Culture on My Mind
Oregon Trail
May 17, 2024

This week, thanks to the Gaming Historian, I’m thinking about my early days with computer games.

In the mid-1980s, my school had a room full of Apple II computers. They had chunky keyboards, electric green monitors, and 5-1/4″ floppy disk drives. They’re prehistoric by modern standards, but the Apple II was an important milestone in home computing as one of the first successful mass-produced microcomputers.

Once or twice a week, for about 30 minutes or so, we were taken to the computer lab and allowed to play with whatever programs suited the teacher’s whims. My first experience was with the Logo programming language which drove a sprite called Turtle around the screen using simple commands. I also learned to play games like Number Munchers, Word Munchers, and Odell Lake.

But the big one – and the most obvious for members of my generation – was Oregon Trail. I remember trying to figure out the best way to win the game and trying different iterations over several visits to the computer lab. The easiest path was to start as a banker who could buy nearly unlimited supplies and pay for services, but the challenge was to start with fewer resources and learn how to manage everything on the trek across the country.

I remember the sense of victory after finally rafting down the Columbia River and arriving in the Willamette Valley. Looking back, Oregon Trail was a simple game, but that moment was huge for a young kid.

About a month ago, the Gaming Historian published a deep-dive story about the origins and popularity of the game. Over 90 minutes, so many memories came flooding back as I learned all about this simple yet amazing game.

Check it out here or on YouTube, and don’t die of dysentery.

Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

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