Turmoil - Deeper Underground is a strategy and simulation game that expands the core oil drilling experience with a fresh campaign set in the Roaring Twenties. Players manage drilling operations, resource production, and town influence through bidding and missions on PC.
Gameplay
The central loop involves drilling for oil while handling new underground resources like water. Water helps speed up and reduce the cost of drilling operations. Players must also produce petrol at refineries rather than selling raw oil directly, which adds layers of planning and infrastructure management to generate higher revenues.
Hard rock formations block standard drills, requiring dynamite obtained from a new merchant. Balloon trips transport the operation to special deep-drilling sites. New buildings and a revised town layout support expanded upgrades and character interactions. Two fresh playable characters, Thorpe and Mabel, join the roster alongside returning figures who supply equipment and services.
Resource juggling extends to pipe networks for both oil and water, creating puzzle-like constraints during setup. Expeditions occur periodically and limit available tools, forcing efficient decisions to reach greater depths than competitors.
Game Modes
The main experience centers on a single-player campaign that alternates standard drilling levels with dedicated research missions. These missions emphasize maximum depth under resource restrictions and contribute directly to town shares.
Shares determine the final winner through the established bidding system. Deep-drilling missions provide additional opportunities to earn shares alongside regular campaign progress. A saloon-based dice game offers side opportunities to gain extra funds through skillful play against an NPC opponent.
Normal and expert difficulty options adjust challenge levels, while periodic challenges provide structured variety within the campaign structure.
New Features and Mechanics
Petrol production requires dedicated refinery buildings and careful timing to balance output with drilling demands. Water serves dual purposes as a drilling aid and a production input, tightening the connection between exploration and manufacturing.
Deep-drilling missions introduce limited-resource scenarios that test planning skills differently from standard levels. Dynamite adds a targeted solution for geological obstacles, encouraging visits to the saloon merchant for supplies.
New NPCs introduce specialized wares that accelerate early setup, while the bidding process remains consistent with prior systems but now incorporates mission-based share gains.
Is It Worth Playing?
Turmoil - Deeper Underground suits players who enjoy resource management simulations with incremental complexity. The addition of water management, petrol refining, and depth-focused missions extends the established drilling loop without overhauling it.
Reception stands at mixed levels, with 40 percent positive reviews from over 130 user submissions. Some appreciate the puzzle elements from combined pipe systems and the rewarding petrol economy, while others note it feels simpler than earlier expansions.
Fans of the base game who seek more campaign content and new characters will find the most value here. Those preferring pure relaxation may encounter more deliberate planning demands around refineries and expeditions. The game remains available as a campaign expansion that builds directly on existing mechanics.
