Oases is a Flight Game Into the Beautiful Unknown
(Image by Delphine Fourneau)
A game about an unexplained disappearance creates a unique perspective on loss and closure.
Oases is made by Armel Gibson, a 26-year-old independent French developer and Delphine Fourneau, a French game artist known by the name Dziff.
Oases explores what Gibson likes to think might have happened to his grandfather, who disappeared in 1960 flying a plane during the Algeria Independence War, just days before his first child was born.
The game is a flight simulator surrounded by atmospheres with an amazing array of colors. Oases starts in the desert with the plane going down in flames but then gets sucked into a new world. After arriving on the other side the plane is fully repaired, infinitely flying over beautiful landscapes.
Oases is available to download on itch.io for PC and Mac with a pay-what-you-want price.
The game’s music was created by Calum Bowen, a composer based in London who also made the soundtrack for Lovely Planet (2014).
Oases is a soothing and relaxing experience. Each level lasts a few minutes, with the only goal being to fly around the environment. The plane can speed boost, spin around wildly, crash into objects and nose dive without consequences. The game’s calming music feels in sync with the plane’s movements and each stage’s changing backgrounds. Afterwards the plane is transported back through the vortex to the main menu to play a randomly selected stage again.
The game is an interesting view on loss and a death from decades ago that still impacts a family generations later. What happened to this soon-to-be father on that day in 1960? Where did he ultimately end up? What answers and closure can be found in these difficult situations?
Gibson’s other games include Gulag Paradise, which released earlier this year. Gibson also co-founded the Klondike Collective, a group of independent creators based in France who often collaborate on projects.
Watch the trailer for Oases:
Quarter Disorder 
Leave a Reply