They’ve already remade The Oregon Trail into a card game and a handheld toy. Might as well expand it into every avenue available, so this time around, they’re turning it into a full-fledged tabletop adventure with The Oregon Trail: Journey to Willamette Valley.
That’s right, the classic computer game is now a full-fledged board game that you can bust out to keep a group of friends entertained in the living room. Whether you’re old enough to actually remember playing the original game, a younger player fascinated by people that die from dysentery, or just someone looking to add something new to your tabletop playing options, this board game should make for a great way to spend some quiet time with family and friends.
The Oregon Trail: Journey to Willamette Valley, basically, lays out the path you’ll be traveling in a game board, charting every step of your journey from Independence, Missouri to seek out your fortunes out West using tiles that hide surprises under their scenic facade. You’ll encounter rivers, forts, and small towns along the way, each of which can either bring much-needed help or present new hazards to your journey. To those unfamiliar with the game, these hazards include rattlesnakes, drowning, and contracting incurable diseases, among other fun ways to meet your demise.
As with the original game, you’ll need to organize your traveling party, hunt wild animals to avoid dying from starvation, and acquire much-needed supplies along the way. Since we haven’t seen the actual game, we don’t know the details about every single thing that can happen on the journey, although we hope they updated it with a few more bizarre events just to make things more interesting. We mean, it’s no longer the educational game it once was, so let’s just make it crazy fun.
Along with the game board and tiles, the Oregon Trail: Journey to Willamette Valley comes with a set of dice and action cards, so it’s very much a modern board game that will require some strategic playmaking along with a little bit of luck. We’re not completely sure about the gameplay, but we’re guessing it’s a cooperative game with one player designated as the wagon leader, so expect a whole lot of arguing over each and every play. Yeah, sounds fun, especially for those times you’ll need to ditch a traveling companion to make extra room for cargo. We can’t imagine that ending all too well, either.
The game is designed for two to four players, with each game estimated to run between 30 minutes to one hour, so this can make for a fun activity, whether you’re hanging out with your kids or having a few drinks with friends. Just like the Oregon Trail card game and handheld game, this is a Target exclusive, so you can only get it from the outfit’s website or at a local store.
Want one? The Oregon Trail: Journey to Willamette Valley is priced at $39.99.