Train Fever

About

Train Fever is a transport simulation game that lets you build and manage your own transport company from 1850 to 2050. Start by laying tracks and transporting passengers and goods, then expand your network and upgrade your vehicles to meet the demands of a growing urban population. Experience historical milestones like the transition from steam to electric and diesel-powered engines, and adapt your strategy to changing economic and technological conditions.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

57%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,500 reviews

graphics222 positive mentions

optimization70 negative mentions

Great graphics and detailed models that enhance the immersive experience.
Addictive gameplay that keeps players engaged for hours.
Dynamic city growth and passenger simulation that adds depth to the transport management.

Clunky user interface that makes navigation and management cumbersome.
Frequent crashes and performance issues, especially in late-game scenarios.
Lack of tutorials and clear instructions, making it difficult for new players to understand game mechanics.

graphics
512 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
50%
6%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the detailed visuals and overall aesthetic appeal, particularly for trains and city environments. However, several users report significant performance issues, including lag and crashes, especially on lower-end systems, indicating that while the graphics can be impressive, they are often poorly optimized. Overall, the game is seen as visually appealing but hampered by technical shortcomings that detract from the experience.
- “The graphics are great, the trains are great and in addition you get a few trams, buses and trucks to go alongside them.”
- “Graphically, the game looks fantastic, but unless you are running a top of the line video card, you will experience stuttering and slowness when the game has to start tracking more vehicles and lines.”
- “The graphics are excellent as you can see from the screenshots (at least when you're zoomed in), and watching the trains run using the chase cam is pretty relaxing.”
- “Bad graphics and poor interface makes for a boring tycoon game.”
- “The graphics aren't superb either, other than zooming down to city streets, it's a rather drab landscape that doesn't feel alive.”
- “I've run into numerous game-breaking bugs, the game crashes all the time and the graphics engine is very poorly optimized, turning the game into a stuttery mess even on the small maps.”
gameplay
362 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
67%
7%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its clunky mechanics, lack of polish, and steep learning curve, which can make it frustrating to master. While some appreciate the depth and potential for strategic planning, others criticize the poor interface, insufficient tutorials, and numerous bugs that detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, there are players who find the core mechanics enjoyable and addictive, especially with the potential for extensive gameplay through mods and updates.
- “Awesome little tycoon game, large variety and endless gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is nice and challenging.”
- “Train fever offers some great gameplay and transportation simulation that made me think, 'just one more delivery' then it's one hour later and the sun is about to come up.”
- “The underdeveloped mechanics and features further contribute to the game's lack of polish.”
- “It is the very nature of its clunky mechanics and unforgiving track and road building collisions that make this game difficult to master.”
- “Gameplay is simplistic by design, and worse yet, it's badly explained.”
optimization
218 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
59%
32%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues, especially in late-game scenarios with larger maps and more vehicles. Many users experience stuttering, lag, and long loading times, even on high-end systems, indicating that the game is poorly optimized and in need of substantial improvements. While some patches have been released to address these issues, the overall consensus is that the game remains unplayable for many due to its optimization shortcomings.
- “Performance has increased massively, more features being added even still, free DLC, and most of the annoyances I had at first are gone.”
- “The gameplay seems a bit laggy at times due to a little work needing to be done in optimization, but the creator is working on that and has provided updates to make the game even better.”
- “Since its release, the game has improved in terms of performance and user interface.”
- “Once you build up your rail network a little bit... enough that you're covering 4 or 5 cities, the performance takes a serious nose-dive and the game becomes unplayable.”
- “The performance (even on the lowest possible setting) is so poor that it is impossible to move around.”
- “I've run into numerous game-breaking bugs, the game crashes all the time and the graphics engine is very poorly optimized, turning the game into a stuttery mess even on the small maps.”
music
136 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
65%
7%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its catchy and enjoyable nature, while others criticize it for being repetitive and not fitting the game's atmosphere. Many suggest that the soundtrack could benefit from more variety and historical accuracy, particularly for different time periods. Overall, while some find the music enhances the gameplay experience, others feel it detracts from it, leading to a polarized reception.
- “Stylish & varied music track!”
- “This game is one of the most immersive, fun and (somewhat) realistic tycoon games, the attention to detail is extremely high, even on low graphics setting, it has one of the most visually stunning environments I have ever seen, the music is also very cheery and always brightens up my day when playing this game.”
- “The music is fantastic.”
- “The music is absolutely abysmal and made me want to quit this game before it's even started.”
- “Music is f***ing terrible with 16 songs repeated, crappy electronica always and being like 2 minutes long and just poorly made with no real variety.”
- “The sounds are fine, but the music soundtrack leaves a bit to be desired in my opinion; it doesn't fit the mood of the game at all.”
stability
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of stutters, freezes, and various bugs that significantly hinder gameplay. Many users describe it as feeling incomplete and unpolished, often likening it to a frustrating beta version rather than a finished product. While some players have noted improvements through updates, the overall consensus is that the game remains plagued by performance issues and graphical glitches, making it difficult to enjoy.
- “Usually runs great, but the last update made it hard to view multiple trains at the same time.”
- “Great when it plays; however, this is far from a complete and bug-free game.”
- “Don't let the mention of Cities XL push you away; Cities XL is not nearly as fun, addictive, and bug-free as this game is.”
- “The game freezes for many seconds at times and this gets worse as the game progresses.”
- “This game has the worst engine you can imagine, tons of bugs and glitches, and if this wasn't enough, the way you are allowed to build the tracks/stations is so unrealistic compared to reality that you can play Sid Meier's Railroad instead, which is also more fun.”
- “In short, this game looks like it should have been in development for another year and it would be this generation's open TTD, but instead we get a buggy engine that crashes and stutters even on high-end machines, a frustratingly stupid track building system, and a road building system apparently inspired by 'lol I can curve da road'...”
grinding
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players consistently find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly when it comes to building routes, laying tracks, and replacing vehicles. Many reviewers note that the micromanagement and user interface are clunky, leading to a lack of engagement and enjoyment. Overall, the repetitive nature of these tasks detracts from the gameplay experience, making it difficult for players to stay motivated.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Replacing vehicles is horribly unintuitive and slow, with the game opening dozens of tabs at a time, grinding the game (already in need of performance optimization) to a halt, regardless of the characteristics of your computer.”
- “There's really no carrot to entice me to stick through some of the tedious game mechanics.”
story
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
75%
14%
The game is described as a true sandbox experience with no overarching story, missions, or goals, which can lead to a lack of engagement over time. While some players appreciate the freedom to create their own path, many find the absence of structured gameplay elements, such as campaigns or AI competitors, detracts from the overall experience. This lack of narrative and direction may leave players feeling lost and uninterested.
- “It's not easy to understand at first, but playing the missions helped.”
- “But sometimes that's what you want, to just fiddle around and not have some corny derivative quest thrown at you, or feel as though the goals set by the game are railroading you into playing a type of way you don't want to play.”
- “But there is no campaign and goals; you make your own path. This may sound interesting at first, but when you have no goals and no missions, you may lose interest in the game!”
- “It's a true sandbox game, though, with no story or missions, and no AI companies.”
- “There are no AI competitors, no random events, no side-quests, missions, or anything else to make the game more interesting.”
- “The game lacks any storyline and is simply an impersonal generated map, with no specific goals, needs, or other driving factors.”
replayability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
Replayability in the game is a mixed bag; while randomly generated maps and modding options enhance the experience, the absence of transport options and a campaign significantly detracts from it. Some players find the game offers hours of enjoyment, making it worth the investment, but others feel it leans more towards being repeatable rather than truly replayable. Overall, the depth and variety can provide a long-term experience for dedicated players.
- “The randomly generated maps are also a nice touch, as it does make the replayability quite interesting.”
- “Depth and replayability make this a long-term enjoyable experience.”
- “There are hours of replayability with this game and it is well worth the $30.”
- “The lack of transport options or a campaign definitely destroys the replayability value of it.”
- “While everything is freshly generated every time you start a new game, I'd probably say it's repeatable rather than replayable.”
- “The modding possibilities look like they will help with replay value.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is described as a lighthearted and amusing experience, particularly when players engage with its quirky mechanics, such as purchasing coaches and wagons instead of trucks. While it offers a relaxing gameplay experience, some find it challenging, yet still enjoyable and funny overall.
- “In the early game, you can buy coaches and wagons instead of trucks, that's funny.”
- “For this game, I suggest it for relaxation; it's a little hard, but you can have fun with this game.”
- “[*] Sorting in the route list looks funny.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, with users expressing disappointment over misleading advertising regarding its features, particularly the "flexible building" aspect. Many feel that the game's potential is undermined by its aggressive monetization tactics.
- “Don't buy this contender for ultimate trash cash grab 2014.”
- “This game has the potential to be awesome but 'flexible building' as described in the ads... well... it's a lie.”