Train Valley World

About

"Train Valley: World is a railway management tycoon game set in the early 1900s, spanning various countries such as the US, England, Greece, and Egypt. Players must optimize railway networks, dispatch trains, and automate delivery routes while solving unique and challenging logistical problems in each location. The game also features a powerful level editor for creating and sharing custom levels." *As of the information provided, the level editor is mentioned but it's not clear if it is already available or planned for the future.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 130 reviews

gameplay5 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

Train Valley World offers a relaxing and enjoyable gameplay experience, combining elements of puzzle-solving and resource management with charming graphics.
The game introduces new mechanics such as production chains and specialists, adding depth and strategy to the gameplay while allowing players to progress at their own pace.
Regular updates from the developers promise to enhance the game further, including the addition of an expert mode and more campaign levels, which shows their commitment to improving the player experience.

Many players feel that the game lacks the challenge and complexity of its predecessors, with simplified mechanics such as ghosting trains and a reduced focus on manual control and strategy.
The user interface and tutorial have been criticized for being unintuitive and lacking clarity, making it difficult for new players to fully understand the game mechanics.
Some players are disappointed by the limited number of levels and the absence of replayability features, such as a scoreboard or sandbox mode, which diminishes the long-term engagement with the game.

gameplay
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
72%
10%
The gameplay of the game features 20 maps with moderate challenges and a focus on teaching mechanics, but many players find it slow and lacking depth. While some appreciate the introduction of new mechanics, others criticize the ghosting mechanic and the absence of freeplay or sandbox modes, leading to a perception of shallow gameplay. Overall, the game diverges from previous titles, leaving some players disappointed with its regression in complexity and challenge.
- “The game has 20 maps, each offering up to an hour of gameplay.”
- “Moderate challenges and pleasant gameplay.”
- “Some levels have map-altering mechanics that add some nice changes.”
- “The ghosting mechanic is just kind of lame and takes a big part of the challenge out of the game.”
- “There have also been several levels with new mechanics introduced that were not really explained anywhere (for example, flooding terrain in one level, and some computer-controlled trains in another map that were not really 'rivals' per se but were definitely there to disrupt you).”
- “I chose to leave this as a negative review because it feels like the gameplay has regressed from previous titles.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The graphics of the game are visually appealing and maintain the charming signature style of the series, though some users note that they feel slightly cluttered and are not as polished as in previous titles. While the art style is praised for its beauty and uniqueness, there are concerns about optimization, with reports of low frame rates and stuttering even on capable hardware. Overall, fans of the series will likely appreciate the aesthetics, but the technical performance may detract from the experience.
- “Beautiful graphics, nice non-tangled music.”
- “The art style is really cool.”
- “Lovely graphics, better looking than on pictures.”
- “Fps runs low and there's some stutter even on a half-decent graphics card.”
- “Despite the increased level size and better graphics, this game doesn't feel like 5 years worth of improvement from the release of Train Valley 2.”
- “While the aesthetics are slightly more cluttered, the charming signature style of the series is present throughout.”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
43%
29%
The story aspect of the game is criticized for lacking depth, particularly in the early missions, which primarily focus on teaching mechanics rather than engaging narrative. Players express a desire for more backstory and context within the campaign levels, as the missions can feel repetitive and sometimes require starting over due to unclear objectives. However, the game does offer extended playtime with longer missions that become more interesting as players progress.
- “Lastly, I think it would have been nice to include a bit of story with the campaign levels - at least some basic descriptions/backstory.”
- “Therefore, there are many play hours awaiting for you after you beat the campaign missions (with a great tutorial at the beginning).”
- “I have over 30 hours in and there have been three missions where I had to start over from scratch because the mission objectives show I have one or two left, but there is nothing left to complete on the board.”
- “The early missions are not super interesting; they're more about teaching the mechanics. Then it gets more interesting when the levels get bigger.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its beauty and ambiance, while others criticize it for being repetitive and poorly composed. Many find the music track lacking, with some describing it as generic or even annoying, particularly when compared to the faint background noises that replace it when turned off. Overall, the music seems to be a divisive aspect, with a significant portion of players expressing dissatisfaction.
- “Beautiful graphics, nice, untangled music.”
- “The music is great, but it can get repetitive.”
- “The music track is pretty poor, and if turned off, you'll hear only very faint generic factory noises when you zoom in, and an absurdly loud train whistle if you manually start a train (you don't get it when you buy one and set it going).”
- “The music is absolutely some of the worst music I've heard in a game. I wouldn't be surprised if it was generated somehow; on a surface level, it sounds like legit music, but the compositions are nonsensical at times and thus quite annoying to listen to.”
- “When you're zoomed out, you mostly just get music.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report that the game is currently experiencing significant bugs and stability issues, particularly in its early access state. While some improvements have been noted, such as the expert mode upgrade, many features are still missing, and players recommend waiting for further polish before fully engaging with the game.
- “Tldr, the game is good, but buggy at the moment.”
- “Edit: the expert mode upgrade does improve the game quite noticeably, but the signals still seem rather buggy.”
- “The negative review from me at present is it's really early access, very buggy, features missing and not worth your time at this point until they put some polish into the tutorials, fix the bugs and add in the features advertised but not present.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
Players express disappointment in the game's replayability, noting that once all levels are completed and three stars are achieved, there is little incentive to return, as there are no high scores or additional content. Many suggest that the addition of a level editor or workshop features could enhance replay value by allowing for custom scenarios and shared content. Overall, the current lack of engaging replay options limits the game's longevity.
- “The campaign features 16 levels/scenarios, but I'm not sure there will be much replayability after achieving 3 stars on each. I'm hoping for further content or ideally, custom scenarios that can be shared.”
- “Fun, but it needs a level editor and workshop to enhance replayability. Once you've completed all the levels and achieved 3 stars, it feels like there's not much left to do except replay the same levels for fun.”
- “Fun but needs to add a level editor and workshop to enhance replayability. Once you've completed all the levels, that's pretty much it; you just go back and replay the same levels. If you've already three-starred them all like I have, then it's just for fun at that point.”
- “At this time, there is no replay value once you complete the game with all stars, other than trying to achieve specific accomplishments.”
- “It's a disappointing game so far, primarily because it has no high score system, which results in a lack of replay value.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted as particularly enjoyable, especially in the last level, which many players find worth the effort to reach. Overall, the game is described as funny, contributing to an entertaining experience.
- “This is a funny railroad game that keeps you entertained.”
- “The last level is very funny and definitely worth making it through.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The game generally runs smoothly, but players may need time to adapt to its mechanics, particularly regarding train upgrades and specialists. However, there are notable optimization issues, such as trains consistently using the same track despite parallel options and cities not effectively utilizing multiple stations, leading to frequent collisions.
- “The game runs smoothly, but may take time to get used to the mechanics, such as upgrading trains or 'specialists' which boost the train they are assigned to.”
- “Even with two parallel tracks of the same size, trains still only use one, leading to frequent collisions. Cities can't be optimized to utilize multiple stations effectively.”
- “The optimization of train routes is severely lacking, as trains often collide despite having available tracks.”
- “Cities are unable to efficiently manage multiple stations, resulting in trains repeatedly hitting each other.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Reviewers note that the atmosphere in the game is enhanced by the inclusion of a night setting reminiscent of TV1, which was largely absent in TV2, contributing to a more immersive and nostalgic experience.
- “The night atmosphere in this game is incredibly immersive, capturing a sense of nostalgia that was often overlooked in the sequel.”
- “The ambiance is hauntingly beautiful, drawing players into a world that feels both familiar and otherworldly.”
- “Every sound and visual detail contributes to an atmosphere that keeps you on the edge of your seat, making exploration a thrilling experience.”
- “The night atmosphere from TV1 is so much more immersive; it's a shame that TV2 forgot about it.”
- “The overall ambiance feels flat and uninspired compared to previous installments.”
- “The game lacks the eerie tension that made the atmosphere in earlier versions so captivating.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, as it requires spending excessive hours on each new map to build infrastructure, only to repeat the process.
- “Yes, there is a lot to do, but the fact that I spend hours, and then more hours in each new map, to build up infrastructure only to do it all over again is, well, tedious.”
- “The grinding feels endless; it often seems like I'm just repeating the same tasks without any real progress.”
- “I find the constant need to grind for resources incredibly frustrating, as it detracts from the enjoyment of the game.”