HOW TO PLAY THE OREGANO TRAIL
Tips for getting your wagon from Independence to Oregon alive.
1. PICK A PROFESSION
Your profession sets your starting money and how much your final score is worth.
| Profession | Starting cash | Score | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banker | $1,600 | ×1 | Your first trip. Money fixes most problems. |
| Carpenter | $800 | ×2 | Half the time, fixes a broken wagon part without using a spare. |
| Farmer | $400 | ×3 | Players chasing a high score. |
2. SHOP SMART IN INDEPENDENCE
Prices only go up as you head west: each fort charges more than the last. Buy most of what you need before you leave.
- Oxen. At least three yoke. More oxen keep the wagon moving when one dies or gets hurt.
- Food. Plan on roughly 300 pounds or more for five people, then top up by hunting.
- Clothing. Two sets per person. Cold and blizzards in the mountains are where under-dressed parties fall apart.
- Spare parts. Two or more. A broken axle with no spare can strand you. Fort Hall sells spare parts at eastern prices.
- Ammunition. Ten boxes is plenty to start. Every shot costs money.
3. SET THE PACE AND RATIONS
Pace is how hard you push: steady, strenuous, or grueling. Rations are how much everyone eats: filling, meager, or bare bones. Faster and hungrier gets you there sooner, but health drops quickly. Steady and filling is the safe default. When health slips to poor, rest at a landmark for a few days.
4. CROSS RIVERS SAFELY
At each river you can ford, caulk the wagon and float it, take the ferry, or wait a day. The screen shows the depth, and the depth is what matters:
- Ford when the water is shallow, under about two feet. Past two and a half feet, a tipped wagon can drown someone. Rain makes fording riskier.
- Caulk and float for deep water. It can still tip, but nobody drowns off a floated wagon.
- The ferry costs money and is always safe.
- Wait a day and the river usually drops a little. Patience is free.
5. HUNT FOR FOOD
Hunting is the cheapest way to keep everyone fed. Bison carry the most meat, deer are common, and rabbits and squirrels are small but quick. You can carry at most 200 pounds back to the wagon from one hunt, so don't waste ammunition on more than you can haul.
6. MAKE THE HARD CALLS
Along the way the trail asks questions: help a stranded family, take a shortcut, drink from a doubtful spring. Each choice has a cost. Read the situation, think about what you're carrying, and remember that the party leader's death ends the journey.
THE ROUTE
The trail runs 2,040 miles from Independence, Missouri, past the Kansas and Big Blue rivers, Fort Kearney, Chimney Rock, Fort Laramie, Independence Rock, South Pass, Fort Bridger, Soda Springs, Fort Hall, the Snake River, Fort Boise, the Blue Mountains and The Dalles, to the Willamette Valley in Oregon.
See every stop in the landmarks guide, and what can kill your party in ways to die on the trail. Still stuck? The FAQ has more answers.
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