General Feedback and Ideas

[chiro]

Before my feedback and ideas, I want to mention that I have 1700+ hours in Oxygen Not Included according to Steam. I have tried many different progression paths and colony types to explore what the game can offer, and I genuinely enjoy the game.

I think ONI already contains many deep and interesting mechanics, but several of them are overshadowed because some dominant progression paths compress strategic diversity.

Seed Mutations

While the mutation mechanic exists and is fun to experiment with, I often feel it is not worth investing heavily into it. Currently, almost every mutation is tied to radiation, which makes the system feel too narrow.

Instead, I think different mutations could require different environmental conditions.

Examples:

• Plants that require radiation but give increased yield (already exists)
• Plants that require extremely bright light (for example 2000+ lux)
• Plants that require very high pressure
• Plants that require very low pressure
• Plants that require extreme temperatures (for example below 10°C or above 90°C)
• Plants that grow slower and take more space, but produce much higher yields

This could create interesting farming puzzles and encourage specialized colony designs depending on asteroid conditions.

Because mutations are currently rare, this system could also be connected to a new Story Trait focused on plants and genetics.

For example:

• Bring a mutated seed to activate the Story Trait
• After activation, players could exchange a large amount of normal seeds (for example 100) for a chosen mutation
• Alternatively, players could exchange seeds for random mutations

This would also give seeds more long-term value, since currently most colonies eventually produce far more seeds than they can realistically use.

Oxygen Masks and Clothing

While oxygen masks can occasionally be useful, they currently require almost the same infrastructure as atmosuits. Because atmosuits solve so many problems at once, many players skip oxygen masks and clothing entirely.

I think the mid-tier environmental protection systems should feel more meaningful, so progression naturally goes:

• primitive protection
• mid-tier protection
• atmosuits as the final advanced solution

instead of atmosuits feeling like the only meaningful option.

Examples:

Oxygen Masks

Oxygen masks could require docks, but not a full oxygen delivery system. Instead, they could draw oxygen directly from nearby tiles around the docks.

This would make them accessible earlier and useful for early asteroid exploration before a colony is fully industrialized.

Warm Sweaters and Cool Vests

These items currently require reed fiber, but by the time players have reliable reed fiber production, they usually already have atmosuits.

Maybe these items could instead require earlier-game materials like algae or dirt, allowing them to fill a real early-midgame role.

Jet Suits

Jet suits currently require a large amount of infrastructure for relatively little payoff. In many situations, atmosuits plus ladders are simply easier and more practical.

I suggest removing the athletics penalty from jet suits and instead giving them an athletics bonus. This would help them feel like a real mobility upgrade instead of a niche alternative.

Food Progression

I think the food system is very well developed overall, but the progression between early-game food and high-end food feels compressed.

In many colonies, the food progression becomes:

• early-game food (Mealwood, Bog Buckets, etc.)
• directly into BBQ

This leaves many mid-tier crops and recipes underused, especially things like Dust Caps and Bristle Blossoms.

The issue is that these crops require additional infrastructure:

• lighting
• atmosphere control
• temperature management

but only provide very small morale improvements compared to starter foods.

Meanwhile BBQ solves:

• calories
• morale
• critter population management

all at once, making it disproportionately efficient.

I think mid-tier foods could use slightly stronger morale bonuses (for example +3 or +4 morale instead of +1), giving players more reasons to invest into farming infrastructure before reaching BBQ and luxury foods.