Train Valley

This is no "real" train simulation, rather a train-themed puzzle game. You lay tracks as best as the landscape and your budget permits, and send those little trains on their way, changing points as needed. Quite entertaining, not very long (~6 hours); there are some pseudo-randomized levels for replay value after beating the proper levels. The Linux version didn't save at first but that was fixed now!

Many of us have grown up with a childhood trainset of Hornby tracks and locomotives and smile to return to playing with trains without needing to sacrifice the entire bedroom floor. This game will scratch that itch with diverse engines, carriages, catenary, sound effects and animations. As mission time progresses, faster trains draw longer loads reminiscent of Tron and Snake. Limitations: • Train speed is just "full steam ahead" and "lock on the brakes". You can't slow down a train. You must stop it completely then start it from stationary. • Points are 1-to-2 only; no 1-to-3. • Trains passing through points in the 2-to-1 direction silently coerce the setting of the points without making the click sound of points changing. This will cost you trains. • A waiting train has a tiny square indicating its destination alpha-blended with the artwork. Once you click to begin its journey, this square enlarges and you realise that train needs to get to pale blue, not green as you thought. Yellow, not grey. Especially hard on nocturnal maps. Poor GUI decisions derail carefully planned timing. • All tracks are ground level, not elevated, yet you can lay track along roads without penalty and without crossings. There's no vehicle traffic, but still, this disrupts immersion. Bugs: • Stations spontaneously erupt from the ground, destroying track and trains in their way and disqualifying the "Do Not Crash Trains" and "Do Not Destroy Tracks" mission objectives. • Despite the "Input" screen telling you movement is WASD, Jump is space, Fire is Ctrl, etc. you cannot move your train(s) with WASD, jump them over obstacles, fire weaponry, etc. • Despite the "Settings" screen telling you that Escape or F10 brings you to the menu, pressing these keys often does nothing at all. Alt-F4 is the only clear way back to the menu. • Clicking the reverse direction widget teleports the locomotive to the other end of the train and shuffles the stock along a bit, causing collisions in tight spots.

Simple to learn, not that hard to master. Great little game to kill a few minutes or few hours. If you cannot afford electric toy train this is a must have game.

Amazing game that completely caught me by surprise. Every level feels different and is a joy to play. Also becomes challenging very quickly but it never becomes frustrating. On the contrary. You wanna replay levels constantly until you accomplish all expert tasks and for hunting the achievements. Very good game, must pick imo