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❤ Gameplay Overview

As an oil entrepreneur, you compete against three opponents to become the wealthiest and most influential in a 19th century North American town. The core gameplay loop has you drilling for oil, managing its extraction and sale, and using the profits to upgrade your equipment and expand your operations.

❤ Land Acquisition

Each campaign level begins with an auction where you bid on parcels of land. The amount of oil and other resources on a given plot is hidden, so you must strategically bid based on your assessment of the land's potential. Outbidding your competitors for the limited available land is crucial.

❤ Drilling and Oil Extraction

Once you secure a plot, you send out dowsers, moles, or scanners to locate oil deposits underground. You then place oil rigs and construct a network of pipes to bring the oil up to the surface. You must carefully manage the flow rate to avoid costly oil spills. You can then transport the extracted oil by horse-drawn carts to buyers who offer fluctuating prices.

❤ Resource Management

Effectively managing your limited initial funds is key. You must carefully choose upgrades to improve drilling efficiency, storage capacity, transportation speed, and other factors. Timing the sale of oil to take advantage of favorable market prices requires constant monitoring. Maintaining a balance between immediate profits and long-term investments is a constant challenge.

❤ Competition and Town Ownership

You are in constant competition with three AI-controlled opponents vying for the same limited resources. Outbidding them for land, sabotaging their operations, and controlling the town's economy through share purchases are important strategies. Becoming the majority shareholder of the town allows you to win the game.

❤ Procedural Levels and Replayability

Each campaign level is procedurally generated, providing a unique set of challenges and opportunities. This, combined with the varied upgrade paths and competitive dynamics, gives the gameplay a high degree of replayability. The simple yet nuanced gameplay loop encourages "one more turn" sessions as you strive to optimize your oil empire.