Description

Each player is a particularly slimy snake oil salesman, traveling between different regions, trying to sell their elixirs to eager balding or ailing customers.

Each area has a different population and gullibility rating, so the potential for success and for higher sales will differ from region to region. Only one player can perform a sales demonstration in a particular area at a given time, though, so before each turn, there is a simultaneous action selection for where each player goes and what they intend to do. If more than one player chooses the same area, then neither of them can demonstrate there, or they may choose to resolve who will get to demonstrate there. A player's success will depend on their ability to sell, the effectiveness and pizzazz of their pitch, and the saleability of their product. Players bid from among different available elixirs and can choose to spend time rehearsing their pitches or watching other players demonstrate in order to improve their ability to sell.

Once a player has successfully demonstrated in an area, there will then be a limited number of turns before that area will become dangerous for other salesmen... The people of that region will soon realize that the last product they bought was bogus and they will be more skeptical of new salesmen coming to town. Later in the game, salesmen may have no choice but to try to sell to places that are already very skeptical or even downright hostile towards them, and will have to use special abilities gained throughout the game (including disguises, new pitches, flashier gimmicks, etc.) in order to succeed.

Particularly bitter areas will send out police or mobs after the shysters, and so players must be careful to avoid being jailed or injured, which will set back their efforts. Players may also work together at times in order to protect or vouch for each other, but of course, alliances made among scoundrels aren't likely to last...

After a certain number of regions in the area have become hostile, all players must make it to a train station within another turn in order to escape. The player who escapes with the most money is the winner.