The Oregon Trail

The Oregon Trail is an educational/edutainment computer game about American pioneer life that has a long history. The game was inspired by the real-life Oregon Trail and was designed to teach schoolchildren about the realities of 19th century pioneer life on the trail.

Players started out at the beginning of the trail, in Independence, Missouri, where they selected a profession for their character from a number of choices such as banker or carpenter. Each profession had different advantages and drawbacks. Players then had to buy equipment, oxen, and food for the journey.

Along the way, numerous events could occur. Friendly or hostile Indians might be encountered; a member of the family might fall ill or die of a snakebite; rivers had to be forded or ferried; and many other events occurred. Players usually had several different choices of how to deal with each situation. The wrong choice would cause the player to lose oxen or rations, and possible death could result for members of the caravan. Although it was a children's video game, it was by no means sugar-coated; death and disease were common occurrences.