Trailmakers
- September 18, 2019
- Flashbulb
- 78h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games Store"Trailmakers is a physics-based vehicle construction sandbox game, where you can build and pilot cars, planes, and boats in a variety of environments. The game features a campaign mode, rally mode to learn building, and sandbox maps for creative building. Multiplayer mode supports up to eight players for cooperative or competitive gameplay. Use various weapons and blocks to build and customize your ultimate combat vehicle."
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Cloud
PlayStation
Xbox
Xbox Game Pass
x_box_cloud_gaming
Reviews
- gameplay574 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Trailmakers is characterized by its innovative building mechanics and physics-based interactions, allowing players to create a wide variety of vehicles with relative ease. While many users appreciate the intuitive controls and creative freedom, some express frustration with the game's repetitive nature and occasional technical issues, such as lag and bugs. Overall, it is often compared favorably to Scrap Mechanic, with players noting its accessibility and engaging sandbox elements, though some feel it lacks depth in certain gameplay aspects.
“Very fun building and engineering game, with simple to learn mechanics but still very much room for mastery.”
“The building mechanics are robust and allow you to do a lot to fulfill your creativity.”
“With its outstanding building mechanics, breathtaking open world, and endless possibilities, Trailmakers offers a true sandbox of fun and discovery.”
“The gameplay loop is a little better if you aren't creative, but if you are, it can be frustrating. You spend a lot of time building something, only to find it doesn't work as intended, and the interface can be cumbersome.”
“The building mechanics are very simple but are not streamlined enough, which quickly builds up frustration, especially with more complex builds, to the point that I can't stomach playing the game anymore.”
“The gameplay is fairly repetitive, and while it has some fun features, the overall experience can feel underwhelming and lacks depth.”
- graphics296 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the vibrant art style and overall visual appeal, describing them as "amazing" and "stunning." However, some users report performance issues, particularly on lower-end systems, where the game can be demanding and lead to lag or low frame rates even at minimal settings. Overall, while the graphics are generally well-received, optimization remains a concern for players with less powerful hardware.
“The graphics are resplendent with vivid colors and meticulous detail, rendering the game world both visually appealing and immersive.”
“The game's graphics and environment design create an atmosphere that encourages exploration.”
“With its intuitive building system, gorgeous graphics, and endless possibilities, this game is sure to provide hours of fun and entertainment.”
“My PC heat sink melts trying to load the lowest graphics.”
“Sadly, the game is poorly optimized; I get 11 FPS on minimum graphics.”
“The only downside of this game is that if you have a low-end PC, a lot of the time your PC will put you in high graphics when you enter a game, so check that you're on low graphics settings when you enter.”
- story197 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it underwhelming or lacking depth. While some appreciate the basic premise of collecting parts to escape a planet, others criticize it for being repetitive and not engaging enough, often overshadowed by the more enjoyable sandbox gameplay. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the story mode exists, it is not the primary draw of the game, with many players preferring the creative freedom offered by the sandbox elements.
“The story mode is well-paced; I admire how it motivates learning new mechanics by providing a variety of obstacles and challenges.”
“The story is fun and requires you to think outside the box, great for creative minds and adventurers alike.”
“The addition of the story modes gives the game a lot more depth and keeps the game interesting.”
“The campaign is short and sweet; they don't delay the ending. However, after collecting all salvages, you don't get a Steam achievement. 42 hours, four hours a day, recommended highly, could be a slightly better story, however.”
“There's virtually no story; the planet is quite lifeless and mostly unremarkable.”
“What I don't like is that there is no story in the game, just that you crash-landed on an unknown planet.”
- stability146 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with many users reporting numerous bugs and glitches that significantly impact gameplay, including crashes, physics issues, and multiplayer connectivity problems. While some players find the glitches amusing or manageable, others express frustration over persistent issues that detract from the overall experience. Despite ongoing updates, many feel that critical bugs remain unaddressed, leading to a consensus that the game is still quite unstable.
“Thanks for working hard to make it bug-free. I hate laziness in the area of programming, and you guys really did an outstanding job.”
“Very buggy and crashes a lot.”
“The game is being updated every now and then but obvious glitches and bugs are not being fixed.”
“It's just too buggy.”
- humor84 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players enjoying the hilarious glitches and physics that lead to unexpected and comical situations, especially when playing with friends. Many reviews highlight the fun of building absurd vehicles and the joy of shared laughter during multiplayer sessions, making it a lighthearted experience despite some frustrating bugs. Overall, the game's charm lies in its ability to create funny moments through creativity and chaotic gameplay.
“Great game, can be absolutely hilarious.”
“Get some friends and exploit the physics engine and you'll be laughing for a while.”
“We had a lot of fun here building funny flying contraptions and bashing them against rocks (uhm, intentionally, uhm, of course).”
- optimization84 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting poor performance, low frame rates, and lag, even on high-end systems. While some users note improvements over time, the general consensus is that the game requires further optimization to enhance gameplay, particularly for complex builds and multiplayer experiences. Overall, the lack of effective optimization limits the game's potential and frustrates players seeking a smoother experience.
“With some improvements to tutorials, building tools, and performance, it has the potential to become even more compelling and accessible to a broader audience.”
“The overall visuals, performance, and quality are very high.”
“I've been playing this game since the open beta and the improvements in gameplay and performance have been great.”
“The game is horribly optimized, which limits what you can do in this game. Even making a good-looking and decently sized twin-engine bomber like the B25 that is under the 'complexity limit' is a struggle, as they are too lazy to optimize the game and instead limit the 'complexity' of our builds.”
“Sadly, the game is poorly optimized and lags even with low settings on a powerful computer.”
“The developers refused to fix the bugs and poor optimization, and instead began to sell missing features as DLC.”
- grinding47 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 64 % negative mentions
The reviews overwhelmingly highlight that grinding in the game is excessively tedious, often requiring players to invest significant time and effort to unlock new parts and progress. While some appreciate the quality of life features and modding options that alleviate some grind, many find the core gameplay loop frustratingly repetitive and lacking in excitement. Overall, players suggest that the grinding aspect detracts from the enjoyment of building and exploring, making it feel more like a chore than a rewarding experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Building should be fun, not tedious and finicky.”
“Played the campaign for 3-4 hours and the system for getting new parts is so tedious and frankly the worst I've seen.”
“I trudged through the tedious and aggravating 'stranded in space' campaign which consists of building barely viable vehicles to push around rocks to unlock new parts so you can build bigger and better but still barely viable vehicles to push more rocks for more parts.”
“It isn't designed for you to have fun; it's designed to make you do nothing but tedious work, especially at the end, where you need to ferry components up and down from some floating islands. I couldn't do it; I gave up from sheer boredom.”
- music30 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the chill background tracks and sound effects, while others criticize the lack of variety and memorable tunes. Many find the soundtrack forgettable or repetitive, with some noting that it serves better as ambient noise for building rather than enhancing the gameplay experience. Overall, while the sound design is generally appreciated, the music itself does not stand out as a highlight of the game.
“And the soundtrack is awesome.”
“I love the chill music and gameplay; you always feel like you are building towards something.”
“The soundtrack is really good; like, big bulky monster truck engines sound like big bulky monster truck engines.”
“The music is also bad.”
“Either no music or it's too quiet.”
“There is no music (allegedly on purpose).”
- replayability16 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
Overall, the game exhibits a strong sense of replayability, with many players highlighting its sandbox nature, multiplayer features, and encouragement of modding as key factors that enhance the experience. While some users noted limited replay value, the majority praised the game's creative mechanics and diverse challenges that inspire repeated playthroughs. The community and developer support further contribute to its enduring appeal, making it a game that players frequently return to.
“Multiplayer experience: the ability to collaborate and compete with friends adds significant replay value.”
“This game has basically infinite replayability with an amazing dev team and an amazing community.”
“Overall, great replayability and challenging tasks that inspire unique vehicles.”
“Its a pretty decent game, not very replayable and there are microtransactions for a big portion of the rest of the game, but still decent.”
“I did not enjoy this game at all, it has little to no replay value.”
“Not a lot of replay value....”
- monetization10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 70 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players feeling it has devolved into a cash grab characterized by intrusive advertising and stale microtransactions that detract from the overall experience. While some users appreciate the absence of microtransactions in certain instances, the overwhelming sentiment is disappointment over the focus on monetization rather than quality improvements or engaging content. Overall, players express frustration over the disconnect between the game's marketing and its actual value.
“It has no ads and the graphics are really good.”
“I didn't see any microtransactions, but with this quality of gameplay, it is justified to not include them.”
“It used to be fun but it has turned into a full-on cash grab. Try it out if it's on sale, but don't give in to their BS.”
“What seals the deal for me is that instead of some optimization, quality of life improvements, and a bit of love for the game, we get stale microtransactions that should have been unlockables.”
“A lot of advertising for DLCs, even popups during gameplay that remind you of this awesome pack you could have.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 88 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of emotions regarding the game, with some feeling a strong attachment and excitement for its updates and community, while others experience disappointment due to perceived mediocrity and frustration with certain gameplay elements. Overall, the game's community and developer engagement are highlighted as positive emotional aspects, fostering a sense of belonging and creativity among players.
“It's been a while since I had a game that made me feel that not playing it was just waiting for the next session.”
“The game is even more fun, allowing for greater creativity, the community is very welcoming and wholesome, and I've come to learn that the dev team is one of the most awesome, approachable, and engaged in all of gaming history.”
“Also, the developers keep making very good updates consistently and the Discord community is very wholesome.”
“The emotional depth of the story is lacking, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
“The narrative feels forced and fails to evoke any real feelings, leaving the experience flat.”
“I found the emotional moments to be clichéd and unoriginal, which diminished their impact.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's graphics and environment design foster an inviting atmosphere for exploration, enhanced by its unique lore involving space travel and alien landscapes. However, some players feel that the game lacks a deeper atmospheric immersion, citing unrealistic physics that detract from the overall experience. Despite this, the multiplayer and sandbox modes offer engaging opportunities for players to collaborate and navigate the game's vibrant world.
“The game's graphics and environment design create an atmosphere that encourages exploration.”
“This game is amazing and you get to play multiplayer modes or play by yourself, or can play with your friends in a sandbox or start a new world and play with them and work hard to get out of the atmosphere.”
“This game needs a lot more atmosphere, though.”
“This game needs a lot more 'atmosphere' though.”
“- The physics are heavily unrealistic (the atmosphere in this game is about 8x as high as Earth. Thrusters are about 4x as powerful).”
“Trailmakers lore: you're on a ship in space with orange funny rocks and stuff. There's a fast asteroid going to hit your ship, then your ship bursts into flames as you reenter the alien planet's atmosphere, dropping the rocks across the map. You escape in an escape capsule and set up a landing pad to collect the funny rocks and make a spacecraft to return home.”
