Oxygen Not Included

Diving Deep into the Asteroid: What is Oxygen Not Included?

At its core, Oxygen Not Included is a colony management and survival simulation developed by Klei Entertainment, the masterminds behind Don’t Starve. But calling it just a “colony sim” feels like calling a rocket a mere “flying device.” ONI is a deep dive into subterranean survival, where you guide a group of cloned beings, affectionately known as Duplicants or “Dupes,” as they attempt to carve out an existence within the harsh confines of an asteroid. Your mission? Don’t die. More specifically, ensure a steady supply of oxygen, food, water, and power, while simultaneously managing waste, heat, and the ever-present threat of your Dupes having a catastrophic meltdown.

The game’s genius lies in its incredibly detailed, yet intuitive, physics simulation. Gases rise and fall based on density. Liquids flow, mix, and evaporate. Heat radiates and conducts. Every action you take, from digging a tunnel to building a power generator, has ripple effects across your entire colony. It’s a constant puzzle, a beautiful thermodynamic ballet where success hinges on understanding and manipulating the environment rather than simply clicking buttons. You’re not just building a base; you’re building an ecosystem, trying desperately to keep it balanced and thriving against all odds.

The Heartbeat of the Colony: Duplicants, Resources, and Systems

The lifeblood of your operation, and often the source of your greatest headaches, are your Duplicants. Each Dupe arrives with unique traits, skills, and even quirky quirks. One might be a brilliant digger but terrible at research, another might require extra food but provides a morale boost. Managing their stress levels, ensuring they have adequate decor, sleep, and a toilet that isn’t overflowing is as crucial as managing your oxygen supply. A stressed Dupe can vomit, destroy equipment, or simply refuse to work, leading to a cascade of problems.

A World of Interconnected Systems

ONI is a masterclass in interconnected systems. Oxygen isn’t just produced; it’s circulated. Water isn’t just consumed; it’s often purified, polluted, and then re-purified. Food isn’t just grown; it requires specific temperatures, water inputs, and then needs to be cooked and stored correctly. The game forces you to think holistically. For instance, early game oxygen production might rely on Algae Terrariums, which consume algae and water while producing oxygen and carbon dioxide. But they also produce heat. As your base expands, that heat becomes a problem, requiring cooling loops, which in turn require power, which might generate more heat, and so on. It’s a delightful, challenging spiral of engineering and problem-solving. This isn’t just about survival; it’s about building sustainable, self-sufficient cycles.

Automation and the Power Grid

As your colony grows, manual labor becomes insufficient. This is where the magic of automation truly shines. Smart sensors, memory toggles, and logic gates allow you to create sophisticated systems: automatically shutting off pumps when a tank is full, routing power only when needed, or even optimizing farm output based on temperature. The power grid itself is a mini-game, balancing generation (coal, natural gas, hydrogen, solar, nuclear) with consumption and distribution, all while managing heat output and potential overloads. It’s immensely satisfying to watch a complex, automated system you designed humming along perfectly, keeping your Dupes happy and your colony growing.

The Vibe: Whimsical Desperation in a Cold, Dark Rock

While the mechanics are often unforgiving and the stakes are high, Oxygen Not Included boasts a surprisingly charming and whimsical art style. The Dupes are adorably pudgy, the animations are fluid, and the visual feedback for gas and liquid flow is clear and engaging. This bright, almost cartoonish aesthetic provides a stark, yet effective, contrast to the grim reality of trying to survive in a sealed-off asteroid. There isn’t a grand, overarching narrative in the traditional sense. Instead, the “story” emerges from the countless little dramas playing out in your colony: the sudden eruption of a geyser, the frantic scramble to contain a poisonous gas leak, or the triumphant moment when your first rocket blasts off into space (if you have the Spaced Out! DLC). It’s a story of ingenuity, perseverance, and often, spectacular failure.

There’s a subtle undertone of scientific discovery and exploration as well. You’re constantly uncovering new biomes, understanding alien flora and fauna, and researching bizarre technologies. The world itself feels alive, with different gas pockets, resource deposits, and thermal features waiting to be exploited or tamed. It’s a game that encourages experimentation and rewards curiosity, even if that curiosity sometimes leads to your Dupes drowning in polluted water.

Who Should Dive into Oxygen Not Included?

If you’ve read this far and thought, “That sounds like my kind of torture!” then ONI might just be your next obsession. This game is absolutely perfect for:

• **Fans of Deep Simulation Games:** If you love the complexity of Factorio, the emergent storytelling of RimWorld, or the meticulous planning of City-building games, ONI offers a similar, yet distinct, intellectual challenge.
• **Problem Solvers and Optimizers:** The game is a constant series of interlocking puzzles. If you enjoy identifying bottlenecks, designing elegant solutions, and refining processes for maximum efficiency, you’ll find endless satisfaction here.
• **Physics Enthusiasts:** The game’s robust simulation of gas, liquid, and heat flow is a major draw. Understanding these mechanics is key to success, making it incredibly appealing to those who enjoy a bit of virtual engineering.
• **Players Who Don’t Mind a Steep Learning Curve:** ONI does not hold your hand. Expect to fail, often spectacularly, and learn from your mistakes. It’s a game where every playthrough teaches you something new, pushing you to refine your strategies.

However, if you’re looking for a casual game to unwind with, or prefer games with a clear narrative path and minimal micromanagement, ONI might prove overwhelming. It demands patience, analytical thinking, and a willingness to embrace complex systems. But for those who fit the bill, it’s a truly unforgettable experience, easily one of the best PC Games in its genre.

Essential Tips for Surviving and Thriving

Starting out in Oxygen Not Included can feel like being dropped into the deep end of a very cold, dark pool. Here are a few tips to help you keep your Dupes alive and your colony growing:

Early Game Focus: The Absolute Basics

• **Oxygen is Priority #1:** Start with Algae Diffusers or Terrariums. Explore for more algae, it’s your most precious early resource.
• **Water and Food:** Get a clean water source established (usually a starting biome pool). Dig for dirt to plant Mealwood, your easiest early food source. Cook it on a Microbe Musher for better morale.
• **Basic Infrastructure:** Build Outhouses (and empty them!), cots for sleeping, and a Mess Hall for morale. Don’t forget an Oxygen Mask dock for exploration into harsh environments.
• **Don’t Over-expand:** Keep your initial base compact to manage temperature and oxygen efficiently. Digging too fast exposes you to new hazards without the tech to deal with them.

Mid to Late Game: Mastering the Elements

• **Heat Management is Key:** As you build more machines, heat will become your biggest enemy. Start thinking about cooling loops (thermo aquatuners, radiant pipes, anti-entropy thermal nullifiers) early.
• **Sustainable Cycles:** Aim for closed-loop systems. For example, use Electrolyzers to turn water into oxygen and hydrogen, then burn the hydrogen for power. Use a Water Sieve to clean polluted water, then send it back into your system.
• **Power Grid Planning:** Map out your power grid. Use Smart Batteries to only generate power when needed, saving precious resources. Don’t daisy-chain too many devices on a single power line without upgrading to heavy-watt wire.
• **Prioritize Research:** New technologies unlock crucial tools for survival and efficiency. Don’t neglect your research.

Automation and Optimization

Once you’re stable, start thinking about automation. Use ATMO Sensors to control pumps based on gas pressure, LIQUID Sensors for liquid levels, and TEMPERATURE Sensors for environmental control. Connect these to smart batteries and pumps using automation wires to create truly efficient and hands-off systems. Remember, every time you restart a colony (and you will!), you’ll learn something new that makes your next attempt even better. This iterative learning process is a huge part of the fun. For more detailed guides, check out resources on PC Game Library sites.

Performance and Replayability: Endless Asteroid Adventures

Oxygen Not Included generally runs quite well, especially in the early to mid-game. However, as your colony expands into a sprawling, multi-biome mega-base with hundreds of meters of pipes and wires, and dozens of Duplicants, the game can become quite CPU-intensive. The constant, real-time calculation of gas, liquid, and heat physics across a vast map does take a toll. Klei has done an excellent job optimizing it over the years, but expect some slowdowns in very late-game, complex colonies, especially if you’re running on older hardware. It’s definitely something to be aware of if you plan to build truly colossal bases.

Where ONI truly excels is its replay value. It’s astronomical. Every new game offers a randomly generated asteroid with different biomes, geysers, and starting conditions, ensuring no two playthroughs are exactly alike. The random Duplicant traits also force you to adapt your strategies. Add to this the deep tech tree, the numerous ways to approach any given problem (e.g., dozens of ways to produce oxygen or cool your base), and the recent “Spaced Out!” DLC which adds multiple asteroids, rockets, and new challenges, and you have a game that can easily absorb hundreds, if not thousands, of hours. Each failure is a learning opportunity, and the desire to build the “perfect” colony keeps you coming back for more. It’s a testament to its design that even after countless hours, there’s always something new to discover or optimize, making it a perennial favorite among PGFILES.COM enthusiasts.

Oxygen Not Included isn’t just a game; it’s a meticulously crafted digital sandbox that rewards critical thinking, experimentation, and a healthy dose of persistence. It will challenge you, frustrate you, and occasionally drive you to the brink, but the feeling of successfully managing a thriving, self-sufficient colony against all odds is an unparalleled gaming experience.

So, if you’re ready to roll up your virtual sleeves and embrace the delightful chaos of thermodynamic survival, fire up Oxygen Not Included. Just be warned: once you start, you might find yourself losing entire weekends to the intricate dance of gases, liquids, and the ever-demanding needs of your adorable, yet perpetually vulnerable, Duplicants.