Peak Oil

Peak Oil is not a bad game. It has a few neat ideas, keeps a light touch, and moves quickly enough that, on a Tuesday after work, you have forgiven its rough edges before the coffee has gone cold. I would put it beside Stockpile—not because they share mechanisms, but because both are short, cheerful economic games that do not demand an entire evening.

At its core, Peak Oil keeps its economic side light and its pace brisk. It does not bury the table in procedure or ask you to make a second job of its numbers; the game keeps moving, and that counts for a great deal when grown-up life has already supplied the paperwork.

The interaction is chiefly in the shared race for the win: you watch the others, take stock of your own position, and eventually see who has pulled ahead. That is also where it falters, because by the middle of the game the winner is often fairly clear, and the remaining turns no longer carry quite the same charge.

Still, it is good company, and its short running time works in its favour rather than merely concealing its flaws. It is not the economic game that will occupy your thoughts all week, but it is pleasant enough that we will play it again without much debate.