Parents' Guide to

The Oregon Trail on Facebook

By Erin Bell, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Classic educational sim gets the social game treatment.

Game Facebook 2011
The Oregon Trail on Facebook Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • The Oregon Trail on Facebook Game: Screenshot #1
  • The Oregon Trail on Facebook Game: Screenshot #2
  • The Oregon Trail on Facebook Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

LayneE
LayneE Adult
February 17, 2011
age 13+

Good re-vamp of the old version!

I'd put the age lower, but TECHNICALLY kids shouldn't be on facebook. But parents, remember Oregon Trail? It's pretty much the same darn thing.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

THE OREGON TRAIL adapts the popular classroom PC game for Facebook by adding social gaming features like friends, online leaderboards, actions that require energy to perform, and bonuses that can only be unlocked by purchasing Facebook Credits. Players guide a wagon train of settlers travelling west across the American frontier. Along the way, you'll decide how to respond to random events like stampeding buffalo, thunderstorms, river crossings, and companions falling ill. You'll also manage supplies and decide which route to take. You can hunt for food, repair the wagon, and search for special items by playing three mini-games.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the history of the frontier. Why were so many settlers heading west? What kinds of hardships did they face?

  • Talk about what life was like back in the 1800s. What kinds of things did people do differently?

  • Discuss some of the famous historical figures featured in the game. What important contributions did they make to American culture and history?

  • Why do you think this classic educational kids' game was brought to a platform that is exclusively for teens and adults? Why are more and more Facebook games being produced?

Game Details

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