Indie Intros: ‘OilMan’

Out of all the wide and varied range of topics that games focus on, OilMan, a brand-new social strategy game for iPhone and iPad by up-and-coming indie studio Plum, is probably among the most unusual.

is probably among the most unusual. As you’ve probably already ascertained from the name, OilMan allows you to experience the complexity of the real-world petroleum business from both the upstream (exploration, drilling and construction) and downstream (refining, pipe-building and sales) sides.

If this sounds more complicated than you were expecting, that’s because it is. The oil business is complex indeed, and there isn’t any shortage of things to do in OilMan. You’ll travel to the eight biggest oil fields in town in search of the biggest cache of oil possible for your business. From there, it’s your job to develop, manage and expand your business in order to rake in as much money as you can. Design and build your facilities to begin earning cash, then upgrade and expand to keep up with demand. If you’re not careful, however, your whole supply of black gold could go up in flames. Literally.

These aren’t just just any old people who you’re selling to, however. Using Facebook, you can appoint your friends as the mayors of each city to help increase your profit even further. If you play your cards right, you’ll be able to beat out all of the other oil men across the globe and monopolize the market.

Although OilMan hasn’t been released yet, there’s still a way you can get your hands on the game. The team over at Plum are currently looking for people willing to help them out by playtesting the current version of the game and providing them with feedback. Simply email info@plum.uswith your iPhone or iPad’s UDID, and they’ll send you a direct link to download the app. If you prefer to wait for the release of the game itself, however, simply keep your eye on the OilMan websitefor all of the latest updates.

[UPDATE: The game has now been released. You can find it on the AppStore.]