Peak Oil

In Peak Oil, you step into the shoes of an oil tycoon tasked with guiding your company through the impending post-oil era. The goal is to extract as much as possible from global oil fields before they deplete, accumulating resources to invest in alternative technologies. The race is against time and against competitors who might not shy away from questionable tactics, forcing your hand as well.

The gameplay revolves around strategically allocating your agents on the board to perform various actions. To secure success at an action spot, you need a majority of agents there or the willingness to deploy mercenaries to overcome competition. The available actions are diverse: from exploring and extracting oil, building infrastructure like pipelines and ships, hiring more agents, to investing in clean energy technologies, managing PR campaigns, and even engaging in piracy or market manipulation.

The game simulates the depletion of oil resources, represented by drawing barrels from a bag. When the oil runs out, the game concludes, and victory is determined by the value of the replacement technologies each player managed to develop and promote. It's a game that blends economic and political strategy with a dash of daring, where you must balance exploiting finite resources with preparing for an uncertain future. With a playtime of 45 to 75 minutes and a medium complexity, it offers an engaging experience for fans of economic simulations and relevant themes.