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About Snake Oil
Snake Oil, designed by Jeff Ochs, turns everyone into a travelling salesperson. Each round one player becomes a customer, such as a caveman or a superhero, and the rest combine two word cards from their hand into a product and pitch it to them. The customer buys the pitch they like best. It is a judging game like many others, but the improvised sales patter makes it far more performative and much funnier than reading cards aloud.
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Is Snake Oil Right for You?
Best for
Snake Oil is for groups who like to perform and improvise, and who will commit to pitching a 'rocket sandwich' to a pirate. It is best with five or six players, where the customer has enough pitches to choose from and turns still come round quickly. It works well for families too, as the cards are clean.
Maybe skip it if…
Shy players may dread the pitch, and the game depends heavily on the group's energy. With nine or ten players, the round of pitches gets long, and judging becomes a chore.
How to Play Snake Oil
Setup
Deal each player a hand of word cards and shuffle the customer cards.
On Your Turn
- The customer draws a customer card and announces who they are for this round.
- Every other player secretly combines two word cards from their hand into a product.
- Each seller has a short time to name and pitch their product to the customer.
- The customer buys one product and gives its seller the customer card. Sellers refill their hands and the customer role passes on.
How to Win
Once everyone has had a turn as the customer, the player who has collected the most customer cards wins.
💡 Strategy Tips
Pitch to the character, not the table. A weak product sold perfectly in the customer's voice usually beats a clever one pitched flatly.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Choosing the cleverest word pair and then pitching it flatly. The pitch matters more than the product.
- Ignoring who the customer is. Tailor every product to the character on their card.
- Letting pitches run on. Keep them short so the round stays snappy.
- Always buying from your friends as the customer. The game is more fun when the best pitch wins.
Advanced Strategy
- Hold on to versatile words like 'kit', 'bag' or 'helmet'. They combine with almost anything.
- Name your product before you explain it. A catchy name buys you goodwill.
- Pay attention to what each customer has bought before. People tend to reward the same style of pitch.
- If you go last, use the earlier pitches. Undercutting a rival's product is a reliable laugh.
Variants & House Rules
Snake Oil: Party Potion
A 2014 version written with younger players in mind, rated 8+.
House rule: timed pitches
Give each seller thirty seconds with a phone timer. It keeps big games moving.
Video Guides
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Our Verdict
Snake Oil is one of the more inventive judging games, because it asks players to sell rather than simply choose a card. With an outgoing group it is very funny, and it won a Mensa Select award in 2012. With a quiet group it falls flat, so we recommend it for tables that enjoy acting daft.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players is Snake Oil best for?
Five or six. It supports up to ten, but large games mean a lot of pitches to sit through each round.
Who designed Snake Oil?
Jeff Ochs, who came up with the idea after noticing that many products in a catalogue were just two nouns stuck together.
Is it family-friendly?
Yes. The base game is 10+ and the cards are clean, and Party Potion is aimed at even younger players.