Oregon Trail was one of those early commuter games that most early commuter users have fond memories of. I remember when we got our first computer the Apple 2E which used the old 5 ¼ floppy disks and my favorite one was Oregon Trail. You got to chose when you leave, your profession, name your kids, buy your supplies, hunt for food, chose your route and even the pace of the wagon. This game was awesome! However there was also a flip side to it. Kids also learned about US history and my favorite North American geography. This was most definitely a spatial game.
The game started out in Independence Missouri in the year 1848. From that point on you are encountered with many decision making situations which will directly affect the rest of the game. The geography components were immense. You encountered Indian or “Indian country”, you crossed many of the major rivers along the way, you made stops along the way a Chimney Rock, many of the forts and you could even, if you made it that far, float down the Columbia river. This game represents an early adaptation of educational games teaching both history and geography to children and many adults.
The game started out in Independence Missouri in the year 1848. From that point on you are encountered with many decision making situations which will directly affect the rest of the game. The geography components were immense. You encountered Indian or “Indian country”, you crossed many of the major rivers along the way, you made stops along the way a Chimney Rock, many of the forts and you could even, if you made it that far, float down the Columbia river. This game represents an early adaptation of educational games teaching both history and geography to children and many adults.
