Oxygen Not Included – A Hilarious Deep Dive into Space Colony Management and the Absurdity of Survival!

Oxygen Not Included – A Hilarious Deep Dive into Space Colony Management and the Absurdity of Survival!

Hold onto your space helmets, folks, because we’re about to embark on a journey unlike any other: managing a self-sustaining colony in an asteroid, hundreds of meters below the surface. Forget building quaint little houses with picket fences; in Oxygen Not Included (ONI), you’ll be tackling complex challenges like maintaining breathable air, controlling temperature swings that could turn your Duplicants (adorable space colonists) into popsicles or puddles of goo, and fending off germ-ridden slime beasts hungry for a Duplicant snack.

Developed by Klei Entertainment, the studio behind gems like Don’t Starve and Mark of the Ninja, ONI is a masterclass in strategic resource management disguised as an endearingly quirky colony sim. The game throws you into a procedurally generated asteroid teeming with unique biomes, each harboring its own resources and dangers. Your initial task is simple: keep your tiny band of Duplicants alive.

But “alive” is a relative term in ONI’s unforgiving world. Your Duplicants have individual traits, skills, and even quirks that affect their performance. Some are natural miners who can carve through rock like butter, while others might be prone to bouts of existential angst, slowing them down on crucial tasks. Managing their needs, from sleep and food to entertainment and stress levels, is crucial for a thriving colony.

Let’s delve deeper into the intricacies that make ONI so addictive:

Resource Management – A Balancing Act for Survival

At its core, ONI is a complex web of interconnected systems requiring constant monitoring and tweaking.

  • Oxygen: The most obvious necessity, oxygen production relies on electrolyzers that split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
  • Food: Your Duplicants need sustenance! Farms produce various crops depending on the biome you’re in.

Table: Resources & their Production Methods

Resource Production Method Notes
Oxygen Electrolyzer (splits Water) Requires Power
Food Farms (various crops depending on biome) Need fertilized soil and irrigation
Water Aquifers, Wells Can be purified for drinking
Power Generators (coal, natural gas, Algae) Efficiency varies by fuel type

But it’s not just about harvesting resources. ONI emphasizes optimization and efficiency:

  • Piping Systems: A crucial element. Transport water, oxygen, and even pollutants through intricate networks of pipes. Leaks can be disastrous!
  • Temperature Regulation: Maintaining a comfortable temperature for your Duplicants is vital. Utilize heaters, coolers, and insulation to create the perfect living environment.
  • Waste Management: Your colony generates waste. Compost it, incinerate it, or even use it as fertilizer. Neglecting this aspect will lead to polluted air and unhappy Duplicants.

Exploring and Expanding – Uncovering the Mysteries of the Asteroid

ONI encourages exploration beyond your initial base. Discover new biomes with unique resources and challenges:

  • The Tepid Biome: A pleasant environment suitable for early-game farming.
  • The Cold Biome: Icy and unforgiving, requiring special insulation and heating solutions.
  • The Magma Biome: Hotter than the surface of Venus! Utilize heat-resistant materials and clever ventilation to survive this volcanic inferno.

Each biome presents opportunities for research and technological advancement:

  • Research Stations: Unlocking new blueprints for buildings, equipment, and even genetically engineered Duplicants with unique abilities.
  • Rocketry: Launch rockets to explore nearby asteroids for rare resources or send your excess goods into space for profit (and bragging rights!).

Humor & Quirks – The Heart of ONI’s Charm

ONI doesn’t take itself too seriously. From the adorable animations of your Duplicants stumbling around their tasks to the hilarious in-game messages, there’s a constant undercurrent of humor that makes the game incredibly enjoyable:

  • Duplicant Traits:

“Clumsy”: Prone to dropping tools and bumping into things.

“Gluttonous”: Eats twice as much food as other Duplicants (and complains constantly when hungry).

  • Unexpected Events: Sudden meteor showers, rogue slime beasts bursting through walls – ONI keeps you on your toes with unexpected twists and turns that force you to adapt and improvise.

A Sandbox for Endless Creativity

While ONI presents a set of challenges, its true beauty lies in the freedom it gives players:

  • Modding Community: A vibrant community creates mods that add new content, gameplay mechanics, and even entirely new biomes.
  • Sandbox Mode: Experiment with different colony layouts, test out crazy inventions, or simply watch your Duplicants bumble around in a self-sufficient paradise.

Oxygen Not Included is not just a game; it’s a laboratory for creativity, a testament to the joys of problem-solving, and an endlessly entertaining exploration into the absurd reality of building a thriving civilization in the vacuum of space.