Oxygen Not Included Review (Sherlock_B0nes)
Oxygen Not Included (ONI) seems like a cutesy colony-sim on the surface but this presentation is a BIG FAT LIE! Beneath the cartoonish visuals lie a very complex and scientifically demanding system of checks and balances that will challenge players to think smarter and adapt-on-the-fly.
Truly, ONI is a wild ride of mixed emotions. I'd feel incredibly smart and self-satisfied when I'd puzzle out and successfully build a renewable water-treatment system...only to feel like a total moron when I realized I've neglected to build out similar sustainability in my oxygen production or food acquisition systems. Your characters are presented as 'duplicants' (i.e. relatively cheap clones) but that didn't assuage my guilt whenever one might get sick, injured, or die because of my recklessness or a costly workplace accident of my own making. The common expression, "the devil is in the details," seems aptly applied to ONI as it's always the small/seemingly minor stuff adding up over time that sank my various short-lived settlements. Hitting a wall and having to start over wasn't a particularly devastating feeling though as I'd always have learned something new and lasted a little longer with each attempted colony.
Considering my own cost vs. play time assessment, I'd consider Oxygen Not Included to be a fantastic game whether at full-price or on sale (often seen for <$10 USD)! That being said, this is not a game that will be enjoyable for everyone. I'd argue that this game is best suited for folks with an active interest in STEM fields, strong planners/well organized individuals, and folks who are patient with a high tolerance for initial failures. The point I'm really dancing around is: Don't buy this game for your dumber friends or for yourself if admittedly dumb. Then again, take my elitist shade as a challenge and prove me wrong if you dare to try! ;)