Oiligarchy

Overview

Oiligarchy is a turn-based strategy game played from the perspective of the CEO of an oil company. Starting in 1946, just after World War II, the player needs to scout for oil in Alaska, Texas, Venezuela, Iraq and Nigeria, and set up wells to extract the oil and gain revenue. Selecting actions available from the top of the screen, an area can be explored on land or on sea, oil wells and platforms can be set up, buildings can be demolished and mercenaries can be hired to defend the structures against rebels and natives. Once all actions are set, a play button can be clicked to advance one year in time. Once more money becomes available, the lobbying at the White House in Washington D.C. starts. Every ten years, an election is held where an elephant party (red) and a donkey party (blue) try to win the most votes. The player can choose to participate in what is visually represented as a real race, by donating. This influences the stance of representatives, which are oil reps, gray reps (undecided) or eco reps. With many oil reps aboard, laws are passed that favour the oil business, while a turn of tide will increase the maintenance costs. Having an "oiled" president also opens up a special operations room, where a regime change in Iraq can be incited (including sending an unlimited amount of troops with no resolve), or a wave of hysteria with planted anthrax can be released to divert the attention from ecological problems. Detailed statistics about oil demand, max recovery, oil addiction, price per barrel, money and gross domestic product are shown in graphs. When most of the world opens up, politicians are corrupted, local authorities are bribed and installations are heavily defended, the oil addiction will increase along with the demand. If the demand is too low, revenue will slow down, and when it cannot be met the player is fired as CEO. As profits exceed millions of dollars, environmentalists will gather in front of the White House. This leads to four possible endings where the player is fired, retired, leads society into a global nuclear war when no transition to a post-carbon society is arranged, or a dystopic scenario can be opened where the Western ideals of capitalism fall with an eco-friendly approach. Replacing old wells with human burning plants, it is possible to win the favours of ecologists instead. The player is also regularly informed through newspaper articles about climate changes, new technologies and scientific studios that sway the public opinion. When addiction eventually reaches its peak and the remaining reservoirs dry up, which is the most encountered scenario, the last World War begins.

Alternate Names

• Oiligarchy: the Slickest Business Game

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