Gaming and education have always had a strange yet fruitful relationship. Video games have historically been blamed for lack of education rather than as a tool that could further education in schools. In my childhood, there were several options for educational games that were readily available on the school computers. Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, Reader Rabbit, and the JumpStart series taught kids typing, reading, math, science, and other school subjects to supplement the learning experience in grade school. However, some topics were just more challenging to teach than others, which is where The Oregon Trail excelled and became a great example of what one could do if gaming and education were combined into one convenient package.
The Oregon Trail was essentially a history lesson about settlers traveling from Independence, Missouri, in the mid-19th century and braving rough terrain and other dangers to reach the mostly uninhabited state of Oregon to begin new lives. The original game came out in 1971 as a text-only game for the HP 2100, while the most commonly known iteration of the game is the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium’s (MECC) 1985 version that came out for the Apple II. At least one iteration of The Oregon Trail has come out in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s, making it possibly one of the longest-running franchises in gaming history.
Gameloft doesn’t change much from the 1985 edition. The game is more graphically appealing to modern audiences, and there is a lot more you can do other than watch your wagon make the trip and make decisions along the way. You can choose from a variety of characters to take with you, often with their own stats. For me, choosing a well-rounded party was difficult because of the random events that usually happen on your journey, such as a party member getting sick or a lack of food and water. Many of these events are random. You’ll also choose when to start your journey. Do you start in March or as late as July? The sweet spot is usually at the end of April or early May so that you won’t have to face the difficult parts of the endgame, such as braving blizzards and snowstorms, which tend to happen around early November.
There is a lot of player choice in this game, just like in previous titles. Do you go for speed, or take it slow and steady? Do you buy food at settlements, or hunt for it on your own? Are you good at bartering and negotiating? Those are just some of the skills you’ll need to brave the journey on the Oregon Trail itself. My suggestion for first-time players is to choose party members with high stamina. Hunting your own food will save you a lot of money in the long run. You’ll be able to carry more meat back to your wagon, which requires a lot of stamina. Another winning strategy is trying to ford rivers or caulk the wagon and float it across. You should do the former if the river is shallow and the latter if the river is calm. Paying the toll for a ferry can be safer but a lot more expensive. This can get more and more dangerous in the latter half of your journey, as rivers are often unpredictable and more dangerous the deeper you go into the mountains.
The inventory system has been updated to resemble dungeon crawler-style inventory where you store various items such as money, repair tools, food, clothing, and more. There are a variety of bars you’ll need to watch, such as health, morale, stamina, and hygiene. If any of these get too low, you’ll face a (good) chance of sickness and, ultimately, death. There are also additional stats such as loyalty, attitude, composure, and wit. If you really want to specialize, there are also bars for shooting, carpentry, wayfinding (exploration), and medical expertise. Having a good mix of all of these can ensure everyone makes it to Oregon alive.
Want to learn and play an entertaining game at the same time? The Oregon Trail is something I’d definitely recommend. Given that it’s one of the longest-running video game franchises in history, a new take is definitely what the franchise needed. So go west and enjoy the journey while learning about one of the more intriguing parts of history.
Words by Jose Alvarez
Also published in Gadgets Magazine January 2023 Issue