Mini Metro

From the store point of view, labeling Mini Metro as a "Simulator" is ... wrong. The goal of the game isn't building a system so ideal you can leave it running mostly by itself - it's not a simulator like Transport Tycoon might be. This game needs constant attention, adjustments, fixes. If I had to label it... action puzzle? Anyway, Mini Metro shows all that I value in indie, small, niche games. The game is laid out so obviously you don't need a tutorial (game has one just to be extra super safe) and doesn't include anything that would obscure the idea. The game has just enough mechanics to be challenging and fun to play without really requiring you to consciously process them. Everything is just SO OBVIOUS. Well done! The game has a clear scoring system, and just keeps going faster and faster and faster and then boom game over. I didn't get to play any 8-bits, but it feels like one. Okay, this won't get you hooked for hours and hours straight, but a level here, daily challenge there, it will pile up to worryingly high numbers (given how simple the game feels). And you can see yourself on a histogram of the daily challenge score. Single player score, daily competition with the rest of world and "achievement" style challenges give you both a clear measure of your progress and something to return to. Twenty minutes a piece, every day again and again. Definitely near the top of time enjoyed per money spent. Quite a feat for a simple little thing, Mini Metro.

You have to arrange railroads by drawing lines between different shapes. Over time, more and more "people" want to take the train, and basically you transport as many as you can until the network is overwhelmed. When you want to unwind, this is the game to play. Simple, relaxing and entertaining.

Deceptively simple. Very replayable. Meditative.

Its a fun single player game, I understand that RNG prevents you from just looking up the solution online and makes it more important to actually understand your strategy. HOWEVER, RNG can also do you really dirty. I don't know if there's a any real solution for this dilemma, but sometimes getting 0 bridge tiles can be really frustrating.

The idea is very simple - stations appear one at a time on the map, and you have a limited number of lines and trains (and tunnels and carriages) to connect them up into a working transport network. As time passes, more and more passengers appear, and your aim is to use your assets as efficiently as possible to prevent overcrowding. The UI is easy to use, and allows editing the network while it is running or when paused. It's very easy to draw lines between stations, and to grab trains and assign them to the lines. (There is no timetabling to worry about - each train just shuttles back and forth along its line, or round and round if it is a loop). Despite the simplicity, the system is very responsive to small changes, and tweaking ot to keep going as long as possible is a super fun challenge. Games are quite quick - you have to be quite good to last more than 20 mins - and there is plenty of variety both because of the random way the stations appear, and because there are a variety of cities with different charateristics to choose from. Strong recommend!