Turmoil
The player controls a space ship which is trapped in an area consisting of seven tunnels which are connected by a vertical shaft. Enemies are attacking the player from left and right and it is the objective of the player to destroy as many attackers as possible using the shaft. You can't, however, hover at one spot for too long since an invincible enemy will appear, forcing the player to change positions eventually.
SCREENSHOTS
PHYSICAL
HISTORY
Turmoil is a simulation video game by Gamious and based on the 19th century oil rush in North America. It was released through Steam Early Access in 2015, before being fully released the following year.
Gameplay
Turmoil is inspired by the 19th century oil rush in North America. The player has to earn their way to become a successful oil entrepreneur. As the player makes money digging up and selling oil, the town will grow along with them, allowing the player to buy upgrades, such as more horses or bigger pipes. Campaign mode allows the player to buy land at an auction, and dig for oil using dowsers, moles, or scanners, earning as much as they can in one year. The player goes up against three rival AIs in each level.
Development
Turmoil was in a prototype phase for a year before it entered Steam Early Access in June 2015. After spending another year in early access, Turmoil was released on Steam on June 6, 2016. In February 2017, Turmoil was also released on iOS for iPad.
Reception
The game was received as being an extremely simple game, but had too much repetition. It was also cited as "the epitome of simplicity" and "an addictive and nostalgic management strategy".
References
GAMEPLAY VIDEO
REVIEWS
Published elsewhere, collected here. Every score is the outlet's own, on the outlet's own scale. Follow the link for the full review.
“Turmoil is the kind of game I can put on when I have some free time and then realise I have just spent the last two-three hours playing and it only seemed like a few minutes. It's very addictive and all the mechanics work perfectly in tandem with each other to deliver a very enjoyable and satisfying management sim. The base game itself offers a lot of challenge, many hours of fun, and it also requires a strategic mind in order to take full advantage of everything it has on offer and emerge the victor. The game also does something which a lot of management sims don't do – it made a mundane task”
“Turmoil is very agile and fun, with mechanics that are simple and challenging at the same time. Contrasting steps that combine long-term planning and quick decision making, the title is recommended for players who prefer that dose of action during the strategy.”
“Even with the upgrades and competition, Turmoil is the epitome of simplicity. It is more about betting against oneself when drilling, playing an extremely simple market, and exploiting upgrades for the most gain. There is some tough competition to out-earn and that’s fun. Still, it’s more of an amusing diversion to relax with. It’s not tense nor particularly challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. I haven’t yet felt like declaring I’m finished with Turmoil.”
“Games that were made for the mobile/tablet space coming over to Switch can often be a dicey proposition...”
“Turmoil plays like a casual game, but as you go along you quickly see that a lot of thought was put into it by people who really like to make games. I found it exciting and fun and just hard enough to keep me interested. If you like games that force you to put some effort in to them, I highly recommend getting it off Steam.”
“The game offers a great concept with several fun aspects, including a peek into the early days of oil drilling with horse and buggy—which I found quite cool. However, the slower pace and repetitive nature, combined with the monotonous music, made it challenging for me to stay fully engaged.”
“Turmoil is an extremely simple game, and this is why it can keep the players tied to the screen for hours. On the other hand, repetitiveness is around the corner and despite the variety of situations faced in each level, you won't probably start a new campaign after finishing your first playthrough.”
“undefined.Turmoil is a satisfying experience, much like getting your house cleaned up feels good at the end of the day. Being able to discover all of the oil, drill for it, and then sell it feels great, but unless you're good with basically doing just that for a while, the tedious loop and lack of interesting upgrades will keep you from feeling like this was anything but an okay experience, even if you're really into management sims.”
“WORTH CONSIDERING - Turmoil is in fact a quite charming game, with a soothing soundtrack and a really clean 2d art style. The gameplay is casual, but addictive and at no time did I ever feel overwhelmed by any of the sim management aspects. It was a fun time for me hopping into the year 1899 and drilling for black gold.”
“Turmoil is a very good economic and strategy game with simple 2D graphics. You move in a western business world and fight to become the capo of a newly founded city.”
“As far as an audience goes, Turmoil is pretty niche. That in itself isn’t a bad thing—there are plenty of cool niche games out there—but I’m at a bit of a loss as to who this game’s target demographic is. It’s kind of fun, yeah, and it kept me entertained for a while, but it’s too long for its own good, and, much like most flash games, I eventually found my mind wandering to what other games I’d rather be playing,”
Reviews are the work of the outlets named. Titles, scores and quoted excerpts are reproduced for identification and criticism; each links to the original.
SCORES
ACHIEVEMENTS 1 set
Tracked by RetroAchievements and earned in an emulator that reports to it. A game tracked on more than one machine gets a set for each, because they are different lists earned on different hardware.
RELEASES 5 systems
PHYSICAL RELEASES 1 box
