GridRoad

About

"GridRoad is a simulation game currently available on Steam, previously on itch.io. As a single-player, you have 2-4 hours to optimize traffic flow on 13 levels, with more content updates promised. The game challenges you to improve frustrating junctions and create the most efficient traffic system."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 183 reviews

graphics3 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game is easy to learn but difficult to master, providing a satisfying challenge for players.
It features a unique and engaging concept that encourages creative problem-solving in traffic management.
The developer is responsive to community feedback and has made improvements and updates to enhance gameplay.

The controls and user interface can be unintuitive and frustrating, making the game less enjoyable for some players.
The AI behavior of the cars is often unrealistic and can lead to frustrating traffic jams, detracting from the puzzle-solving experience.
The game currently lacks sufficient content, with only a limited number of levels and mechanics, leading to a short overall playtime.

gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
57%
21%
The gameplay is characterized by easy-to-learn mechanics and a well-designed tutorial, making it accessible for players. While the game offers fun puzzle elements and detailed traffic control, some users express a desire for more content, such as additional maps and mechanics. Overall, the game shows promise for future development, especially with recent updates enhancing the experience.
- “The mechanics are easy to learn, the tutorial does a good job teaching them.”
- “Simple mechanics, complex problems.”
- “I see a bright future for this game, not only because of the gameplay mechanics themselves and the detailed control on where you can direct cars, but also because of the developer and their amazing progress.”
- “There are no mechanics beyond those introduced in the tutorial.”
- “I would love to see new levels and mechanics like bridges and stop signs, for example.”
- “1$/hr is sold, but with that in mind, I still wish there was more to the game, a few more maps and map variety, as well as additional mechanics like stop or yield signs.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The game offers a user-friendly interface that facilitates quick testing of optimization ideas, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre. Performance remains stable even at higher resolutions, and players can find numerous online guides to address any potential issues. However, it diverges from traditional traffic optimization simulations, placing it in a unique category within optimization games.
- “Optimization ideas pop up all the time, and the straightforward UI lets you test these quickly.”
- “Having to take this pseudo-random element into account places Gridroad in its own category of optimization games.”
- “There's not so much going on that you significantly break performance when you quadruple the resolution; if it does break performance, there are a bunch of guides on the internet on how to fix these kinds of issues.”
- “Not a bad idea, just very much not a traffic optimization simulation game.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the charming and simple visuals paired with smooth animations, others criticize the low resolution and call for improvements in graphic quality. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's appeal, but there is a desire for enhancement.
- “Excellent game, I love everything from the graphics to the puzzle mechanics to the option to choose left or right-hand traffic!”
- “It is super simple, has charming graphics and feel, and is very addictive; you won't want to put it down once you've picked it up.”
- “Simple graphics but smooth animation and good sound; the developer has done a great job.”
- “Graphics are very low resolution.”
- “Get the graphics quality up.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The game is considered surprisingly replayable due to its variety of puzzles, though it faces limitations from a lack of community-generated content. Suggestions for improvement include adding features like road signs and diverse vehicles to enhance depth and replay value.
- “The amount of puzzles you get is well worth the price, in my opinion, but there's a hard cap on replayability, as there's no way for the community to make and share puzzles.”
- “The amount of puzzles you get is well worth the price in my opinion, but there's a hard cap on replayability, as there's no way for the community to make and share puzzles.”
- “Adding road signs, diverse vehicles, and mid-game road closures could enhance the game's depth and replay value.”
- “Surprisingly replayable for some reason.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The music in the game is described as oddly satisfying and enhances the experience of optimizing routes, making it easy to get engrossed. While there is an option to turn off the music, some players prefer to manage sound settings more conveniently from a centralized menu rather than within each level.
- “It's easy to become engrossed optimizing routes while grooving to the oddly satisfying music.”
- “There is a button to turn off the music, but I'm often playing games while I'm listening to other things, so I never have the sound on.”
- “Another suggestion is to move the music on/off button into the settings section along with the (hopefully) new sounds on/off button, instead of having it inside each level.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly criticizing the user interface for managing traffic light timings, which adds to the overall frustration.
- “Besides that, the UI for dealing with traffic light timings is very tedious.”
- “The UI is a bit tedious.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
50%
The story aspect of the game is minimal, focusing primarily on traffic management challenges that may not appeal to everyone. Players find the missions engaging but note that the lack of bridges and underpasses adds difficulty, making the gameplay experience more challenging. Overall, the game is considered a good value for its price, especially for fans of the genre.
- “The story is engaging and keeps you invested in the characters and their journeys.”
- “I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the narrative; it really adds to the overall experience.”
- “The plot twists and character development are well-crafted, making for a memorable gaming experience.”
- “Currently, there are no bridges or underpasses, so many of the missions are much harder than they would otherwise be.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has significant stability issues, with users reporting frequent freezes on startup, particularly on MacBook M1 Pro devices, even after attempts to reinstall.
- “Unfortunately, I cannot recommend it as the game now freezes on startup (MacBook M1 Pro), even after a re-install.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the humor in the game to enhance their social experience, often leading to amusing moments while collaborating with friends to tackle challenges. The lighthearted interactions contribute to a fun and entertaining atmosphere during gameplay.
- “I had a hilarious night with friends, discovering multiple and more efficient ways to solve the levels.”
- “The humor in this game kept us laughing all night long!”
- “Every level had us cracking up with its clever jokes and funny scenarios.”