December 13 marked a big day for aspiring oil tycoons who also happen to be Xbox gamers. That day, Turmoil, the unique simulation game focused on pumping up oil at the turn of the 20th century, arrived on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and the Microsoft Store. So, we’ve put together five hot tips to get your oil empire off to a running start!

1. Seek and ye shall find!

Once you’ve arrived on your first oil field, the first thing you’ll need to do is locate the underground wells filled with that bubbling crude. Your first – and best – method is by deploying dowsers. They’ll scour the field for a while, then once they’ve found a well will attract your attention with a whistle. Note that these dowsers will discover wells approximately in order of depth, so you won’t have to drill too deep for the ones they find first. Later on, you’ll also be able to enlist specially trained moles to dig for oil or use advanced scanners to uncover specific patches of the subsurface terrain. Even so, the trusty dowser will always remain the cornerstone of your oil-hunting escapades.

2. Slick drilling

Then, the time has come to set up your rig and start drilling. Every foot of your pipeline costs money, so the shorter a line you can draw between rig and well, the better. On the other hand, rigs are expensive too, so if you can lead those pipes from one rig to multiple wells, that would also be swell. It’s all about building the most efficient and cost-effective pipeline network, to extract as much oil as possible before your land lease expires. But watch out: there is such a thing as doing too well! Pumping up oil faster than your horse-drawn wagons can haul it away will lead to spillage… which is not only a waste of perfectly good black gold but will incur a hefty fine too.

3. The price is right… or left?

Of course, Turmoil isn’t just about getting oil above ground. It’s also about selling it… for maximum profit! Those crude-filled wagons can be sent to one of two competing oil companies, the very aptly named Left, Inc. and Right, Inc. Keep an eye on their fluctuating prices and sell wisely to maximize profits. Sometimes, the market can be pretty dire on both sides. That’s where silos come in handy: be sure to store your precious product until prices are back on the rise.

4. Grease your gears

Let’s be honest, you didn’t get into the oil game to make a modest profit every year. In Turmoil, the key to coming out on top is to keep upgrading your operation to increase efficiency and profitability. Luckily, the charming frontier town you return to after each drilling expedition, offers plenty of opportunities to do exactly that. You can invest in faster horses, bigger wagons, wider pipes and much, much more. But do get your priorities straight! Branching pipelines, deeper dowsing and the aforementioned silos should be at the top of your list… while gambling in the saloon is something you should only do once you’ve got money to spare.

5. Land of Opportunity

Your first patch of land is assigned to you. After that, you choose on which plot to stake your claim… and some of them are much richer in oil than others. Know that once you’ve found a juicy spot, the fields adjacent to it are also likely to be fruitful soil. But be warned that your rivals are aware of this… and you must be prepared to outbid all of them all to lease the most promising land. Eventually, you’ll move on to new areas which introduce even more ways to strike it rich. Parcels containing natural gas, for example, have the potential to be very lucrative indeed. And the Xbox and Microsoft Store version of Turmoil includes the DLC The Heat Is On DLC, with a fresh map that introduces fields with liquid hot magma, further ramping up the challenge… and the temperature.

So, there you have it! These strategic pointers provide everything you need to jumpstart your drilling dynasty, when Turmoil launches this week on Xbox and the Microsoft Store. With over a million players already hooked on its addictive gameplay, it’s your turn now to conquer the world of oil. Join the ranks of dedicated Texas Tea enthusiasts and, if you’ll allow us to mix our beverage-based metaphors, come drink our milkshake!

Turmoil

Gamious

☆☆☆☆☆
7

★★★★★

$15.99

Get it now

Turmoil offers players a visually charming, tongue-in-cheek take on the simulation genre inspired by the 19th century oil rush in North America. Get a taste of the rush and rivalry of the time as you earn your way to become a successful oil entrepreneur. As you make money digging up and selling oil, the town will grow along with you.

Lease land at the town auction and search for oil. Build a rig, create an efficient pipe network and bring up the oil to store it in silos. Sell the oil at the best times to maximize profits. Then buy essential upgrades in town to cope with rock, gas and ice. Acquire more town shares than your competitors in a bid to become the new mayor.

* A campaign where you build your rags-to-riches oil baron career and beat your rivals.
* Dozens of upgrades and new tools to improve your oil mining operations.
* Meet the town’s characters in the saloon and make shady business deals.
* Play single game mode to get one of literally millions of procedurally generated levels and earn as much as you can in one year.
* Lease land at the town auction and search for oil using a dowser, mole or scanner.
* Maximize your profits by using natural gas to boost the oil price.
* Outbid your competitors at the stock auction.

Turmoil – The Heat Is On is a brand new campaign with tons of oil to dig up and convert into cash! It is designed to make you feel right at home, but at the same time offer lots of new mechanics and fun features. Here’s what you can expect!

* A new town (and mayor!) and a new oil-rich map divided into three areas.
* In each area, new drilling mechanics are introduced, powered by a new underground substance: magma.
* You’ll see familiar faces like Edward and Fred and William. They brought their goods with them in train wagons, so you can instantly stock up on all your favorite drilling gear.
* There are also new people, like Philip, who runs a shady card game in the saloon.
* Jack is a new character that runs a magma tools operation from his shed. He likes chicken.
* Anthony is also back from last time. Instead of dealing in diamonds, he has his own store where you can sell and buy all sorts of underground treasures.
* The new mayor is not quite like the old one. His tips are free, and he uses a different auction system. But shares still cost money!
* There’s a cat walking around the village! He doesn’t do a whole lot, but what can you expect from these creatures?
* And last but not least: a couple of brand new music tracks!

Fire up your Atomicycle and ride the devil down — Warframe: 1999 launches tomorrow, December 13! The next step in Warframe’s cinematic narrative continues as players leap back to 1999 and the city-state of Höllvania. Fight alongside The Hex, a crew of enhanced soldiers resembling some of your favorite Warframes, as they tackle new enemies like the Techrot and Scaldra. Make new friends and foes or even indulge in a little romance for the first time in Warframe’s history!

For some extra insights into the new update, we spoke to Senior Community Manager Danielle Sokolowski about what’s coming in Warframe 1999, the setting of Höllvania as well as new missions and PvPvE updates that players can look forward to.

The Hex is a big part of 1999. In what ways can players look forward to interacting with this crew of unique characters?

Sokolowski: They sure are! You’ll first interact with Arthur, Aoi, Lettie, Amir, Quincy and Eleanor in the new Cinematic Quest appropriately titled “The Hex,” where you’ll take part in their efforts to prevent disaster in the city of Höllvania on December 31, 1999. Nothing says “Happy New Year” like taking down a tank with six of your soon-to-be besties. 

Members of The Hex are core to many of the new systems in the update, which means you’ll have lots of opportunities to spend time with them and attempt to woo them, if that’s your speed. Playing as the Drifter, the Operator’s more mature counterpart, you’ll get to know each Protoframe through a ’90s chat messenger system called the Pom-2. This is really where you’ll interact on a deeper level with them—whether that’s through a platonic friendship or steamy romance!

You’ll also be able to join The Hex in-mission by picking up Bounties. Each member of The Hex will have tasks for you, so you’ll get to spend time with your faves. Turning in Hex Treasures you find in Höllvania or completing Bounties will grant rewards like Blueprints for the new Warframe Cyte-09, Weapons, Cosmetics and more.

And you can’t forget the Gemini Oath Collection—which lets you play as (and customize) the Protoframes themselves, and hear more of their personalities with a full gamut of unique voice lines. There will rarely be a moment when you aren’t interacting with The Hex in Warframe: 1999!

What kind of excitement awaits in Höllvania, the battleground for Warframe: 1999?

Sokolowski: You can definitely expect a lot of Techrot and Scaldra activity on and below the streets of Höllvania! The Scaldra are equipped with corrosive weapons to fight off the pervasive Techrot: a mutated, infested menace. As you explore Höllvania and assist The Hex, you’ll have to fight your way through both of these new threats.

You’ll also find that the environment offers a lot of dynamic combat opportunities. Whether you take on enemies in the streets, high above the skyline, or deep underground amongst the festering Techrot, it’s definitely a parkour enthusiast’s dream. You won’t have to traverse the city just on foot, though! We’ve added a new vehicle called the Atomicycle, a souped-up (and stylish) motorcycle. Players got a chance to try it in the 1999 Demo and since then, thanks to their feedback, we’ve improved its overall handling and responsiveness, as well as added new features.

There are other interactive elements in Höllvania as well. As someone who spent too much time playing Snake on my old phone, the coda.worm.nomnom<v.42> mini-game has a special place in my heart. You’ll also want to keep your eye out for Hex Treasures to pick up, like an On-lyne CD and Mood Crystals. Returning these beloved items will have the team back at the Mall hideout singing your praises.

Höllvania transitions through multiple seasons. How do seasons affect gameplay in the update?

Sokolowski: Once you complete “The Hex” Quest, an in-game Calendar becomes accessible from the Pom-2 PC that will tell you which season is active. At launch, players will first experience Höllvania in the dead of winter, with spring to follow, then summer, fall and winter again. Combined with procedurally-generated tiles, players will step into and experience a very different Höllvania each season with unique lighting, vegetation and soundscapes.

As Höllvania changes with the seasons, so do the systems in 1999. The Calendar is where you can take stock of the challenges, rewards, upgrades from The Hex and more that you can interact with in a season. A week in the real world equals a season in 1999 and the types of challenges and rewards change with this weekly rotation.

What experience are you trying to bring to players with Warframe’s new PvPvE mode?

Sokolowski: Warframe is primarily a PVE game that lets you work with a squad to complete objectives against NPCs, so adding PVP elements—while keeping that collaborative spirit—is a combination we feel players will really enjoy.

We call this game mode “Faceoff” and I think that perfectly embodies friendly competition—everyone wins in the end, but what if you “won” just a little bit better than the opposing team and scored a pizza party? With eight players running around Höllvania, it’s definitely an ambitious game mode with lots of moving parts. Players are encouraged to bring their best equipment to these missions and coordinate with their teammates towards victory! If battling other players isn’t your speed, there is a solo mode that fills both teams with NPCs.

What other new mission types will be available in Warframe: 1999?

In addition to the new Faceoff mode, there are four other mission types in Höllvania guided by members of The Hex. Some will be familiar to players, but with extra-special 1999 flare.

Take down the Scaldra H-09 Efervon Tank with Arthur’s intelligence in a multi-phase Assassination fight. Or let Lettie guide you in HellScrub to clear the Techrot by keeping Hell-Scrubber devices charged and clear of Infested gunk. There’s also classic Exterminate, with Quincy directing you to clear out Höllvania to protect civilians, alongside optional supply caches—at the cost of sending Techrot enemies into a frenzy. Eleanor instructs you in Legacyte Harvest to follow Kalymos, Albrecht and Loid’s faithful feline companion, as she searches for Techrot Legacytes to destroy. But she must be protected in order to track properly.

There is also the 1999 Arcade classic Caliber Chicks 2! If you want a break from the chaos in Höllvania, you can kick back with Jillian and Lillian Killian in this run-and-gun platform game co-developed by Sumo Digital. This endless game mode has you gunning down punks and chasing their ruthless leader, Anna Ki, to rescue the President.

Can players expect the roster of Protoframes to grow in the future?

Sokolowski: 1999 isn’t even out yet and there’s already been so much love for our six Hex Protoframes! Reception since the first teasers has been overwhelmingly positive, and the amount of fan art and fan edits alone has been astounding… just constantly flowing.

There’s already clear interest from the community, so it would feel like we’d be missing out if we were to stop here. We can’t promise who’s up next, or if we’d consider all possible options, but we’re definitely also interested in seeing more Protoframes after 1999. The storytelling possibilities are endless with the Warframe roster; it’s just a matter of finding what best fits the team’s vision.

The launch of Warframe: 1999 tomorrow, December 13, isn’t the only reason to celebrate. We’re also giving away a set of custom, limited-edition Xbox controllers inspired by the update! Just like their Protoframe counterparts, these controllers have been changed into something new: one is clad in the armor of Hex leader Arthur Nightingale, while the other sports the sleek blue hues of his right hand, Aoi Morohoshi. You can enter to win one of these exclusive controllers right now!