Ever wondered what it would feel like to escape the oil industry — not as a worker, but as the oil itself? Crude Oil, the latest creation from solo dev Peter Nichols (aka elf’s end interactive), finally answers that strange, sticky question. Demo now available, this short-but-slick adventure blends atmosphere, humor, and the most realistic “glob simulator” you’ve probably ever played.
In Crude Oil, you take control of a sentient puddle of petroleum, splatting off walls, rolling through barrels, and skating across surfaces with platforming skills straight out of a cartoon fever dream. Along the way you’ll grow, shrink, collect oil droplets, try on power-up hats, and even drive a forklift — because of course a puddle of oil should know how to operate heavy machinery.
Key Features
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Blobby platforming with Mario-like bounce and stretch moves
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Puzzle-solving that requires both brains and blob physics
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Physical altercations with robots (yes, blobs can throw down)
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Time-slowing mechanics for dramatic escapes
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Grow and shrink as you gain or lose droplets
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Power-up hats that give you new abilities and style points
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Forklift driving (it’s more fun than it sounds)
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A conspiracy to unravel lurking behind all the goop
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Original soundtrack by Body Meat
About the Developer
Peter Nichols is an experimental solo developer based in Los Angeles. Before creating Crude Oil, they spent time living off-grid in the Mojave Desert — a fitting backdrop for conjuring a game about survival, absurdity, and petroleum paranoia. Nichols is also a member of the New Museum’s art & tech incubator, NEW INC.
If you’ve ever dreamed of breaking free from corporate pipelines as a mischievous oil blob in a hat, Crude Oil might just be your next quirky indie obsession.