Oregon Trail

1970s Educational / Survival — Teaches resource management, random event systems, turn-based travel, inventory tracking, and branching narrative. One of the most influential games in computing history.

01

The Wagon

Concept: Player setup screen — name your party, choose your profession (banker, carpenter, farmer), buy supplies with starting money. Track food, ammo, clothing, oxen, spare parts, cash.

02

The Trail

Concept: Turn-based travel system — choose pace (grueling/steady/resting), ration level (filling/meager/bare bones). Daily mileage, river crossings, terrain types (plains, mountains, desert).

03

Random Events

Concept: Event system — broken wagon wheel, oxen injury, snake bite, bad weather, theft, illness (dysentery, cholera, typhoid). Random roll with probability weighted by terrain and supplies.

04

Hunting & Gathering

Concept: Hunting minigame — press space when an animal appears. Ammo management. Fishing at river crossings. Foraging for berries. Each action costs time and supplies.

05

Landmarks & Milestones

Concept: Forts and trading posts where you can restock. River crossings. Chimney Rock, Independence Rock, Fort Laramie. Progress tracker showing distance traveled and miles remaining.

06

Party Management

Concept: Party member health status (healthy, sick, dying, dead). Resting to recover. Grave markers for fallen companions. Choosing who hunts, who rests, who drives.

07

Complete Game

Concept: Scoring based on survivors, belongings, and gold. End screen with historical comparison. Multiple difficulty levels. Randomized replayability.

7 steps · Teaches resource management, turn-based logic, probability systems