and monetary goals. Though considered thin or minimal by some, the setting and thematic elements provide an authentic and engaging atmosphere that complements the micromanagement challenges. Overall, the narrative enhances the game's experience without taking center stage.
- “There’s no direct narrative, but the setting tells its own story through implication: humanity’s dependence on oil persists, even as the infrastructure around it crumbles.”
- “The environment of the oil blue, from the sound to the art to the story, is a very welcome experience that is honestly what attracted me to the game in the first place.”
- “A mix of difficulty levels that requires you to master multiple modes of problem-solving, and a story that serves the game well enough to hold it together.”
- “I can't understand how you are supposed to read the color texts (which are not related to gameplay but to the story).”
- “The game's story is paper-thin and you can't spend your money on anything.”
- “A mission can sometimes be about not making oil but making money in a specific time, which means you have to gain more money... whaaaatever.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
45%
33%
The game runs smoothly for the most part but suffers from limited resolution options and graphical scaling issues on modern high-resolution monitors due to the loss of its original source code, preventing further optimization. Players note slow animations, occasional stuttering, and a lack of modern display settings, leading to a subpar visual experience despite overall adequate performance.
- “While the game still runs smoothly on most setups, its age occasionally shows — screen resolution options are limited, and certain graphical scaling issues persist on high-resolution monitors.”
- “For people who enjoy hardcore clicker games: 4/10: will gladly drill, baby, drill, but a point had to be deducted for the resolution not being optimized for modern monitors.”
- “Vertigo Gaming reissued it with minor updates and bug fixes, but due to the loss of the original source code, it cannot be further updated or optimized for newer systems.”
- “Is there anything worse than a developer who sells old games on Steam that aren't optimized for modern computers and/or modern monitor resolutions?”
- “Really slow animations, stuttering, no resolution options besides "window", "full", and "stretch", all of which look like trash.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game is generally stable but has some minor bugs and glitches, including exploitable ones that may affect gameplay balance. Users appreciate the developer's thorough work and support, though future Windows updates could impact stability.
- “I would rate this app as slightly buggy and potentially unstable in the future if Windows makes any significant changes.”
- “There's also bizarre and very abusable glitches, like I managed to set all my battery cells in one of the drills to be above 700 each day, while they're clearly intended to be capped at 100.”
- “I didn't know what to expect, and one of the reasons I purchased it was the obvious amount of meticulous work that went into the re-release of this game on Steam and the troubleshooting guide that you'll find on this game's Steam page.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers strong replayability through the variety of machines available each stage, which can change with every playthrough, providing fresh experiences beyond simply improving scores. Users consistently praise its excellent replay value.
- “The machines you get per stage can also change with each play, adding good replay value beyond just trying to beat a score.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is praised as funny and surprisingly engaging, adding to its appeal despite technical issues like frequent crashes.
- “At first, I only bought the game to make a funny review, but this game is good and deserves some real insight.”
- “Funny and surprisingly engaging game - though riddled with frequent crashes, particularly when doing repairs (when one has to switch valves on and off).”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is considered tedious, compounded by the lack of a convenient 'sell all' button for items like oil, which adds to the repetitive and time-consuming experience.
- “It's simply tedious.”
- “Secondly, there is the tedious feature of not having a 'sell all' button for your oil.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is notably impactful, leaving a strong and memorable impression on players.
- “What truly stands out is the emotional impact.”