Texas Oil Baron

TOB is an oil tycoon game, where half the action takes place underground. You buy land plots, prospect for oil, and acquire infrastructure. You drill, pump the oil into barrels or storage tanks, and transport it using tankers or trucks. You can sell the oil to buyers or sign contracts for delivery at a set price. Play through a 200-day story campaign, then keep your oil business running for as long as you like. Profitability is dictated by the market - politics, weather and collusion. Many factors influence the prices of oil and real estate. Rounding out the experience is Tex - a well-known, cheerful character who introduces himself during the game's opening minutes.

Find it

Use sonar that scans the ground thoroughly, much like resonance imaging. The results will provide the estimated size of the deposit, its depth, and the probability of oil actually being present - you must then decide whether to risk the cost of a dry well. You will carry out the actual drilling using a rig. The drill bit is capable of turning and creating branches.

Build the network

Multiple pumps can extract oil from a single reservoir, while a single pump can draw oil from multiple reservoirs. This enables the optimization of oil recovery in terms of time and cost, allowing you to choose the specific type of optimization you need most at any given moment.

Play the market

The price of oil fluctuates based on random market events. You can - and initially, you even have to - sell to a local buyer immediately after extraction for a fraction of the price. Alternatively, you can read the papers, listen to Tex, store the oil and wait for favorable selling conditions. But, as is the nature of the market, the outcome can vary.

Move the oil

Trucks and tankers transport crude oil from storage tanks to warehouses, collection points, or contract customers. Refineries, railways, and the military pay a premium for timely delivery, especially under strict contract terms. Worn-out vehicles belch smoke and crawl back to the garage - they require constant maintenance.

Build a crew

Field operators take over your routine tasks: operating pumps and arranging the transport of oil to storage or to a buyer. Additionally, more skilled operators can handle transport from storage, sign contracts based on set terms, and ensure timely fleet maintenance. You can organize operators into teams and issue single commands to entire teams - a classic example of business scaling.

Expand across Texas

Ten fields available for purchase, each with its own land, deposits, and infrastructure. Variable, unpredictable weather. Mail arriving every few days, offering a glimpse into an uncertain future. Plenty of planning and forward thinking.

A story, then a sandbox

A 200-day story campaign (15-25 hours) with Tex, the mail and the market headlines. When it ends, your fields keep running: endless play with random events.

The whole description sounds serious, but there’s also a cow on the roof and beer with the operators. Good luck in Texas and have fun! :)