"Snake Oil" Board Game Review

July 26, 2019

For the past few months, we’ve been reviewing books that inspire entrepreneurial thinking.  But sometimes kids need something a little more hands-on than just reading a book, and a board game is always a fun alternative.  So when we come across a board game that’s a good fit for TREP$, we’ll make sure to let you know!  Which brings us to … Snake Oil!

The term “snake oil” is an informal phrase used to describe a product of little real worth that is promoted as the be-all-and-end-all of products.  And in the game, players get to take turns creating a product and pitching their “snake oil” to a prospective customer.  The customer, similar to the judge in the game Apples to Apples, then chooses which product to buy.  The results are always hilarious, as players try to combine two cards from their hands to make a product that suits the customer.  It really gets kids thinking about target markets, as they wonder:  What could I sell to a teacher?  Or a dentist?  Or Santa?  Being quick-thinking and persuasive goes a long way toward winning this game!

Snake Oil is a perfect for when a TREP$ workshop ends earlier than expected, as it can be played with up to 10 players and for as short a time or as long a time as you choose.  It was out-of-print for a while, so it is hard to find the original version.  But the new version is currently available on Amazon for only $16.

In this round, Santa bought the Belly Map!

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