Learn how to manage temperature in Oxygen Not Included. Understand temperature overlays, material properties, and strategic building to keep your dupes and crops healthy.
Temperature can be a significant challenge in Oxygen Not Included, especially in the mid to late game. It's crucial to utilize the Temperature Overlay (located next to the Power Overlay) to identify and manage 'hotspots' and 'coldspots'.
Keep your dupes' living quarters, such as barracks and bedrooms, in temperate zones, away from extreme heat. This is also vital for your food crops. Even a 1-degree Celsius deviation from the optimal temperature for plants like Meal Lice or Bristle Blossom can halt their growth.
High temperatures can incapacitate your dupes, leading to scalding and requiring Medbay treatment, which can disrupt your progress. The Thermal Comfort Overlay, found next to the Temperature Overlay, helps visualize areas where dupes might suffer negative status effects.
Different materials in the game have unique thermal properties. For instance, granite offers a 20% decor bonus and is suitable for building sculptures, paintings, and tiles in high-traffic areas. Igneous rock is a good choice for greenhouse tiles as it's not thermally reactive, meaning it won't transfer heat to your plants. Abyssalite is even more effective but less common.
Strategically place heat-generating structures like power generators and batteries away from your greenhouses. Avoid building them directly below, adjacent to, or above your crops, as their heat output can negatively impact plant growth.
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