Derail Valley

Last update was August 2025 outside of a small Unity update that literally every other Unity game made (even ones that were released on the other side of 2020) because of security issues. That's almost a year now without ZERO communication. Devs want us to wait until *the end* of 2027 for another update, and 2028 for the one after that. This is absurd. We're supposed to just trust that a team living off of sales (of a game that's now gone almost 1 year without updates and with an anemic player count according to steam charts) will last long enough to complete it. Been in EA for 7 years, and somehow think that saying "We're going to go silent and not say anything for 2 years, just trust us" is reasonable. It's absurd. Utterly, utterly absurd. If only the other train simulators on Steam, that are actually updated and maintained by their teams, weren't $1,000,000 for the game + DLCs. If the game were in a better state bug and performance wise, taking 1 year for a new update with regular monthly/bi-monthly updates would be reasonable. Leaving the game as it is now for 2 years with little more than "Trust me, bro" is nonsensical.

No other train game scratches the itch quite like this one. It just feels so physical that I have to keep reminding myself I’m just sitting in my chair looking at a screen. The jointed track sounds are perfect, the rolling sounds of wheel on rail are sublime, shunting is such a fun challenge - again I come back to that word “physical”. I love just standing my player on the buffer of a car as I’m fly shunting into a siding, timing the release of air from the brakes just-so to come to a perfect stop. Great variety of locos and rolling stock - perhaps the best simulation of steam locos in any game? And so many different ways to play. If you just fancy unloading deliveries and getting rolling stock ready for hauling, you can do that. Or if you just want to haul longer distances, you can do that too. Can only imagine how good this is in VR. Multiplayer would be the icing on the cake.

[h1] One of the best train sims on the market at the moment. [/h1] [u] Bottom line up front: Despite being in early access, the game feels feature-complete as-is and is worth the asking price. Additionally, it serves as a great entry point into the train sim genre with better pricing than most. [/u] Derail Valley to me feels like an honest attempt to peel back the sterile environment most train sims provide, where failure feels more like a slap on the wrist instead of a genuine setback with financial consequences. Compared to other sims, it feels a lot more freeform - more focused on player-imposed goals and less on completing dev-intended modules. [h1] Consequences? In my train sim? You bet. [/h1] In most other sims I played, failure to abide by track rules is left unpunished at worst and barely punished at best. You'll maybe get a few points deducted here, or the game might yell at you through a text box telling you that you didn't obey track rules, but in the end it doesn't really amount to much. Here, however, your failure to abide by standard operating procedures actually carries a tangible weight and financial burden. If you ignore track signage while hauling cargo, you WILL derail 9 times out of 10, and from then on it's your responsibility to pick up the pieces. If the cargo is salvageable, then you can go ahead and finish the job to recoup some of your losses, but if you destroy a locomotive or, even worse, derail with hazardous (even potentially explosive) materials in tow, this can set you back for a very long time. [h1] But it doesn't have to be this way [/h1] The game offers a save-load system if you think that this punishment is a bit too harsh along with an option to limit these saves if you think the game's not being draconian enough. Moreover, the entire experience is customizable, right down to being able to disable derailing if you so desire. Want to wait longer for your brake reservoir to fill? What about cutting your job payments down to pennies and skyrocketing the cost of damage fees? You can do that, and much more. The game really does allow for you to make it as casual as you want, all the way down to your choice of locomotive. [h1] Big trains, little trains, steam trains [/h1] The basic locomotive you start in is one that practically anyone (even without sim knowledge) could drive around. While it does help, you don't need to know much about the inner workings diesel electric to drive it around the yard and do a few basic jobs here and there, but after getting a few jobs under your belt, your choices can broaden a bit. From a single diesel-hydraulic with similar but distinct handling characteristics to your starting diesel electric all the way to 20th century steam trains which could very well stand alone in their own game, there's a lot of variety in the game's small handful of locomotives, and they each feel like their own playable character in a sense - even the endgame diesel electric has distinct mechanics from the one your start in. [h1] Unfortunately, there are some problems, though not many.[/h1] For one, if you want to run any of these locomotives in the game's sandbox mode, you have to have a save wherein they're unlocked in career mode. Additionally, due to the game still being in early access, there's a fair bit of terrain clipping and odd geometry dotted throughout the map (track ballasts floating in mid air, trees clipping through tracks, stretched textures on some cliffs, etc). Additionally, there's the odd rendering error with certain game assets not appearing while remaining functional (though, this primarily exists with brake hoses, so it's nothing too game-breaking) [h1] Verdict [/h1] If you're curious about the train sim genre, this serves as an excellent entry point compared to the more timetable-focused games in the genre, and if you're acclimated to the genre, then the career-based structure of the game provides a novel experience you can't really find in other sims. It rarely goes on sale, so the price you see it at right now is more than likely the price you will always pay for it.

Excellent game, leading to absolutely too much time in front of the computer. First world problem.

Amazing hidden gem of a game. Good graphics and great performance. Really well thought out open world-like map and career, it bridges the gap between a serious "simulator" and a normal "game". Everything is polished, intuitive and very fun.

It's a solid train sim game. A bit overwhelming at first but once you get the idea of the flow of the game it's not bad. Development is slow, but there's plenty in the game to sink some hours in. If you don't understand something Youtube has plenty of videos explaining this game.

I like trains. A fun chill game for people who like trains. Yes you can derail and no it's not fun.

It took 27.9 hours of play time to complete 2 missions. Is it for everyone, probably not. The learning curve is harsh. Like learning algebra. But once you figure out how it works, becomes like any other puzzle. I tried and stuck with it. After doin two jobs, now I can kind of like it and feel ok toward continuing. I recommend it because it has some serious long play value and if you like trains, it has stunning sounds and visuals. Not the hardest game to learn by far. It just takes a bit of effort. I must also add the 27 hours of play time is not all trying. Probably 20 hours was goofing around. I like it. It is addicting. When you discover the car you need is in the back of the pack, and somehow you got to get it, and then move others out of the way, and then back up and all that jizz....you will either love or hate it.