| | | | | |

Snake Oil (2010) Board Game

ByMichail

Snake Oil is a card game that was first released in 2010 by Out of the Box Publishing. The game was designed by Jeff Ochs and features artwork by Patricia Hayes Kaufman and John Kovalic. Snake Oil falls into the categories of card game and humor party game, with a focus on acting, hand management, player judging, and storytelling.

Game Components of Snake Oil

  • Customer Cards: Represent various professions or states in life (e.g., nurse, billionaire, cheerleader, zombie).
  • Word Cards: Six purple word cards per player, each with a unique word (e.g., death, balloon, burp, button, lightning, water).
  • Instruction Manual**

    How To Setup Snake Oil

    To set up Snake Oil, each player receives six purple word cards. The customer for the round draws a customer card and announces their profession or state in life. The other players then select two words from their hand to invent a product that the customer would want to buy.

    Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

  • Customer Selection: One player draws a customer card and announces their role.
  • Product Creation: Other players choose two word cards to invent a product.
  • Sales Pitch: Each player makes a persuasive sales pitch to the customer.
  • Customer Decision: The customer awards their card to the player with the best pitch.
  • Game Continuation: The game continues until all players have been the customer once.
  • Winning Condition: The player with the most customer cards at the end wins the game.

    Player Experience

    Snake Oil encourages creativity and improvisation. Players must think quickly to come up with innovative products and convincing sales pitches. The game is suitable for families, including children as young as 10, although younger children can participate with assistance. It is also enjoyable for adults, especially in social settings where creativity and humor are valued.

    Pros

  • Encourages Creativity: Players must think creatively to invent products and make compelling sales pitches.
  • Family-Friendly: Suitable for children and adults alike, making it a great family game.
  • Quick Games: A full game can be completed in about 20 minutes.
  • Improvisational Fun: Great for players who enjoy improvisation and humor.

    Cons

  • Requires Player Buy-In: The game works best when all players are fully engaged and willing to play by the spirit of the game.
  • Potential for One-Upmanship: Players might focus on outdoing each other with unrealistic or magical products, detracting from the game’s creative intent.
  • Dependent on Group Dynamics: The game’s success heavily depends on the group’s ability to lean into the improv aspect.

    Personal Thoughts on Snake Oil

    Snake Oil is perfect for groups that enjoy creative storytelling and improvisation. It is an excellent addition to any game collection, especially for families or social gatherings where laughter and creativity are prized. However, it may not be the best fit for groups that struggle with the improv aspect or tend to focus on one-upmanship rather than creative sales pitches. With the right group, Snake Oil can provide hours of entertaining and engaging gameplay.

    We are supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no extra cost for you. Learn more. 

    • Michail, a seasoned tabletop enthusiast, dives headfirst into worlds of fantasy and strategy. Whether commanding a party of adventurers through perilous dungeons or engaging in tactical showdowns on the board, Michail is the maestro of the tabletop realm. Michail's gaming table is a realm where the clatter of dice and the shuffle of cards create a symphony of strategic chaos.

    Hobby: Miniature painting guru, turning pewter into masterpieces
    Preferred Game: Dungeons & Dragons, but always up for a board game brawl

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *