Which Oregon Trail Game Do You Have?
There is more than one tabletop game based on the Oregon Trail video game, all produced by Pressman Toy Corporation. Searching for “Oregon Trail board game rules” can lead to the wrong rulebook, so first check your box.
- The Oregon Trail Card Game (first released in 2016) is for two to six players, aged 12 and up. It is a cooperative game with a play time of around half an hour.
- The Oregon Trail: Hunt for Food Card Game is based on the hunting section of the video game, where the goal is to collect 600 pounds of meat. It is for two to six players, aged 12 and up.
- The Oregon Trail: Journey to Willamette Valley is a board game for two to four players, aged 13 and up, though retailers list slightly different ages.
Rulebooks are usually available as PDFs from the publisher or from the file pages on BoardGameGeek. The sections below summarise the games; use the instructions in your box as the final reference.
The Card Game
Goal
The card game is cooperative. The party travels from Independence, Missouri, to the Willamette Valley in Oregon. You win together if at least one player is still alive when the 50th trail card has been played.
Components
- A roster where each player writes a name or a “frontier name”. The back of the roster has tombstones that players can fill in if their character dies, a nod to the video game.
- Trail cards, supply cards, calamity cards and a die.
How It Plays
- Players take turns playing trail cards to advance along the path. Trail cards have a path that ends on the left, right or middle, and the next card must connect smoothly to the previous one.
- Most trail cards have a consequence, for example rolling a die to cross a river, which can cost you a supply card or even your life.
- Some trail cards make you draw a calamity card, which represents hazards from the video game such as snakebite, dead oxen, typhoid and dysentery. Some calamities are instantly fatal, so check the rulebook for the details.
- Calamities that are not instantly fatal can be treated using supply cards, which include things like clean water, ammunition and medicine.
- Forts and towns on the trail let players resupply.
How Hard Is It?
A reviewer at Ars Technica found the game simple and repetitive, with some unclear card text, but liked its cooperative design and said that winning was hard for her group. Difficulty can depend on luck and on how well the group shares supplies.
The Hunt for Food Card Game
This is a separate card game with its own rules. It focuses on hunting, and players are trying to collect 600 pounds of meat. Its rules are not the same as the main card game, so follow its own rulebook.
Journey to Willamette Valley
This board game sets players on the journey from Independence, Missouri. Players lay out the trail and manage supplies, hazards and money along the way, and wagons can be upgraded during the trip. Its rules are much more involved than the card game, so use the rulebook included in the box.
Tips for Winning the Card Game
- Share supplies so that no single player is left without a way to treat a calamity.
- Think about the shape of the path when you play a trail card, since awkward connections can slow things down.
- Remember that the group can win even if some players die, so staying alive as a team matters more than saving any one character.
Other Cooperative-Friendly Picks
If your group enjoys playing against the game, see the Jaws board game rules, where the crew works together against one player. For a lighter option, try Pictionary.