Snake Oil is a family and party game, from Out of the Box Publishing, for three to 10 players ages 10 and up. It is the perfect ice-breaker, allowing players to come up with silly products for crazy customers. A really easy game to learn and explain, players will be laughing together in no time.
Each player draws six word cards. One player is designated as the first customer and draws a customer card. This player now becomes whatever is on the card, such as a gangster, a caveman, a tree-hugger, a clown, or a college drop-out. The remaining players combine two of their six word cards to create an item to sell to the customer, such as “crowd glue,” or “knife suit.” The players pitch their items to the customer, going as in-depth as they please, and then the customer chooses which item he or she would most like to buy. The player whose item is chosen gets to keep the customer card, and the player with the most cards at the end of the game wins.
A great improvisation game, hilarity ensues when players begin to make their own items out of random words in their hand and explain exactly why the customer needs their items. Players must try to be as convincing as possible in their product descriptions to sway the customer into wanting their item. For example, what could a “diva” need more than a “snow pillow,” a luxurious, high-end pillow made entirely of snow, but with temperature control so that is just cool enough, and contours to the shape of any neck perfectly, which she can use to rest her head after a long concert in England?
Snake Oil certainly encourages creative thinking, word associations, and may or may not bring out your inner salesman.
