Airport Madness: Time Machine

About

In "Airport Madness: Time Machine," players step into the role of an air traffic controller at a small grass airfield in 1925. As the game progresses, they'll witness the airport develop into a major international airport through 1970, watching as historic aviation events and milestones unfold. It's a journey through time, showcasing the evolution of aviation technology and airport infrastructure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Airport Madness: Time Machine screenshot

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 126 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

stability14 negative mentions

Engaging gameplay that creatively explores the history of aviation through various eras, providing a unique twist on the air traffic control simulation genre.
Excellent artwork and attention to detail, with charming graphics and immersive sound design that enhance the overall experience.
Addictive and challenging, with a good sense of progression as players manage increasingly complex airport operations over time.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including issues with planes getting stuck, taxiing at slow speeds, and erratic behavior during landings, which can lead to frustrating gameplay.
Lacks some features and polish found in previous entries in the series, such as the ability to select runways for takeoff and landing, which can make management feel tedious.
Limited replayability and content, with some players feeling that the game is shorter and less satisfying compared to other titles in the Airport Madness series.

graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
44%
19%
The game's graphics are a mixed bag, featuring charming and well-executed artwork with colorful animations that enhance the experience. However, some users noted issues with small sprites that can be difficult to spot, as well as occasional flickering in certain levels. Overall, while the graphics are generally satisfactory, they lack depth and could benefit from additional features.
- “The game's graphics are charming and well-executed, with colorful and detailed animations bringing the various aircraft and airports to life.”
- “I still need to finish the fantasy era, which has some more nice graphics (trains going around).”
- “There are some bugs, but the artwork is excellent and there are plenty of levels to power through.”
- “Graphically, the game is okay, but the sprites on certain levels are incredibly small. Green planes flying over fields can be particularly hard to spot even with their silhouettes, and on some of the space-age levels, these silhouettes occasionally flicker, which can prove somewhat off-putting!”
- “There were certain graphical features I wish this game had.”
- “Visually, the game is really underwhelming, but the graphics do their job.”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
57%
21%
"Airport Madness: Time Machine" offers a diverse and engaging gameplay experience, simulating the role of an air traffic controller across different historical eras. While the game is praised for its depth and challenge, players have reported frustrating glitches and collision mechanics that detract from the overall experience, leading to a recommendation to avoid purchasing it due to these issues.
- “From guiding biplanes in the early 20th century to managing sophisticated jets in the present day, 'Airport Madness: Time Machine' offers a diverse and exciting gameplay experience.”
- “The addition of historical events and milestones adds depth to the gameplay, making each level feel both challenging and informative.”
- “It's a very good game and provides a good gameplay equivalent of being an air traffic controller.”
- “Downsides are that sometimes traffic glitches (flies at taxi speed or doesn't follow taxiway routes) and also, it feels like there are mechanics to engineer collisions (for example, two aircraft landing of the same type. You tell number 1 to expedite vacating, yet halfway down the runway it slows down. The second one doesn't slow down and collides; it's stupid, as pilots would never do this in reality).”
- “Just some frustrating mechanics and bugs.”
- “Do not buy this game on its own as it contains bugs that make gameplay perform strange and counterintuitive.”
stability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including landing and taxiway glitches, traffic behavior issues, and collision mechanics that feel unrealistic. Players have expressed frustration with these stability problems, particularly in the PC version, which detracts from the overall experience compared to other well-polished titles. Despite its entertainment value, the instability significantly impacts gameplay.
- “Some annoying bugs, including the occasional landing and taxiway glitches.”
- “Downsides are that sometimes traffic glitches (flies at taxi speed or doesn't follow taxiway routes) and also, it feels like there are mechanics to engineer collisions. For example, two aircraft landing of the same type: you tell number 1 to expedite vacating, yet halfway down the runway it slows down. The second one doesn't slow down and collides; it's frustrating, as pilots would never do this in reality.”
- “If you get this as part of a bundle, expect some frustration over this buggy mess compared to the crisp and well-polished game that is AM: World Edition.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The game features well-crafted, era-appropriate music for each level, enhancing the immersive experience with tunes that reflect the respective time periods. Players have the option to toggle the music on or off, and while the music is limited to looping pieces, it effectively captures the essence of each decade. Overall, the soundtrack is praised for its thoughtful design and historical accuracy.
- “The various time periods are really well designed, with perfect era-appropriate music and well-researched aircraft.”
- “There's music that recalls pop tunes of each time period.”
- “Even the music changes, depending on the decade.”
- “The music is limited to looping time period pieces.”
- “The music recalls pop tunes of each time period, but it feels repetitive.”
- “Even the music changes depending on the decade, yet it lacks variety.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
38%
The game's story, while featuring a variety of eras and progressive mission levels, is considered unimportant by players. Although it introduces interesting settings like steampunk and futuristic airports, many feel it does not measure up to the narrative quality of its predecessor, Airport Madness 4.
- “This game has a story, but it's unimportant.”
- “Even though it holds its own well by introducing different eras and progressive mission-style levels, unfortunately, it feels like a step back from the excellent Airport Madness 4 version.”
- “After you complete 1970, there are some bonus missions set in a steampunk 1800s and a futuristic 2100s airport.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The game is perceived as relatively short, with some players completing it in around 9 hours, leading to concerns about its overall content and replayability. While it offers some depth and is easy to replay, many reviewers suggest that its predecessor, Airport Madness 4, provides a more enjoyable and replayable experience for a slightly higher price.
- “It could be considered rather short (I have 9 hours played and have completed the game!), but it's also very easily replayable and quite in-depth!”
- “If you were deciding to dabble into the genre, I would recommend its predecessor, Airport Madness 4. For a small price increase, you'll get a lot more fun and replayability out of it.”
- “- not enough content and little replayability value”
- “- not enough content and little replayability value”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by catchy newspaper article titles that provide a lighthearted touch, though it is noted that the overall comedic elements are somewhat limited. Players find the humor amusing, but it leans more towards a mobile or browser game style.
- “The game features a clever injection of humor through catchy newspaper article titles.”
- “It's a funny game, reminiscent of mobile and browser games.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the inability to select a runway for takeoff and the cumbersome method of dragging the plane to the landing runway. This mechanic detracts from the overall experience, making it feel more laborious.
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization allows players to replay years for improved performance and earn more stars, but this is not essential since there are no achievements tied to these actions.
- “You can get more stars if you replay some years with better performance, but it is not necessary as there are no achievements here.”