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Minnesota Now with Nina Moini
Cathy Wurzer and Alex Cheng

Revisiting a conversation with one of The Oregon Trail's creators

Screenshot of Oregon Trail game: "Genevieve has a broken leg"
Chances are you’ve played the legendary educational computer game “The Oregon Trail,” which turns 50 years old this month and was actually developed right here in Minnesota.
Oregon Trail | Andrew Walsh Screencap

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If you went to school somewhere in the United States, sometime in the past 50 years, chances are you’ve played the legendary educational computer game “The Oregon Trail.”

Thanks to that game, millions of kids have forded rivers, hunted deer and, yes, even died of dysentery — all while learning about the perilous journey settlers took from Missouri to Oregon in the 19th century.

We revisited a conversation host Cathy Wurzer had about The Oregon Trail’s history and impact with Paul Dillenberger, one of the three co-creators of the original game.

This interview originally aired in December 2021. Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

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