A Bumpy Ride

Definitely a worthy entry into the "cozy train game" genre. It's best played a day or two at a time in small bits. There's a nice progression of unlocking areas and cosmetics, but the progress is a bit uneven in terms of how fast you unlock things. You'll need to have the patience to just appreciate some stretches where you're just rolling on the tracks without much else going on. The characters are cute and the low pixel art style is fitting. Expect to get about 8-10 hours of content out of it if you want to see the full game but not necessarily try to unlock everything.

This is a game that strikes an incredibly rare balance for a train sim to achieve, having just enough realism to be engaging and convincing, while being simple enough to not be burdensome to those who just want to have a cozy gaming experience. The world the developers have created is incredibly immersive and fun, filled with its own little lore, humor, and tons of character, that make the hours easily passable, and incentivize exploration. And if you're into railroad history, there's tons of details to look out for, including the design of locomotives and scenic assets that were inspired by their real-life counterparts. The sound design and original soundtrack are also incredible, and one could be forgiven for believing it was the work of the dedicated team of a AAA studio. Gameplay is addicting, as you'll find yourself experimenting with various combinations of unlockable upgrades to try to shave more time of your schedule, and encountering different challenges associated with each type of freight, and passenger, that get in the way of staying on-time. Even after opening up the entire map, and unlocking all achievements, there's still enough variation in each day to give it strong replay value, especially for anyone just looking to unwind with a dynamic, yet relaxing experience. Overall, this is a 10/10 experience, and you can tell this team are true masters of their craft. I greatly look forward to this studio's future work!

For Steamdeck users this game is borderline unplayable. Barely stable 30 fps and demanding areas dip to under 15 fps. How a game this simple can be so unoptimized is beyond me. I can play games like nier, dmc, doom etc with stable 60 fps and good graphic configurations but not this? I was looking forward to this game so much and now i am utterly dissapointed and frustrated. It is truly a shame that it has not yet been fixed. Overall from what i was able to play the gameplay is nice and cozy and a good time out to just chill and be a little cat conductor. I would love to try it again if it ever gets updated but rn, simply as a frustrated steamdeck player, i have to not recommend.

There is a very, very small population of people who want to get into Train Simulator but don't find it gamified, or simplified, enough. There is a similarly small population (maybe even rarer) who particularly enjoyed the Legend of Zelda: Spirit Track's train system. And a few lucky folks are both. I am one of those few, and this game felt made for me. Control a small, adorable train in a world peopled by small, adorable animal people, whom you shuttle between different stations. As you progress through the short campaign, accomplishing objectives at your leisure, you unlock new areas to explore and towns to serve. And I do mean explore: a short cutscene starts the game with your engineer losing their map, and you're forced to redraw it by traveling on the rails. Keep your travelers happy with fast service and by obeying rail rules, and you get money you can spend on skins (that have no effect, but there are plenty of them) or upgrades, like better brakes or a first class car. You can also unlock employees who confer bonuses for a delayed cost, and they work like equipable bonuses. Overall, I find it a brilliantly conceived and delivered game. Graphics are clearly inspired by the Nintendo DS, and are friendly and fun to interact with. Controls feel good, and it has got that "just one more day" addictive energy. Complete the campaign (it took me 6 hours) and you unlock a sort of Endless Mode that you feel like the entire game could have been and still been fun! So: kudos. I love it.

A really nice, simple game. Drive your train around. Find new paths. Follow the safety rules. It's small, not many paths to find (my one "complaint"). I reached the credits in around 6 hours. But during a very stressful week at work, this was the perfect game to come home, putter around for an hour or two, then put back down feeling more relaxed.

This game is an absolute gem. it's well polished, no real bugs that I can see, and it's absolutely stuffed with charm. My only complaint? That there's not enough here. The developer absolutely should contemplate post-launch content drops. because something tells me I'm not the only one who finds the ride rather...short.

The game play is very simple. The missions are fun. Earning awards, buying upgrades, or getting stocks makes the game interesting. Some Ideas: - A water scoop upgrade that allows you to fill your tanks while you ride through the bijou. - The ability to buy property (like a home station). - Buying other rail businesses in town (Blowhistle / Aurora) I have more ideas. TheRealJoshJX@Gmail.com for contact. Buy this game. Play this game. It's worth it, it's fun. Don't believe me? The demo is the exact game, but scaled back.