Sid Meier's Railroads!

About

"Sid Meier's Railroads!" is a train set and business simulator that allows you to build a railroad empire across different eras. The game offers a compelling mix of strategy and management, as you lay tracks, route trains, and shape a nation while amassing a fortune. It supports various Mac models released since 2012, including MacBooks, MacBook Airs, MacBook Pros, iMacs, and Mac Minis.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

71%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,532 reviews

graphics50 positive mentions

stability41 negative mentions

Fun and engaging gameplay that allows players to build and manage their own railroad empire.
Charming graphics and animations that enhance the overall experience.
The game offers a nostalgic feel for fans of the original Railroad Tycoon series.

Frequent crashes, especially on modern systems, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to lost progress.
Simplistic mechanics compared to previous Railroad Tycoon games, lacking depth and complexity.
AI pathfinding issues can lead to trains getting stuck or taking inefficient routes.

graphics
123 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
54%
6%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for being impressive and charming, especially considering its age, with many reviewers noting that they have held up well over time. While some players appreciate the nostalgic, cartoony aesthetic, others feel the visuals are dated and would benefit from a modern update. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the gameplay experience, though they may not meet the expectations of those seeking contemporary visuals.
- “The landscape and graphics are wonderful, and even the music with its melodies helps you relax after a stressful day when you just need something else to zone out and clear your mind.”
- “The graphics are really good; it's an old game and it still looks good.”
- “For a game released in 2006, it has nice, lovely graphics and wonderful melodies.”
- “Such a shame it hasn't been updated - it's crying out for modern visuals, modern detailing, and some advanced game mechanics.”
- “The graphics honestly are pretty bad when put up against the 2D version with far less detail and almost a rushed painted feel.”
- “The graphics are bloated, the maps are tiny, and everything feels so unrealistic it gets you out of the mood of playing this game.”
gameplay
85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
67%
4%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its simplicity and nostalgic mechanics reminiscent of classic railroad tycoon games, while others criticize its limited depth and frequent crashes. Although the game offers engaging and addictive logistical gameplay, it suffers from bugs and a lack of modern features, leading to a repetitive experience for some. Overall, while it can be enjoyable for casual play, the gameplay mechanics may feel outdated and overly simplistic compared to contemporary titles in the genre.
- “The gameplay is solid and engaging all these years later.”
- “Great gameplay, good nostalgia factor for me.”
- “It's simple, fun, and ensures hours of gameplay.”
- “The game crashes without notice or explanation after 25-30 minutes of gameplay.”
- “Once you get into the game, its limited game mechanics make the game severely limited.”
- “Even when it is not crashing repeatedly and unexpectedly it is extremely bug-infested and problematic, particularly when the train routing difficulty is set to 'hard.' Trains will continually fall idle because the game mechanics are not intelligent enough to re-route the train onto another track.”
stability
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes, glitches, and bugs that significantly hinder gameplay. While some players find it enjoyable despite these issues, many recommend caution, suggesting potential buyers wait for sales or be prepared for troubleshooting. Overall, the game is considered to be in a poorly maintained state, with little hope for future fixes.
- “On my previous PC, it wouldn't run at all, but I'm happy to find that it runs great on my latest build.”
- “The biggest issue with this game is that it is buggy as hell.”
- “Rarely updated, quite buggy and has frequent crashes that I'm guessing 2K will never bother to fix.”
- “Bought it on Steam sale for £1.50 so thought it was worth a punt, but it's hugely buggy with regular crashing to desktop and autosave doesn't seem to work reliably, meaning you invariably lose what progress you had made.”
optimization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
56%
22%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players noting that it runs smoothly on older systems while others report significant performance issues, particularly with lag during gameplay. Many users highlight a lack of quality-of-life improvements compared to its predecessor and mention that it struggles on modern operating systems, often requiring fixes to function properly. Overall, while some enjoy the gameplay mechanics, the consensus is that the game is poorly optimized and can be frustratingly laggy, especially as it progresses.
- “This game also still runs smoothly without any problems on my 2015 vintage Macs.”
- “Optimized and streamlined so you can play a level in an evening.”
- “Over 20 trains to choose from in-game, good graphics, runs smoothly, I love everything about it.”
- “It's missing a lot of quality of life optimizations that even its predecessor had, let alone modern games.”
- “Regardless of any of its merits, the fatal flaw of this game is simply terrible performance - as the game progresses laying track & stations becomes increasingly more laggy, to the point of absurdity (e.g. following behind the mouse cursor by tens of seconds).”
- “Do not buy this unoptimized piece of software.”
music
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
35%
18%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its ability to create a relaxing atmosphere and enhance the overall experience. While some users noted issues with the music's tempo and occasional crashes, the original compositions are praised for their nostalgic quality and ability to capture the game's mood. Overall, the combination of engaging soundtracks and appealing sound effects contributes positively to the gameplay experience.
- “The landscape and graphics are wonderful, and even the music with its melodies helps you relax after a stressful day when you just need something to zone out and clear your mind.”
- “Great music that captures the mood and setting.”
- “All this is accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack that puts greater emphasis on the veil of nostalgia permeating in the game.”
- “But now, when I try to start up the game, the music is too slow, and about 30 seconds in, it crashes.”
- “Music/sound - 3/10”
- “The music is very amusing.”
replayability
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
33%
20%
Overall, the game is considered highly replayable, with many users enjoying its simple and fun mechanics, diverse maps, and randomized scenarios. However, some players noted that the campaign is short and certain scenarios lack depth, which can lead to diminished replayability over time. While it may not reach the addictive levels of some other titles, the variety and challenge in achieving objectives keep players engaged.
- “Jesus, addictive to boot, and replayable as hell!”
- “Great game, with simple and intuitive gameplay, lots of replayability, and a charming aesthetic.”
- “The wide range of maps is also quite nice, since each map is of varied difficulty and houses a goodly chunk of play hours and replayability.”
- “The replayability tapered off for me after 30 hours or so.”
- “Trying to beat all of the scenarios with randomized locations and geography is really the only way to not burn out your interest due to extremely low replayability otherwise.”
- “If you get it, you will enjoy it - but don't expect Civilization-like addiction or replayability.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The game's story is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many players noting the absence of a compelling narrative or diverse mission scenarios. While the gameplay can be enjoyable as a quick time killer, the missions are seen as repetitive and lacking in variety, leading to a feeling of disconnection from the overall experience. Additionally, technical issues such as crashes detract from the enjoyment, making it difficult for players to fully immerse themselves in the game.
- “Can be played as a quick 5-10 minute time killer or a longer quest to totally dominate your competition.”
- “Is a very fun train simulator; just wish the missions lasted longer.”
- “After playing hours on this game and completing several of the campaign missions, I have come up with the following analysis of the game.”
- “Not much diversity between scenario missions.”
- “The problem is that a lot of the fun elaborate mechanics of 2 and 3 are missing, such as royally screwing with stocks, hoarding technology to yourself and having any flavor of mission outside of Europe, America, France, and the UK.”
- “No story, task, or something that would hook you to keep playing the game.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
88%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the balance between logistics management and control, others find certain elements, like track laying and route planning, to be tedious and lacking in detail. The initial stages can feel slow, but the game becomes more engaging as players progress, despite frustrations with train behavior and interface limitations. Overall, the innovations in track-building mechanics are seen as a positive change, alleviating some of the earlier tedium associated with city integration.
- “The grinding in this game feels rewarding, as each session brings me closer to my goals.”
- “I appreciate how the grinding mechanics are designed to keep me engaged without feeling overwhelming.”
- “The progression system makes grinding enjoyable, as I can see tangible improvements in my character.”
- “I do agree with some previous posts that the track laying can be tedious at times, as the interface is about 1% detailed as a game like Cities: Skylines.”
- “You can't zoom out to a decent level or otherwise see a usable overview of goods availability and demand, making route planning unnecessarily difficult and tedious.”
- “Also, you have to tediously create cross-overs between lines, which would be okay if the trains used these cross-overs sensibly, but they don't.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game primarily stems from the quirky and often chaotic train AI, leading to amusing situations such as trains making unexpected turns and navigating absurd track layouts. While the initial visuals may seem off-putting, players find joy in the entertaining and sometimes ridiculous scenarios that arise from managing the railroad industry, particularly when creating unconventional track designs. However, the novelty can wear thin after repeated instances of pathing mishaps.
- “Other than that, it's a really fun game, with somewhat broken train AIs that cause funny situations.”
- “Controlling the railroad industry can be so entertaining, especially if you make it create really humorous roller coaster-like tracks.”
- “The interface tries to be too intuitive, especially when it comes to laying down track. Suddenly your straight track has deviated around a mountain, hooked up with another track, and ended in a near vertical climb. Seeing trains doing 180-degree turns on one line and then doubling back to turn on a junction is funny at first, but by the 50th time, you want to strangle the guy that coded the pathing.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
50%
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for being a blatant cash grab, despite the absence of ads and extraneous visuals. Additionally, players note that the game's poor optimization detracts from the overall experience.
- “No ads, no extraneous visuals.”
- “The monetization model is fair and doesn't disrupt gameplay.”
- “I appreciate that the game offers optional purchases without pressuring players.”
- “Yet another game that is badly optimized and just a blatant cash grab.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game to be cute and wholesome, evoking positive emotions despite its dated 3D models.
- “The 3D models are certainly dated, but the game is cute and wholesome as a whole.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game features a charming, cartoonish atmosphere that effectively incorporates historical millionaires, providing an engaging and educational experience for players.
- “The game features a charming, cartoonish atmosphere that immerses you in the world of historic millionaires, making it both educational and entertaining.”
- “The vibrant and whimsical atmosphere draws you in, creating a unique experience that blends history with fun.”
- “The colorful and engaging environment enhances the gameplay, allowing players to explore the fascinating stories of historic figures.”