The staple of future gaming was solidified in our generation’s childhood through the creation of Oregon Trail. It was the perfect combination of educational learning and suspenseful game-play about the dangers and successes of 19th Century pioneer life. The game started with the game player leading a party of four of his or her closest friends and relatives through the country to end up in the promise land of Oregon. The road was fraught with dangers ranging from snake bites to dysentery, river crossings where you had to decide whether to ask the Indians for help or ford through the river, and hunting expeditions where despite shooting a buffalo, you could only carry back 189 pounds of meat to your wagon (it seems no second trips were allowed back in the Oregon Trail days). Overall, this game helped not only to teach
children the importance of leadership (“Should I rest for awhile because DAD is sick with cholera, or should I speed up?”), while also providing an educational background to an important American pastime and historical American landmarks. This even influenced some modern day families to take the Oregon Trail themselves. Why else would the Abelson family have taken out time from checking out museums in order to visit Devil’s Tower, Chimney Rock, and other Oregon Trail stops?
children the importance of leadership (“Should I rest for awhile because DAD is sick with cholera, or should I speed up?”), while also providing an educational background to an important American pastime and historical American landmarks. This even influenced some modern day families to take the Oregon Trail themselves. Why else would the Abelson family have taken out time from checking out museums in order to visit Devil’s Tower, Chimney Rock, and other Oregon Trail stops? 
