A Developer Chat on Turmoil’s New DLC and the Game’s Past, Present and Future

René Klok, freelance video game journalist

On July 14, fans of the unique simulation game Turmoil can finally dig down deeper than ever. Because that’s when the Deeper Underground DLC will arrive on XBOX Series X|S, XBOX One, and the Microsoft Store. To celebrate, I talked to Mr. Turmoil himself, Jos Bouman, the creative director who has been the driving force behind the game and all of its expansions, for a deep dive into what makes Turmoil tick… and what makes Deeper Underground go boom.

Oil’s Well That Ends Well

With millions of copies sold on all current hardware platforms, Turmoil is a genuine hit in the 2D real time strategy sim subgenre. Still, the fact that the little-tycoon-game-that- could resonated with audiences, didn’t entirely catch Bouman off guard. “After playtesting and calibrating the game for many months, we actually had high hopes that it could do well. Of course, the exact level of success – the longevity, the sheer number of platforms – still amazes us.”

And of course, said success has prompted him and Gamious to go back to the oil well once again. After the base game, The Heat Is On DLC (included in the XBOX version) and a substantial free multiplayer expansion, Deeper Underground is another meaty proposition in terms of added content. Bouman: “Our team is relatively small, so we could only start to think about adding yet more mechanics after work had finished on the mobile and console ports and the addition of multiplayer. It was only after prototyping the new mechanics that we could say: hey, these are fun! They’re certainly solid enough to build a whole new campaign around.”

Deeper and Deeper

Chief among these new mechanics is the introduction of petrol: more refined than oil and potentially much more profitable. By finding and utilizing new resources – including water, dynamite and rubies – players can create this new, high value substance. And they’ll have to, if they want to become the most successful oil baron of the old west once more, as the new campaign is more challenging than ever.

Whereas the petrol of it all brings figurative depth, there’s another gameplay addition that takes the title of Deeper Underground more literally: the Deep Mode levels. These offer a new twist on the trusted Turmoil gameplay. Here, players must attempt to drill as deep as they can in challenges that require careful planning and smart use of limited resources. Bouman readily admits that the idea for this interesting break from the core gameplay came from the fan community: “We’d get e-mails or read forum posts with requests for the ability to dig deeper. But we didn’t really want to add more verticality to the standard oil fields. That would harm a key aspect of what makes the gameplay work so well: the ability to see everything on a single screen, allowing the player to balance digging deeper with managing everything above ground. The player needs to feel in control, no matter how hectic things get.”

That’s why the Deep Down levels are separate from the traditional ones. They focus solely on digging as deep as one can, with no need to store or sell oil. “It’s quite a different style of playing. Some people find it to be little more than an interesting diversion, but others really love it. The most important thing, though, is that it is new and original while still fitting in with Turmoil’s base gameplay and its themes.”

A Song of Oil and Future

Of course, I had to ask Jos about the naming of these expansions. It’s impossible to read the name of the first DLC, The Heat Is On, and not have the Glenn Frey song of the same name pop instantly into one’s head. Similarly, Deeper Underground had us humming Jamiroquai’s big late 90s hit.

So, did any other potential titles come up in the team’s discussions? David Bowie and Queen’s ”Under Pressure” leapt to our minds immediately… as it did to the team: “That one was certainly discussed as it seemed like a promising candidate. But of course, the gameplay came first, then the definitive title. There are probably enough well-known songs in the world that we’ll always be able to find a fitting one for whatever new mechanics we come up with. Would have been funny though, if it was the other way around: imagine if a song title dictated our development goals! It would be quite a challenge to come up with fitting gameplay for Turmoil: Bohemian Rhapsody.”

That’s our cue to put Jos ”Under Pressure”: is there more coming for Turmoil? Unfortunately, he deflected: “I can’t announce anything right now. But as long as we’re able to come up with new and original content and features, we’ll be chugging along with Turmoil.”

Perhaps sensing our disappointment and realizing that he needed to throw us more of a bone, Jos added: “We’re actually developing two new strategy games at Gamious at the moment. I’m the game designer for one of them, and some of the people in the team also worked on Turmoil, over ten years ago. I can’t say much more than that, but I hope we’ll be able to unveil the new game soon.”

That certainly gives us something to look forward to. But in the meantime Deeper Underground should more than quench our strategy sim thirst!

Turmoil

Gamious

☆☆☆☆☆ 44

★★★★★

$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!