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Turmoil similar games & best alternatives

Turmoil

PC (Microsoft Windows), Atari 2600, Commodore C64/128/MAX, MSX, Atari 8-bit, Commodore VIC-20 • 2016

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Quick resume

Drill for oil like it's 1899! Turmoil offers players a visually charming, tongue-in-cheek take on the simulation genre inspired by the 19th century oil rush in North America.

Global score

93/100

Genres

Indie, Simulator, Strategy, Shooter, Arcade

Similar games

    Pros

    • Easy to learn, hard to master gameplay
    • Relaxing and addictive
    • Good value for price
    • Charming art and music
    • Active developer support and dlc

    Cons

    • Limited long-term replayability
    • Some repetitiveness
    • Ai opponents can be weak
    • Lack of multiplayer depth
    • Minor bugs and ui quirks

    Motivations

    • Autonomy

      Game with the same Autonomy vibe

      4

      "Players have freedom to choose auctions, negotiate prices, upgrade tools, and decide how to manage their business."

      Capsule for Storage Hustle Storage Hustle

      "Players freely choose land to bid on, upgrades to buy, and strategies for drilling and selling oil, showing high control over decisions."

    • Competence

      Game with the same Competence vibe

      3

      "Game is easy to learn but hard to master, requiring skillful manipulation and strategic thinking."

      Capsule for Rivalry Rivalry

      "Game is easy to learn but hard to master, requiring skillful management of resources, timing, and upgrades to maximize profits."

    • Competition

      Game with the same Competition vibe

      3

      "Players compete to accumulate the most money and assets; multiplayer and leaderboards encourage comparison."

      Capsule for THE GAME OF LIFE THE GAME OF LIFE

      "Players compete against AI and others in auctions and stock buying, with leaderboards and multiplayer modes enhancing competition."

    • Continuation

      Game with the same Continuation vibe

      3

      "Players report long play sessions, repeated attempts, and habitual play despite frustration, indicating strong desire to continue."

      Capsule for Squirreltopia Squirreltopia

      "Many players report habitual play and 'just one more round' feeling, indicating desire to keep playing despite some repetitiveness."

    • Cooperation

      Game with the same Cooperation vibe

      -4

      "Gameplay is primarily single-player and independent; cooperation is minimal or absent."

      Capsule for FALLSTRUKTUR FALLSTRUKTUR

      "Gameplay is primarily single-player or competitive; cooperation is minimal or absent."

    • Creativity

      Game with the same Creativity vibe

      2

      "Players can customize strategies via leader selection and upgrade paths, but base building and mission structure are predefined with limited creative freedom."

      Capsule for After Inc: Revival After Inc: Revival

      "Players customize strategies and upgrade paths, but game structures and maps are predefined with limited creative building."

    • Domination

      Game with the same Domination vibe

      2

      "Players can buy out competitors and sabotage AI opponents, exerting dominance in the market, though no social domination or trash talk."

      Capsule for Transport INC Transport INC

      "Players aim to dominate market and become mayor, exerting superiority over AI opponents, though interactions are limited."

    • Escapism

      Game with the same Escapism vibe

      3

      "Players mention stress relief and distraction from real life, enjoying immersive gameplay and graphics."

      Capsule for Fallen Arena Fallen Arena

      "Relaxing gameplay and immersive setting provide stress relief and distraction from real life."

    • Expectation

      Game with the same Expectation vibe

      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest and enjoyment, not obligation or external pressure."

      Capsule for Mortal Kombat 11 Mortal Kombat 11

      "Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest and enjoyment, not obligation or external pressure."

    • Experimenting

      Game with the same Experimenting vibe

      3

      "Players try different upgrade combinations, builds, and strategies to optimize progress and overcome challenges."

      Capsule for Unnamed Space Idle Unnamed Space Idle

      "Players try different upgrade combinations and strategies to optimize profits and overcome challenges."

    • Exploration

      Game with the same Exploration vibe

      2

      "Players explore procedurally generated maps and uncover secrets, though map variety is somewhat limited."

      Capsule for Kingsway Kingsway

      "Players discover oil pockets and secrets on procedurally generated maps, though environments are limited in variety."

    • Expression

      Game with the same Expression vibe

      -3

      "Limited customization or personalization; mostly standard character and environment presentation."

      Capsule for Mythic Wonders: The Philosopher's Stone Mythic Wonders: The Philosopher's Stone

      "Limited character or environment customization; mostly standardized presentation with minor personalization."

    • Fantasy

      Game with the same Fantasy vibe

      -2

      "Set in a post-WWII realistic setting with a light story; minimal fantasy elements."

      Capsule for Chocolatier®: Decadence by Design™ Chocolatier®: Decadence by Design™

      "Set in a plausible historical Wild West setting with realistic economic mechanics, minimal fantasy elements."

    • Fellowship

      Game with the same Fellowship vibe

      -3

      "Primarily single-player experience with limited social interaction; multiplayer is niche and peer-to-peer."

      Capsule for S.W.I.N.E. HD Remaster S.W.I.N.E. HD Remaster

      "Primarily single-player experience with limited social interaction; multiplayer exists but is niche."

    • Growth

      Game with the same Growth vibe

      3

      "Players learn game mechanics, improve skills, and develop strategies over time."

      Capsule for BIGFOOT BIGFOOT

      "Players learn and improve strategies over time, mastering game mechanics and optimizing play."

    • Health

      Game with the same Health vibe

      -5

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved."

      Capsule for Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved."

    • Idle

      Game with the same Idle vibe

      -3

      "Requires focused attention during battles and build management; not designed for idle or background play."

      Capsule for Siralim Ultimate Siralim Ultimate

      "Requires focused attention during timed drilling periods; not suitable for idle or background play."

    • Intimacy

      Game with the same Intimacy vibe

      -5

      "No evidence of forming close relationships or emotional sharing within the game."

      Capsule for Dead Cells Dead Cells

      "No evidence of forming close relationships or emotional sharing within the game."

    • Leadership

      Game with the same Leadership vibe

      2

      "Players lead their own transport company and make strategic decisions, but no evidence of leading others."

      Capsule for Chris Sawyer's Locomotion™ Chris Sawyer's Locomotion™

      "Players lead their own oil company and make strategic decisions, but no evidence of leading others in social groups."

    • Progression

      Game with the same Progression vibe

      4

      "Strong progression through acquiring properties, upgrades, and reputation."

      Capsule for Voxel Turf Voxel Turf

      "Strong progression through unlocking upgrades, buying land, and accumulating wealth and shares."

    • Relaxation

      Game with the same Relaxation vibe

      4

      "Many reviews emphasize relaxing, zen-like gameplay and stress relief."

      Capsule for Tile Cities Tile Cities

      "Many reviews highlight relaxing, zen-like gameplay with a good balance of challenge and flow."

    • Sensation

      Game with the same Sensation vibe

      2

      "Pleasant visuals and music provide sensory enjoyment, though not intense or highly stimulating."

      Capsule for Scrap Garden Scrap Garden

      "Pleasant visuals and music provide sensory enjoyment, though not intense or highly stimulating."

    • Status

      Game with the same Status vibe

      2

      "Leaderboards and rankings provide recognition for competitive players, though social status is limited."

      Capsule for Action Taimanin Action Taimanin

      "Players gain recognition through leaderboards and becoming mayor, though social status is limited."

    • Story

      Game with the same Story vibe

      1

      "Some narrative elements and lore exist but story is minimal and mostly context for gameplay."

      Capsule for Len's Island Len's Island

      "Some lore and narrative elements exist, but story is minimal and mostly context for gameplay."

    • Strategy

      Game with the same Strategy vibe

      4

      "Game requires strategic planning, resource allocation, and problem solving to manage crises and optimize growth."

      Capsule for Microcivilization Microcivilization

      "Game requires strategic planning, resource management, and problem solving to maximize profits."

    • Thrill

      Game with the same Thrill vibe

      1

      "Some tension from time limits and challenge, but mostly a calm experience."

      Capsule for Alice's Patchwork Alice's Patchwork

      "Some tension from timed drilling and market fluctuations, but overall a calm experience."

    • Value

      Game with the same Value vibe

      4

      "Players report good value for money especially on sale, with many hours of gameplay."

      Capsule for TransOcean: The Shipping Company TransOcean: The Shipping Company

      "Players report good value for money, especially on sale, with several hours of engaging gameplay."

    • Violence

      Game with the same Violence vibe

      -5

      "No combat or destruction; gameplay focuses on constructive resource management and survival."

      Capsule for As Far As The Eye As Far As The Eye

      "No combat or destruction; gameplay focuses on constructive resource management."

    • Survival

      Game with the same Survival vibe

      1

      "Players must avoid accidents and fines to maintain profitability, but no life-or-death survival elements."

      Capsule for American Truck Simulator American Truck Simulator

      "Players manage risks like market prices and oil spills but no life-or-death survival elements."

    Analysis

    Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Competition, Status, Story, Expression. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Leadership, Domination. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Expression.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 30/04/2026