Blending elements of board games and computer strategy, Oil Barons (1983) is a turn-based business simulation for one to eight players, focused on oil exploration and land acquisition. Players compete to become the wealthiest magnate by surveying land across various terrains—desert, forest, and even arctic regions—and drilling for crude oil in the most promising locations. The game’s unique twist lies in its hybrid format. It shipped with a physical 50×40 grid game board and tokens used to track land ownership and drilling success, while the computer managed finances, random events, and market conditions. Congressional regulations occasionally appear mid-game, banning drilling in protected lands and throwing strategic plans into disarray. Multiple gameplay modes offer replayability: Classic mode features fixed oil patterns, Reality mode introduces randomized oil placement and more realistic economics, and Custom mode allows players to set their own rules. While praised for its depth and creative combination of analog and digital gameplay, Oil Barons received mixed reviews. Ahoy! noted that the game’s slow pace—particularly in multiplayer—could test players’ patience as each person took turns inputting decisions. Nonetheless, it was awarded a Certificate of Merit at the 1984 Arkie Awards for Best Multi-Player Game, recognizing its ambition and innovation in multiplayer strategy gaming.

Part board-game and part simulation, Oil Barons represented the concept that inspired the original founders of Epyx… how to use a computer to help with the tracking of a board game (in that case Dunegons and Dragons).   Check out this playthrough and consider a multiplayer mobile app version that lets you bid on oil rights and make a fortune.  Perhaps its value is in an economics tutorial more than any sort of action-game.