Occasionally we find something just so quirky and fun, that it demands a mention! I will admit that like many people, I grew up outside of Oregon with this perspective that Oregon was a combination of challenges found in the classic educational game, ‘The Oregon Trail‘. It was a dark vision in which Oregonians lost oxen daily trying to ford the Willámette, people had ridiculous names, and cholera was endemic to the region. I’ve learned better since then, and now find myself reliving the nostalgia in a new parody of the classic called ‘The Organ Trail’.

It is available online for free, and while graphically and technically very similar to the educational game of historical value this one is focused on preparedness and survival amidst a zombie apocalypse. The objective is still to reach Oregon, in this case a safe haven. You still have to go hunting (while avoiding zombies), ford rivers (of agitated zombies), and deal with disease (like incurable zombie bites).

While entertaining and playing off the pop-culture craze of zombies, it does have a lot of important messages that link back to preparedness for any sort of disaster. Do you have enough food to last several days? How will you distribute that food? Do you have enough medical supplies in case some one breaks a leg or gets sick? Is your vehicle properly maintained and fueled up? The developers, The Men Who Wear Many Hats, hope to release a downloadable and mobile version in the near future. It took me about two hours of gameplay to reach Oregon, and while it does contain mature messages the game uses the family friendly feel of the classic.

Photo: Parody Box Art from The Men Who Wear Many Hats