King Oil

About this board game

King Oil is a 1974 board game for 2–4 players, with a playing time of about 60 minutes, in which players buy properties, drill for oil, and compete to become the richest player.

Every game creates a different playing area through three randomizing discs built into the plastic board. With 1,728 possible setups, the layout changes from game to game, giving each property and drilling decision a new context.

Players develop their holdings by drilling for oil. A small drilling rig resolves each attempt: its plunger rises when it does not pass through the hidden disc, while a plunger that pushes through all three discs indicates a dry well. Deeper holes cost more, so drilling carries an escalating expense.

• Buy properties and develop producing oil wells.
• Use the drilling rig to determine whether wells produce oil.
• Play event cards that complicate the competition.
• Build pipelines to collect royalties from rival properties.

Once a property has four producing oil wells, its owner can buy a pipeline. The pipeline crosses that property’s boundary to another player’s property, allowing its owner to collect royalties from that player every turn. This interaction accelerates bankruptcy and helps keep the game within a reasonable playing time.

In King Oil, prosperity depends on finding productive wells while managing the costs of deeper drilling and dealing with events. The game ends when all but one player have been pushed into bankruptcy; the remaining player wins.