Many gamers first came across the Oregon Trail game in school and built fond memories fording the river and hunting for food. While some played the original on the teleprinter, many gamers came across the game on their school’s Commodore 64.
A popular version of the game on the Apple II introduced a generation of gamers to the quirky game.
Whether you want to walk down memory lane or try Oregon Trail for the first time, you will be surprised to learn that you can play the game on your web browser for free.
This post discusses what you need to know about the game and how you can play the magical DOS game on your web browser.
Brief History of the Oregon Trail Video Game
The Oregon Trail game was first developed in 1971 by a group of student-teachers. They hadn’t set out to make a hit game. Instead, they wanted to build an experience for eighth graders that makes learning about the westward expansion more interesting.
To make Oregon Trail an exciting experience for students every time they play it, the trio decided to include obstacles that randomly appear and make the game more challenging.
This is the reason why period-accurate calamities such as bad weather, dysentery, and the possibility of party members drowning were added to the game.
Furthermore, events such as snake bites, broken wagon wheels, and fog were added to help students learn about the various hurdles people in the wild west had to overcome.
The Plot of the Game
The DOS game has a 16-color VGA background, which will give you a feel for old-school games if you haven’t played many of them. The game involved guiding a wagon of party members from Missouri to Oregon while dealing with the many obstacles on the way.
Players must brave the dangers of crossing rivers, getting bit by rattlesnakes, and being attacked by hostile tribes. Most challenges along the way can result in death.
These simulation elements make the game immersive and exciting and also educate the player about the hurdles people dealt with when traveling westward.
Players also have a choice about when they can start the journey. Leave too early in the year, and you must deal with the floods. Leave too late, and you may end up stuck in the snow before you reach Fort Dalles.
Where to Play Oregon Trail Online
You can play the Oregon Trail game free by searching for the game online. Many websites embed an emulator that allows you to play the Oregon Trail game on your browser.
However, you can also play the game by downloading a copy and using an emulator like DOSBox to run it. Bear in mind that you will need to use your keyboard to navigate the game.
Latest Version of the Oregon Trail Game
Gameloft released a fresh and modern take on the Oregon Trail game in 2021. The Oregon Trail: American Settlers game is available on iOS and Android for free. The graphics and gameplay have been polished out, and the game also includes period-accurate representations of the many indigenous peoples.
Oregon Trail Card Game
For some, picking up a video game can be too much of a hassle. Whether you find playing the classic online too repetitive or you want to share the experience with your loved ones, picking up the card version of the Oregon Trail is a good idea.
You can visit your closest Target store to buy the board game or purchase the game online.
True History of the Oregon Trail
While the game can teach you a lot about how things worked during the westward expansion, there are some things that the games don’t talk about.
It’s important to know that the early Americans believed in the philosophy of “manifest destiny.” In simple words, they believe that every American has a divine right to expand the borders of the United States to the Pacific Ocean and beyond.
To enable the people to act on this right, the US government offered free land to those traveling to Oregon. However, the pioneers understood that traveling westward involved a lot of risks. The journey was dangerous on foot, and the Oregon Trail was relentless – killing people to starvation and natural calamity.
The pioneers were up for the challenge and sold everything they owned to buy a wagon and stock it with supplies. They set out west, leaving their families behind to complete a journey that would take them up to a year.
Taming the wilderness and getting to the destination safely was not the end of their challenges. The pioneers had to work hard on the land for four years so they could keep the land to themselves since this is what the Oregon Donation Land Act entailed.