The Oregon Trail on Facebook

In the Facebook version of The Oregon Trail, actions require energy and stamina to perform, which are reflected on meters. Once both meters are depleted, you can't continue until they are recharged, which can take a few hours of real time or can happen instantly by buying the game's premium currency, Trail Notes. As a result, where the PC version of the game emphasized planning and decision-making, the Facebook version of The Oregon Trail is less about choosing the best response to the situation and more about balancing energy, stamina, and food until you reach the next checkpoint. Choosing the best outcome to a situation typically involves spending Trail Notes. This is a major shift in the game, and one that makes it highly commercial.

The Oregon Trail is still packed with interesting historical information and has a polished and fun appearance, but the social features designed to entice players to fork over real-world cash serve to make the game more tedious and less fun than the original.

Online interaction: Players can see which of their Facebook friends are also playing the game without having to manually invite them. Friends can send each other messages and view their progress along the trail on an overhead map. Before setting out, players can select any of their Facebook friends to be part of the wagon caravan.