The Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a 1985 educational strategy game developed by MECC, based on an earlier version dating to the early 1970s. Players lead a wagon party of pioneers along the historic 19th-century trail from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon's Willamette Valley, choosing a profession, buying supplies, and managing food, oxen, ammunition, and morale while hunting, fording rivers, and enduring disease and misfortune.
A fixture of American school computer labs for generations, it taught history and resource management while delivering memorable moments of triumph and tragedy, including its notorious deaths from dysentery and its perilous river crossings. Its balance of genuine learning and real tension, punctuated by trail-side decisions, made it one of the most influential educational games ever made.
The Oregon Trail has been re-released and remade in numerous forms over the years and remains widely playable, cementing its place in both gaming and broader popular culture.
Play it today
Modern alternatives to The Oregon Trail, with the devices they run on and their price. Ordered editorially by how well each one stands in for the original, with community votes weighted in as they accumulate.
Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.
| Alternative | Price | Steam Deck | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Death Road to Canada Indie | € 14,99 | Steam Deck Verified | PC, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch |
| Overland Indie | € 19,50 | Steam Deck Verified | PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch |
| The Oregon Trail (2021) | € 19,99 | Steam Deck Untested | PC, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch |
| Organ Trail | € 4,99 | Steam Deck Untested | PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet |
| The Curious Expedition 2 Indie | € 19,99 | Steam Deck Untested | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch |
Death Road to Canada Indie
€ 14,99A road trip of rationing, random events and party members dying, with zombies instead of dysentery.
Death Road to Canada runs on PC, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch.
Overland Indie
€ 19,50A turn-based journey across a broken America where fuel, injuries and who you leave behind are the whole game.
Overland runs on PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet.
The Oregon Trail (2021)
€ 19,99A modern remake with new art and stories, via Apple Arcade and consoles.
The Oregon Trail (2021) runs on PC, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on Mac, Linux.
Organ Trail
€ 4,99A cult zombie-themed parody of the original.
Organ Trail runs on PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet. Not available on Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch.
The Curious Expedition 2 Indie
€ 19,99An indie roguelike of perilous 19th-century expeditions.
The Curious Expedition 2 runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet.
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