The Nogero Trail: press kit
Oregon, backwards. The pioneers were wrong. · Play it at nogerotrail.com
In one sentence
A free comedy game that plays the 1985 Oregon Trail in reverse: it's 2026, Portland rent is $3,100, and you drive back to a $189,000 four-bedroom in Independence, Missouri.
Fact sheet
- Title
- The Nogero Trail ("Oregon," backwards)
- Released
- October 2026
- Price
- Free. No ads, no signup, no app to install.
- Platform
- Any web browser, phone included (keyboard or touch)
- Made by
- John Crawford, solo project
- Route
- Portland, OR to Independence, MO: 1,990 miles, 19 stops
What's in it
- Three professions (Laid-off Tech Worker, Barista with an MFA, Lifestyle Influencer) and three vehicles (a 212k-mile Subaru, a used Tesla in charging deserts, a van-life Sprinter).
- Three arcade minigames: Fred Meyer Parking Lot Defense, Costco Sample Raid (instead of hunting) and Wyoming Wind.
- Multnomah Falls with sold-out permits, river crossings that are now construction zones, and I-70 through Kansas City on gameday.
- Ailments include COVID (again), doomscroll despair and gas station sushi. Players write their party's tombstones. The dog is always fine.
- The ending: you buy the house, and on Monday your company announces a mandatory return to office. In Portland.
- A weekly dare: everyone gets the same starting luck, and shared runs become challenges for friends.
Screenshots and clips
Free to use with coverage of the game. Click an image for the full-size file.
The ending
Multnomah Falls
Kansas City on gameday
The trading post at Fort Hall
River crossing
Title screen
Vertical trailer (32 s, 1080×1920, no audio): nogero-trail-trailer.mp4 (5.5 MB)