An opposed piston engine includes at least one cylinder with a bore surface and longitudinally-spaced exhaust and intake ports that open through the sidewall of the cylinder. A pair of opposed pistons is disposed in the cylinder for sliding movement along the bore surface. An oil-retaining surface texture pattern in an interface between the pistons and the bore surface extends in a longitudinal direction of the cylinder, aligned with bridges of at least one port. The surface texture pattern includes a plurality of separate recesses on an outside surface of a skirt of each piston. Alternatively, or in addition, the surface texture pattern includes a plurality of separate recesses extending in a longitudinal direction of the cylinder, aligned with bridges of at least one port.