TheOregon Trailseries started way back in 1971 with the sole purpose of teaching middle school students about the realities of life in the 19th-century pioneer life on the Oregon Trail, a 2170 mile wagon route in the United States. Surprisingly, the game was a hit, so they continued to develop it, and update it to this day, bringing joy to fans.
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The latest version was released in 2021 by Apple and developed by Gameloft. And while there are significant differences, the main gameplay is similar to its predecessors, and players are still looking for the best ways to reach victory.
8 Start Date
It is very important to choose the perfect starting date. Fans who've already playedOregon Trail will know, that it has to be a calculated decision, and have probably tried many different scenarios. For those who still haven't found the sweet spot, or for those just starting, here's the best time to start.
Ideally, players want to start in spring, the earlier the better. The best month for starting is usually April and between 1843 and 1848. This way, because of the spring start, players won't get cold, and because of the year, they can miss a disease that will most likely wipe out everyone after 1848.
7 Mode Of Transportation
Choosing the right wagon and animals is the second most important decision in the game. Some people choose the smallest wagon and buy all horses, which is a decent strategy for fast-paced gameplay. The best wagon to start with is arguably the Prairie Schooner.
Players should also look at the wheels of the wagon. A bigger wheel can roll through soft obstacles, and a wide wheel won'tsink into soft terrain.Regarding the animals, players want to get every horse possible. Each and every one. This way, the calculated risk of a horse dying will not strain the player as much, and traveling is much easier and faster-paced.
6 Starting Supplies
No player needs to pack their wagon to the rim. It's smart to pack it under the maximum limit, because the heavier the wagon is, the slower it is, and it will sink more easily. The toolbox should be kept on the opposite side of the brake lever, and the grease bucket should be hanging from the rear axle.
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Starting supplies are flint and steel, a cooking kettle, a frying pan, a coffee pot, plates, cups, forks, and knives. Other than those, players should look out for blankets, campstools, weapons, an ax, and about four-five weeks' worth of boots and clothes.
5 Pace & Rest
After starting this seemingly never-ending journey, players often want to go full-speed and win. But never forget: it's a marathon, not a race. Players shouldn't go at a faster pace than Strenuous, and never more than 5-6 days in a row.
Once health has dropped to Fair, players should stop and rest until it's back up to Steady at least. Just like when traveling in real life, the characters shouldn't die of exhaustion. This being said, it's still wise to keep a steady and relatively faster pace, because players don't want to hit more than one winter throughout the game.
4 Perfect Amount Of Food
For most players rationing food is a really hard task. They spend money on food, and kill the small animals, wasting money and bullets, and ultimately characters are always hungry. Beating this obstacle is really easy. When food gets low, players should just stop andhunt, but instead of shooting small animals and wasting bullets while staying hungry, players need two deer or one bear to hit the 100lb limit for a day.
If players are lucky, this can be done with 1-2 bullets. Also, even if players sometimes buy food, and are not that good at hunting, they should keep in mind, that food gets more and more expensive the further a player gets.
3 Stop For Nothing
If someone dies, players need to justtoss them out of the wagon, and if an animal is injured, they need to be left behind. For those who want to win, there's no way around it. The 19th-century was hard, people didn't have time to grieve these losses if they wanted to live. This might sound harsh, but those who want to play the realities of this time should know what's coming.
2 Rivers And Other Obstacles
Sometimes players face crossroads, or more commonly, rivers. To avoid a fast and painful death, they need to remember, that anything over 3 feet deep cannot be crossed under any circ*mstances. To save on money, anything under 3 feet deep can be crossed, but it's still risky.
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Keeping this in mind, players should always have money saved up for unexpectedferry rides. Smart players will always have some spare money if anything happens, but try to add to that for these occasions. Even if a river seems crossable, it's the number one way to lose people.
1 Save Up Money For The Very Important Things
Just as in real life, sometimes people need to reachfor their wallets even when they don't want to. This can be for medicine, food, water, clothes, anything.Oregon Trail can also throw some curveballs in the direction of the player, so it's wise to always have money put aside.
More often than not, this will be spent on bullets, clothes, and food. But it should be kept in mind, that food gets more expensive the farther a player gets, so they should calculate their money accordingly. Also, those impromptu ferry rides and other expenses for the sake of the wagon or members can get quite pricey, and sometimes a player has no choice in the matter.
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