The Oregon Trail: Journey to Willamette Valley Board Game Review & Giveaway {FABulous Fall Giveaway Hop}

As the weather starts to cool down, we tend to spend more family time indoors. What could be more entertaining than playing a fun board game together? Pressman Toy has recently released The Oregon Trail: Journey to Willamette Valley, the third installment of The Oregon Trail game series based on the classic PC game. Gather your supplies and family members and see how far and how well you can go along the journey from Independence, MO to Willamette Valley!

About the game:

It’s 1844: You and your family have joined a wagon train in Independence, MO that is about to head to Willamette Valley to find your fortune in the West! Players will place tiles to discover the trails, rivers, forts, and towns ahead of them that they will move through to this new land. This scenic journey would almost be perfect… if it wasn’t for the disease, drowning, rattlesnakes and other hazards that will plague you along the way. You’ll need to hunt for food to avoid starvation, and with limited wagon space, you may need to choose between supplies and family members to keep moving along the trail. Until, eventually, you find yourself safe, in Willamette Valley. Relive your fond memories of one of the world’s most beloved computer games as you race your friends to victory in “The Oregon Trail: Journey to Willamette Valley.” For 2-4 players, ages 13 and up.


What's included in the game:

• 1 Game Board
• 48 Trail Tiles
• 32 Coins
• 1 Die
• 1 Hunting Stand
• Cards: 25 Hunting, 60 Calamities, 8 Wagon Upgrades, 8 Market Pieces
• 50 Small Supplies: 12 Pistols, 10 Compasses, 10 Medicine, 40 Meat
• 20 Large Supplies: 4 Shotguns, 6 Wagon Parts, 6 Winter Clothes, 4 Hitchhikers
• Player Pieces: 4 Wagons, 4 Boards, 4 Purple Family Members, 4 Yellow Family Members, 4 Red Family Members, 4 Blue Family Members
• Complete Instructions

The major difference between this new release and its earlier versions is that it has turned from a cooperative game to a competitive game that combines luck and strategy. To start, each player will serve as a pioneer and receive a wagon, family members, food, and a pistol. They must hunt for food along the way to keep family members alive. Otherwise, their funeral expenses will deduct from the total fortune and negatively impact the odds of winning.

During gameplay, each player can take up to three of the following actions: move, hunt, buy, pick up hitchhikers, and sell. Players must be strategic in their decision-making, including tile placement, which may gain you a head start toward the final destination. While getting there first does give you an advantage, but it doesn't guarantee winning. It is the player with the most money who wins at the end of the game, signaled by either a wagon reaching Willamette Valley or the last trail tile being placed on the board.

The game pieces are colorful and of great quality. I have to admit that the rules are a bit more complex than other board games that we typically play, but it's no doubt super fun to play and helps develop strategic thinking. The instructions video provided by Pressman Toy is very helpful and we got the hang of the game after a few trial runs. The game is a Target exclusive and retails for $39.99. It makes an awesome and collectible gift for fans of The Oregon Trail game.

The Giveaway

Pressman Toy has generously offered to give one of my lucky readers their very own copy of The Oregon Trail: Journey to Willamette Valley (ARV $39.99)! To enter, simply complete the entries below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up

Disclosure: I received a free product to facilitate my honest review. All views and opinions expressed are my own and may differ from yours. icefairy's Treasure Chest is not responsible for prize fulfillment.