Mini Motorways

Being stuck in traffic is never a good time. But what if you could control the traffic by placing and rearranging roads at will? Mini Motorways allows you to do just that, in the most relaxing way possible.

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Mini Motorways is a single-player platformer game with poor storyline but phenomenal game mechanics, impressive visuals, and stunning music. As the city's traffic manager, players draw roads to keep the city moving, with various upgrades and modes to explore. Despite being occasionally buggy, its fabulous atmosphere and high replayability make it a unique and enjoyable gaming experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Game Brain Reviews

Casual Traffic Management

In Mini Motorways you have to manage the traffic in big cities like London, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. The concept is super simple. Connect color-coded garages to their same-colored warehouse counterparts. The cars will automatically take the best route to the warehouse and drive back.

So far so simple. As a traffic manager you have roads, traffic lights, round abouts, bridges, and highways in your arsenal - but you only get new resources at the end of a week. In the beginning the traffic is slow and easy to manage but as the city grows, streets get congested and you wish you had just one more highway to relieve traffic.

You can pause or speed up the time as you want, that means you can build without any time pressure. This also makes this game perfect for playing on the side, e.g. when commuting in real world public transportation with a steam deck. It's super simple to jump out and get back in without too much "soooo where was?"

There is great pride in building the streets, bridges, and highways in a way that traffic runs smoothly, give it a go!

Verdict 85%

Mini Motorways makes you feel like a boss in traffic management - until it shows you that you were doomed to fail from the start. But always while looking cute.

super quick to learn
casual/short sessions possible
cute to look at
cities could be more differentiated

- David from Game Brain

Reviews

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 13,906 reviews

gameplay271 positive mentions

story30 negative mentions

gameplay
857 mentions
32 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of *Mini Motorways* is characterized by its simple yet engaging mechanics that allow players to connect houses and businesses through road networks, creating a balance between strategy and relaxation. While the game is easy to pick up, it offers a depth that becomes increasingly challenging as players progress, with a soothing aesthetic and soundtrack enhancing the experience. However, some players find the gameplay repetitive over time and express a desire for more varied mechanics and objectives to maintain long-term engagement.
- “Super addictive, solid design and gameplay; played it for 8 hours straight without even thinking about it.”
- “I love how easy it is to pick up and intuitive the gameplay is, but how challenging it gets as you progress.”
- “Its simple yet challenging gameplay, paired with soothing visuals and music, makes for a highly enjoyable experience.”
- “Gameplay is very shallow, especially since the selection of upgrades is so limited.”
- “The gameplay gets pretty repetitive, and I hope the developers add more features to improve this.”
- “Unfortunately, unlike mini metro, the gameplay is the same in every city.”
graphics
650 mentions
48 % positive mentions
51 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their minimalist aesthetic, which is both visually appealing and functional, allowing players to focus on gameplay without distractions. Reviewers highlight the smooth animations, charming art style, and soothing color palettes that enhance the overall experience, making it relaxing yet engaging. The combination of simple yet effective visuals and a well-designed soundscape contributes to a calming atmosphere, making it a joy to play.
- “The game's minimalist aesthetic is both visually appealing and functional, allowing players to focus on strategic planning without unnecessary distractions.”
- “The visuals are so pleasing and fun to look at, with a charming minimalist art style that enhances the gameplay experience.”
- “The graphics are simple, clean, and appealing, perfectly complementing the game's relaxing and strategic nature.”
- “The graphics leave much to be desired, but the game is only $10, so there's that.”
- “The game can just be flat out boring too with a lack of any good music and simplistic visuals whose charm wears off fast.”
- “It's a fun game for the first 8-10 hours, then you realize the building placement follows a simple set of rules which not only prevent you from building a truly efficient, aesthetically pleasing traffic grid but, worse, quickly become a monotonous challenge.”
music
450 mentions
38 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as soothing and relaxing, enhancing the overall gameplay experience with its calming ambiance. Many players appreciate the minimalist and dynamic soundtrack that adapts to in-game events, creating a zen-like atmosphere, although some find it repetitive or annoying over time. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's charm, there are calls for better audio controls to allow players to customize their listening experience.
- “The clean design, combined with a soothing soundtrack, creates a relaxing yet engaging experience.”
- “With the beautiful synth soundtrack, though, that is tuned to the beats of your traffic, Mini Motorways always fits that balance between chill and stressful in its game.”
- “The soothing soundtrack further enhances the atmosphere, creating a zen-like experience that belies the intense strategic thinking required to succeed.”
- “The soundtrack really sucks and is downright annoying on pause.”
- “The music isn't that great.”
- “The only downside I see is the very minimalistic soundtrack, just not my type.”
replayability
215 mentions
55 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptional replayability, with players highlighting its randomization of city layouts, various challenges, and multiple game modes that keep each session fresh and engaging. Many reviews emphasize the game's ability to provide unique experiences every time, making it suitable for both casual play and competitive score-chasing. Overall, it is described as infinitely replayable, offering a blend of simplicity and depth that encourages repeated play.
- “It has amazing depth and replayability.”
- “With businesses and houses being randomly placed each time you play a map, each round is never the same and has fantastic replay value.”
- “Mini Motorways offers high replayability with its endless mode and daily challenges.”
- “I must say that the game has some replay value, once you get accustomed to the intended way the cities are meant to be built the challenge disappears but it's entertaining anyway and it really stands out as a road builder among others, its simplicity and calm visuals are very comforting to watch.”
- “While the game is relatively simple and is the same thing every round, the variation with the bridges and other tiles makes it replayable.”
- “In the end, however, what condemns this game for me is that it has all the replayability of tic-tac-toe!”
story
103 mentions
7 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
29 % negative mentions
The majority of reviews indicate that the game lacks a significant story, with many users appreciating its casual gameplay and the absence of a narrative focus. While some players enjoy the freedom to engage with the game without the pressure of a storyline, others express a desire for more depth or objectives to enhance the experience. Overall, the game is characterized as a relaxing, puzzle-oriented experience rather than a story-driven one.
- “Great storyline, characters, and unique gameplay.”
- “The story is you come to an empty city, watch it expand, and then see it become a concrete jungle, like in real life :)”
- “I bought this as a filler game until the next story game came out, but I love it and it has turned into my go-to game.”
- “This game has no plot and no point, and yet it will suck hours away from your life without you even knowing it.”
- “No story, no objectives, no bonus goals.”
- “I don't understand why there is no story mode or something where you start from easy levels.”
optimization
71 mentions
30 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its simple mechanics that allow for deep strategic planning and problem-solving. However, some users report performance issues, particularly on older hardware and specific platforms like macOS, where the game can be resource-intensive and experience stuttering. Overall, while the game offers a satisfying optimization experience, there are calls for further improvements in performance and optimization features.
- “It is simple at the start, but it just gives you time to figure out necessary optimizations in road planning while gradually increasing the difficulty.”
- “Lovely little game, all about optimization of your routes and making sure you get as many cars to their destination as possible with the weekly resources you get.”
- “It's challenging but fun to find ways to strategically plan your roads out and use the tools at your disposal for optimal performance.”
- “The underlying engine of the game seems bloated for a simple game like this, which is the cause of late game stuttering, broken car AI, and buggy motorway attachments even on relatively competitive hardware.”
- “Game is extremely unoptimized - it consumes more PC resources than huge 3D projects.”
- “This change took away a bunch of optimization strategies for large traffic flows and honestly the game is just no longer as fun to play - as 'solving' the puzzle requires randomly given upgrades instead of careful intersection planning.”
humor
65 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players finding joy in the absurdity of traffic jams, funny sound effects, and chaotic road management. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to turn frustrating scenarios into comedic experiences, making it a source of laughter and entertainment, especially when competing with friends. Overall, the game's lighthearted approach and whimsical elements contribute to its charm and addictive nature.
- “Mini Motorways is a hilarious and addictive game that turns road management into an exasperating adventure.”
- “It's hilarious how every game ends up looking like a hellish maze of steel and pavement, no matter how practical you originally intended it to be.”
- “It's funny because they made you to be the greatest metro engineer ever to walk on earth and then they said, 'Forget it, we need the damn roads anyway.'”
grinding
52 mentions
6 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be excessively tedious and repetitive, often requiring significant time investment for achievement hunters. While some players find the initial challenges engaging, many express frustration with the grindy nature of gameplay, particularly when it comes to road management and achievement completion. Overall, the experience can feel rewarding for some, but it often devolves into a chore, especially in later stages.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “There's nothing that makes the game feel like a chore, no grinding, no daily logins, nothing.”
- “Very easy-going game that requires no grinding.”
- “You can only keep tediously redrawing hundreds of tiny roads again and again.”
- “This results in gameplay that is tedious and not particularly rewarding.”
- “Its fun for a good while, but with achievement hunting it makes the game more tedious to return to.”
stability
31 mentions
13 % positive mentions
3 % neutral mentions
84 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern among users, with many reporting frequent bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, particularly during late-game scenarios. While some players experience smooth performance on certain hardware, others face frustrating issues like freezing, unresponsive AI, and problematic road editing features. Overall, the game is described as enjoyable but plagued by instability that detracts from the experience.
- “Runs great on my desktop and my garbage laptop.”
- “Bug free.”
- “Good: nice simple visuals and sound/music, controls are easy and it's pretty bug free.”
- “Constantly buggy.”
- “Really unplayable buggy; adding a roundabout over an existing intersection caused the cars to freeze, thus resulting in failure of the daily challenge (which only has 1 attempt to submit your best score).”
- “The underlying engine of the game seems bloated for a simple game like this, which is the cause of late game stuttering, broken car AI, and buggy motorway attachments even on relatively competitive hardware.”
atmosphere
23 mentions
52 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of *Mini Motorways* is widely praised for its calming and tranquil qualities, enhanced by a soothing soundtrack and minimalist sound design. Players appreciate the game's ability to create a zen-like experience that balances strategic gameplay with a relaxing ambiance, making it both rewarding and therapeutic. Overall, the charming and atmospheric elements contribute significantly to the game's appeal, inviting players to immerse themselves in its serene environment.
- “Relaxing soundtrack: the calming music and sound effects enhance the overall experience, creating a soothing atmosphere that makes it easy to get lost in the gameplay for extended periods.”
- “The soothing and atmospheric sound design of Mini Motorways enhances the calming and contemplative nature of the game.”
- “The game is surprisingly very intriguing and fun along with the cozy atmospheric vibes.”
- “Not too much tension to destroy the overall calm atmosphere or to make you feel anything other than bliss.”
- “Very therapeutic in both the atmosphere of the game and the sounds.”
- “The soothing soundtrack further enhances the atmosphere, creating a zen-like experience that belies the intense strategic thinking required to succeed.”
emotional
15 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its wholesome and relaxing experience, making it ideal for casual players seeking a break from more intense gaming. Many users appreciate its ability to evoke feelings of nostalgia and self-reflection, while also providing a sense of community despite being a single-player game. Overall, it serves as a comforting escape, perfect for de-stressing and enjoying light-hearted gameplay.
- “This game made me feel better about myself and proves that I may still have the potential to be the person I wanted to be when I was a kid.”
- “Tears welled up in his eyes as he realized exactly what was at stake and he stopped smoking.”
- “Its still going on but... hopefully... if things turn out good someday, I'd love to come back to this review and shed a tear.”
monetization
10 mentions
20 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
80 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is positively received, with players appreciating the absence of in-game purchases and ads, which enhances the overall experience. Many users find it refreshing compared to typical mobile games that often rely on aggressive monetization strategies. Overall, the game is seen as a fair and enjoyable experience without the common pitfalls of pay-to-win mechanics or intrusive advertisements.
- “No in-game purchases either, which removes the temptation to spend more money!”
- “Would be great as a mobile game, but this is better with no ads or pay-to-win mechanics.”
- “Just another mobile cash grab with devs blinded by money.”
- “The best way to play looks nothing like the advertisements, the achievements, the trading cards: nothing like common sense.”
- “This largely came from the advertising and my own assumptions about the genre this game fits into.”