
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,014
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Avenue
- 1–10 players
- 15 min
- Complexity 1.4/5
- 2016

2019
Rules assistance for Offshore
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 3 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Offshore is a board game released in 2019 for 3–5 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Kristian Amundsen Østby, Eilif Svensson, and Thor Egil Braadland and its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Network and Route Building, and Team-Based Game.
The vast oil reserves off of the Norwegian shores is an environmentally controversial topic, but it undoubtedly remains one of the most important contributors to the country's massive wealth. Offshore is a lightweight competitive strategy game about this highly specialized industry. In the game, players build oil platforms in the North Sea. Opening a new oil field is, of course, not easy as it requires both technology and temporary co-operation between players. On your turn, you perform one of three actions: Buy a technology tile Export oil (selling it for points and money) Open a new oil field and drill for oil Opening a new oil field is the most complex action: Alone, or together with one other player, you must have the required technology and also pay the opening cost. Who should use which technology and how the cost should be split must be agreed upon between the players. The players then drill for oil in a small press-your-luck mini game: The players must decide how deep they want to drill, all the while avoiding too much pressure building up as this could result in a blowout. The combination of technology tiles used for opening the field will also influence the drilling in various ways. The temporary co-operations and players' shared interests in the drilling phases makes for an exciting game in which players share both successes and failures.
Offshore supports 3–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Offshore is 60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Offshore for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Offshore has a complexity rating of 2.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Offshore belongs to these categories: Economic and Negotiation. Its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Network and Route Building, and Team-Based Game. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Offshore are: Kristian Amundsen Østby, Eilif Svensson, and Thor Egil Braadland. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Offshore as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.