Railroad Corporation
- May 27, 2019
- Corbie Games
- 13h median play time
Get on Steam"Railroad Corporation is a tycoon-style game that lets you build your own railroad empire across 19th century North America. Develop new technologies, complete missions based on historic rail networks, and strategize to outmaneuver competitors. Construct tracks, dig tunnels, and manage resources to connect settlements and establish new industries."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a good pace to learn mechanics and has a balanced campaign.
- It provides a therapeutic experience for players who enjoy building and managing train networks.
- The graphics and sound design are appealing, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
- The game suffers from significant bugs, including trains getting stuck and performance issues with many trains on the map.
- There is a lack of depth in gameplay mechanics, such as limited options for track management and no signaling system.
- The tutorial and in-game guidance are insufficient, leaving players confused about how to progress effectively.
- story124 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 85 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's story is structured around a series of missions that gradually unlock new features, but players have noted significant issues with mission difficulty and bugs that hinder progress. While some missions are engaging and allow for strategic play, others are criticized for being overly challenging or poorly designed, leading to frustration and a lack of replayability. Overall, the narrative experience is mixed, with potential for depth but marred by technical problems and uneven mission quality.
“The campaign has a very likable storyline that flows throughout the game.”
“The missions are open-ended and allow you to explore different strategies if you ignore the time bonuses.”
“I am rewriting my review as I have now played 11 (bug and glitch free) hours and am on mission 4, and have the Dewitt Clinton, John Bull, and the Best Friend fully upgraded.”
“The missions are quite hard, especially with so many bugs, so I suggest you wait for the game to become half price or wait until bugs are fixed.”
“I have literally spent more than 10-20 hours on this stupid mission alone trying to get it done and finish the mission with all the tasks accomplished, but it cannot be done.”
“At this time, if you like management/simulation games, I would say to get it but would wait for a sale, as full price for a few missions is way too much for the current game and few challenging missions via campaign.”
- gameplay68 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally praised for its engaging mechanics and beautiful graphics, offering a mix of simplicity and depth that appeals to both casual and dedicated players. However, some users note issues with bugs, a lack of complexity in certain areas, and a few frustrating mechanics that can detract from the overall experience. While the game successfully captures the essence of railroad management, it also faces criticism for not innovating enough compared to its predecessors.
“The gameplay is captivating and addictive.”
“Great game with interesting campaign and mechanics.”
“The game mechanics are well thought out and easy to use.”
“For a game 3 years old, I would have expected better mechanics.”
“Sadly, not nearly mechanically sound enough.”
“This game could be good, it has so many bugs and glitches it makes gameplay horrible!!!”
- graphics64 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising their beauty and clarity, while others find them lacking or unpolished compared to older titles. Many appreciate the cute and immersive visuals, though some note performance issues and graphical glitches. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered good, there is a consensus that they could benefit from further refinement and detail.
“Clear graphics, you can actually read the map - no mousing over decorations to see what's real and what isn't.”
“Wonderful graphics, interesting economy and game mechanics.”
“The graphics are crisp, clear, and realistic.”
“All the fancy graphics you see in the trailer: you don't need them and you'll never see them.”
“The graphics are reminiscent of mobile games trying to appeal to your inner child.”
“Graphics are terrible and the sounds of a railway are non-existent.”
- stability25 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous reports of frequent crashes, freezes, and various bugs that hinder gameplay. Players have noted that issues often persist even after reloading, particularly when the game becomes overloaded with trains. While some users have experienced fewer glitches, the overall consensus is that the game feels unfinished and requires substantial improvements to its stability and performance.
“The game also loves to crash/freeze a lot and 'save scumming' won't save you; if you have a round where it freezes in a certain year, it will still freeze in that year even after you reload the game!”
“Game is unplayably buggy.”
“The frame drops are increasingly worsening and the game freezes constantly for over 10 seconds.”
- music22 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the relaxing and pleasant soundtrack, while others criticize its repetitiveness and limited variety. Many appreciate the overall atmosphere created by the music, but suggest that additional tracks could enhance the experience. Overall, the music is generally seen as a positive aspect, contributing to the game's charm despite its shortcomings.
“Music is lovely and the graphics are cute overall.”
“Addictive and smart, in a wonderful musical atmosphere.”
“The game is quite visually beautiful, the music is very nice and the gameplay is absolutely excellent.”
“You'll spend all your time in that late 90s looking map with the same droll song playing on repeat.”
“For music, there's only one song playing on repeat and you'll get tired of hearing it.”
“The only place where it is a bit flat is in-game music: the tune is relaxing, but there would be space for a few more tunes; best fit could be some blues/country music from the 30's-50's.”
- optimization18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with users reporting significant performance drops, especially when managing over 50 trains or during autosave moments, leading to crashes. While some players appreciate the graphics and initial performance, many express frustration over awkward camera controls, a cumbersome user interface, and persistent lag in mid-game scenarios. Overall, there is a consensus that the game requires substantial optimization improvements to enhance the gameplay experience.
“In Railroad Corporation, it feels more like every train is an investment and you switch around what they are working on for optimization.”
“Another great railroad management sim, it has its downsides with performance and bugs, but the mechanics are well executed.”
“If the devs of this game can address performance issues, like the Factorio devs have, this game will be a golden piece.”
“Once you reach over 50 trains, the performance starts to drop significantly. The autosave also kills it and will start to freeze your game a few seconds before it even tells you it autosaved. If you play long enough, your game will eventually crash to the desktop; it's not a question of if it will do it, but rather a matter of time.”
“At mid-game of the scenario, there is very poor optimization, and FPS drops dramatically.”
“Sadly, I don't see this team taking performance very seriously. Adding new content and features is worthless if the end game will just lag out and become unplayable.”
- grinding9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -22 % neutral mentions
- 89 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overly tedious, with complex rail management and micromanagement becoming burdensome rather than enjoyable. The lack of free-build options and helpful mechanics for larger networks contributes to a sense of frustration, making the experience feel more like work than fun. Overall, the game struggles with balancing complexity and enjoyment, leading to a repetitive and tiresome gameplay experience.
“The trains run on their own and will wait at intersections, eliminating the need for tedious signals and signal setting, which can become nearly impossible with even a mildly complex network.”
“Grinding in this game feels rewarding, as each session brings me closer to unlocking new features and upgrades.”
“I appreciate how the grinding mechanics are balanced; it never feels like a chore, but rather an engaging part of the gameplay.”
“It all becomes a bit too much to manage and stops being fun, turning more towards tedious work.”
“It lacks some mechanics to aid you once you grow bigger, so micromanaging in this game becomes tedious and tiring.”
“Changing the route on a train basis is far too tedious.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the volatile markets that enhance replay value, many criticize the limited scenarios and basic maps that hinder long-term engagement. Despite recent updates improving playability, the presence of bugs and a perceived lack of depth compared to older titles like Railroad Tycoon II contribute to a generally low replayability rating.
“Volatile markets provide a lot of replayability and I would enjoy seeing similar content in the future.”
“It definitely has high replayability, even with the current bugs.”
“After a recent update on 5/29, the game is much more playable, although there are still some bugs where the big objective isn't getting counted.”
“That, combined with the limited set of scenarios and the pre-set maps (versus the randomly generated buildings based on weights method of RT2/RT3), ultimately limits the game's replayability.”
“Not much replayability - it's a pretty basic game, with very basic maps.”
“A bit expensive compared to its replay value.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its addictive quality, complemented by a charming art style and a pleasant, albeit limited, musical score that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers consistently highlight the strong and engaging atmosphere as a standout feature.
“Addictive and smart, in a wonderful musical atmosphere.”
“The art style is nice and the music (though limited at present) adds some nice atmosphere.”
“This game has a very good atmosphere and is great.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of "Railroad Corporation" is criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling it lacks the completeness of other games like "Railway Empire," which, despite its own ads, is viewed as a more polished experience.
“This is yet another scam that is nothing but a cash grab.”
“I played last year, and sorry for the ads, 'Railway Empire' seemed like a more complete and finished game than 'Railroad Corporation', but it didn't have the ability to buy industry.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by clever and unexpected scenarios, such as a waiting train strategically positioning itself to block an oncoming train, showcasing a playful and intelligent design that adds a comedic twist to gameplay.
“The funny part is that the signaling is so intelligent in this game that as the oncoming train is pulling into the station, the waiting train literally pulls in front of it, causing the oncoming train to stop.”
