Crude Oil Prestige Guide: How to Reset & Earn Perks

What Is Prestige in Crude Oil?

Prestige, also known as "New Game Plus" or a full reset, is a late-game mechanic in Crude Oil that allows you to start over from scratch in exchange for powerful, permanent upgrades. Once you have grown your oil puddle to its maximum size and completed the main story, the Prestige option becomes available at the main menu. When you activate it, you lose all your current oil mass, upgrades, and story progress. In return, you earn Prestige Tokens that can be spent on a unique skill tree called the "Permanent Perk Pool."

This system is designed for players who want to push beyond the base game's limits. Each Prestige run makes you slightly stronger, letting you take on tougher enemies and reach new areas that were previously impossible. For a complete overview of the game's mechanics, see our Mechanics Guide.

When Should You Prestige?

Knowing the right time to reset is crucial. Prestiging too early will make the next run unnecessarily difficult. We recommend waiting until you have:

• Completed the main story campaign – You should have seen the credits roll.
• Maxed out all basic upgrades – This includes your oil volume, speed, and jump height.
• Defeated at least the first three bosses – Boss kills grant bonus Prestige Tokens.
• Unlocked all heavy machinery – Operating drills and crushers is a good sign you are ready.

If you reset before reaching these milestones, you will miss out on bonus tokens and may struggle to progress in your next run. For a detailed walkthrough of the story, check our Story Campaign Guide.

What Carries Over After Prestige?

Not everything is lost. The following items and progress are permanently saved:

What Carries Over	What Is Lost
Prestige Tokens	All oil mass
Permanent Perk upgrades	Story progress
Cosmetic unlocks	Upgrade levels
Achievement progress	Heavy machinery access
Game settings	Map exploration

Your Prestige Tokens are the most valuable resource after a reset. Spend them wisely in the Permanent Perk Pool. You can also re-fight bosses to earn additional tokens on subsequent runs. For more on boss strategies, see our Boss Guide.

How to Spend Prestige Tokens

Once you have accumulated tokens, open the Prestige menu and browse the Permanent Perk Pool. The most impactful perks to unlock first are:

• Oil Density – Increases your base mass by 20% per level. This makes early game growth much faster.
• Slick Movement – Boosts your slide speed by 15% per level. Essential for escaping oil company drones.
• Corrosive Touch – Damages enemies on contact. Great for clearing early zones without effort.
• Recycling Efficiency – Gain 10% more oil from every source. A must-have for farming.

We recommend purchasing at least two levels in Oil Density before anything else. This will cut your first post-prestige run time in half. For a full list of upgrades, refer to our Upgrades Guide.

Tips for Your First Prestige Run

Your first run after a reset will feel slow, but these tips will help you recover quickly:

• Revisit early areas – The starting sewers and industrial zones are full of easy oil sources.
• Use your slide ability – It is faster than jumping and lets you cover ground quickly.
• Ignore side objectives – Stick to the main path until you have rebuilt your strength.
• Rush the first boss – The first boss is weak and gives a large mass boost.

For more early-game strategies, read our Beginner Guide.

Common Prestige Mistakes to Avoid

Many players make these errors on their first prestige. Avoid them to save time:

• Prestiging without max upgrades – You miss out on bonus tokens.
• Ignoring the perk tree – Even one level in a perk makes a difference.
• Trying to fight elite enemies early – Wait until you have at least 1000 mass.
• Forgetting to save – While progress is saved automatically, a manual backup can prevent frustration.

If you get stuck, our Troubleshooting Guide has solutions for common issues.