The Oregon Trail Card Game

As an '80s kid, one of my earliest PC memories was the video game The Oregon Trail.  In this game, prevalent in elementary schools of the era, you led a wagon group, bought supplies, and headed west.  Your party's goal was to take the famous trail from Missouri to Oregon.  Along the way, many pitfalls could ensnare you- disease, famine, mechanical trouble . . . you name it.  It was hard to win (most or all of your party generally died, sometimes in amusing ways) but fun to play.  Recently, they released a card game of the same name.  It makes every attempt to capture the spirit of the original- from 8-bit graphics to the varied (and still amusing) modes of death.  Let's see how it plays.

Overview
In The Oregon Trail Card Game, your goal is to get from Missouri to Oregon.  You and 1-5 other players start by drawing 5 trail cards and a number of supply cards (the number of these depends on how many are playing).  You then take turns laying trail cards, ensuring that the green trail aligns with the previously laid track (the below illustration gives you the idea).  Certain trail cards can do things like:

• Make you ford a river (roll a die; if even, proceed.  If odd, discard a supply card).
• Make you draw a calamity card and do as instructed on it.  Generally these are bad- things like giving a party member dysentery, suffering a wagon breakdown, having a thief steal supplies, or making one of the group enter politics (just kidding on that last one).

If you can ford the rivers and overcome the calamities, there's a chance you can re-stock (at a fort or town) and continue your journey.  Can at least one of the party make it all the way (symbolized by completing 50 trail cards)?  If so, you all win.  But chances are better that you'll all die.

the game contents

Simplified Gameplay
Each turn, a player must:
- Play a trail OR supply card if they can.

• Trail cards may specify you draw a calamity card or roll a die to attempt fording a river, as discussed above.
• Supply cards are generally played in response to a calamity, which will specify which type of supply is necessary (if any) to overcome and continue.  You can play a supply card to help another party member.

- If a player cannot play a supply card AND has no suitable trail cards (meaning they don't have a card that aligns with the current trail), they must draw a trail card instead.

examples of calamities

- After playing or drawing a card, the player's turn ends, and play proceeds clockwise (I think . . . it doesn't really matter which direction) until everyone has reached Oregon (by playing 50 trail cards) or died.


Review
This game had potential but is poorly done.  The rules are confusing and the randomized trail deck means that it's possible to encounter no towns or forts early, making it nearly impossible to win.  In fact, I wonder if it's possible to win at all.  I played two games; both were over within minutes, with the same morbid result.  It was good for a quick laugh and recalling a fond memory of my youth . . . but this won't see further play at my house unless I can make some house rules to increase the odds of victory.

UPDATE
I played again with the following 'house rules':

1. Players can reveal their supply and trail cards to each other at any time
2. When at a town or fort, each player can draw supply cards (not just the player who played the town or fort)
3. When fording a river, the player who played the trail card rolls the die.  On even, play continues.  On odd, the player discards a supply card and play continues (meaning successive players don't have to keep rolling until an even is rolled)

These house rules made the game more palatable.  It's still not great- mostly good for a chuckle before you move on to more interesting fare- but the odds of winning (for a 2-player game, anyway) go up substantially (though still a longshot).

Rating: C