The Oregon Trail: American Settler

Review

Common Sense Media says

Frontier building sim a fun, entertainment-focused sequel.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Learning1
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that The Oregon Trail: American Settler, a follow-up to The Oregon Trail, is a city- building sim that depicts pioneer life in the 1800s. It takes place after the family has completed its treacherous journey and arrived in Oregon ready to settle down. Players can shoot animals for extra food, but there is no blood and participation in the mini-game is optional. The game is free to play, but players can speed up the game and purchase exclusive items by paying real cash. The Gameloft Live! opt-in feature allows players to connect to strangers, including the ability to text chat online with others.

  • Ease of use4
    The controls are menu-driven and intuitive, and make great use of the touch screen.
  • Violence2
    Animals such as squirrels, rabbits, and bears will randomly appear and can be shot for food, but there is no blood. When killed, the animals disappear and turn into drumsticks of meat. Players can choose to simply let the animals run away, too.
  • Sex0
    Not applicable.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism3
    The main menu includes links to Twitter and Facebook, and an offer to earn free game currency by watching a promotional ad. Players are prompted to review the game in the app store. The game is free but players can speed up gameplay and unlock special items by using a premium currency paid for with real money.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
  • Privacy & safety3
    Some privacy concerns. Players can sign up for the Gameloft Live! service, an interactive network that requires personal information such as a valid email address. Within this service, you can connect to buddy lists, email inbox, and a list of supported Gameloft games. A live communication feature allows users to potentially chat (via text) online in various forums with strangers.
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What kids can learn

1

Kids can learn a little bit about what life was like living as a pioneer family on the American frontier in the 1800s -- including themes of teamwork and self-sufficiency -- by participating in this farming and building sim. The Oregon Trail: American Settler contains some interesting historical facts about frontier life, and there is an emphasis on the social interactions between Facebook friends. Unlike the original Oregon Trail titles, the American Settler sim offers kids limited opportunities for learning.

Subjects
  • Arts
  • Hobbies
  • Language & Reading
  • Math
Skills
  • Self-Direction
  • Tech Skills
  • Thinking & Reasoning
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What's it about?

The Oregon Trail: American Settler offers an experience similar to social games like FrontierVille. In this simulation game, players create a frontier homestead by adding buildings, tending crops and animals, and maintaining settlers' happiness. Players can join Gameloft's social network, Gameloft Live!, to recruit neighbors and share status updates.

Is it any good?

 

THE OREGON TRAIL: AMERICAN SETTLER is far removed from both the original educational classroom PC simulation of the 1970s, and the Oregon Trail app. Instead, it bears a striking resemblance to the social game FrontierVille, complete with prompts to invite friends to the Gameloft Live! social network to become neighbors, buy the game's premium currency, and share status updates. The game is polished and enjoyable, but is much more designed for pure entertainment rather than edutainment.

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This review was written by Erin Bell

What kids can learn

1

Kids can learn a little bit about what life was like living as a pioneer family on the American frontier in the 1800s -- including themes of teamwork and self-sufficiency -- by participating in this farming and building sim. The Oregon Trail: American Settler contains some interesting historical facts about frontier life, and there is an emphasis on the social interactions between Facebook friends. Unlike the original Oregon Trail titles, the American Settler sim offers kids limited opportunities for learning.

Subjects
  • Arts:
  • Hobbies:
  • Language & Reading:
  • Math:
  • Science:
  • Social Studies: historical figures, history
Skills
  • Collaboration: cooperation
  • Communication:
  • Creativity:
  • Emotional Development:
  • Health & Fitness:
  • Responsibility & Ethics: honoring the community
  • Self-Direction:
  • Tech Skills:
  • Thinking & Reasoning:

What's it about?

The Oregon Trail: American Settler offers an experience similar to social games like FrontierVille. In this simulation game, players create a frontier homestead by adding buildings, tending crops and animals, and maintaining settlers' happiness. Players can join Gameloft's social network, Gameloft Live!, to recruit neighbors and share status updates.

How kids will learn

The Oregon Trail: American Settler is engaging, but the freemium model places less emphasis on learning than in other Oregon Trail titles. Kids are still empowered to make decisions about how to deal with random events like a forest fire raging near the homestead, but the choice is now whether they're willing to pay. The "best" solution costs premium currency, the second best costs in-game gold, and the third is free but will cause a negative outcome. The result is a missed opportunity for kids to make informed, common sense decisions.

How parents can help

  • Learn more about some of the historical figures players meet in the tavern. What role did they play in American history and frontier life?
  • Take your kids to a visit a pioneer village or watch a historical reenactment. You can find pioneer reenactments on YouTube!
This review was written by Erin Bell

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This review was written by Erin Bell
Category:Simulation Games
Platforms:iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Price:Free
Size:12.30 MB
Publisher:Gameloft
Version:1.0.0
Release date:November 17, 2011
Minimum software requirements:iOS 3.1.3 or later
This review was written by Erin Bell

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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