Train Yard Builder

About

Train Yard Builder is a single player casual simulation game. It was developed by GameFormatic S.A. and was released on September 16, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Train Yard Builder" is a creative sandbox game that lets you build and customize your own train yard. Choose from various trains and wagons, customize their appearance, and use tools like track switches and activators to create complex designs. You can also add details such as benches, roads, and plants to create a vibrant and immersive environment. Shop and sell different items to expand your collection while planning and building your dream train yard.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

61%

Audience ScoreBased on 75 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The game features excellent artwork and attention to detail, creating a cozy and visually rewarding experience.
It offers a variety of tasks and components for building model train layouts, making it accessible for casual players.
The sandbox mode allows for creative freedom, enabling players to design their own layouts without the constraints of the main campaign.

The tutorial is overly restrictive and hand-holding, making it frustrating for players who prefer to explore and learn on their own.
There are significant bugs and issues with saving progress, which can lead to a frustrating gameplay experience.
The game lacks depth in train operations and layout customization, limiting the creativity and enjoyment for more serious model train enthusiasts.

story
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
72%
14%
The game's story is criticized for being poorly executed and overly restrictive, with players feeling forced into a guilt-laden narrative that lacks emotional depth. Many found the main campaign to be broken, with auto-generated tasks that detract from the experience, and the tutorial-like nature of the story mode left little room for creativity. Overall, the writing is described as dry and uninspired, leading to a lack of engagement with the storyline.
- “A fun model train game with several modes that allow you to play a storyline or make your own layouts!”
- “I'm hoping the major missions are a lot more free and if not, that the sandbox mode is really enjoyable.”
- “Story mode serves more of a tutorial, but the various tasks would appeal to younger children playing this title.”
- “This game has a broken story/campaign that makes an attempt to draw upon a feeling of helping your grandfather build model train layouts, until one day it is only you building layouts.”
- “The story is horrifically forced, unsentimental, and forces guilt upon the player.”
- “The story and writing in this game is broken and dry at best.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
43%
19%
The graphics in the game are praised for their excellent artwork and attention to detail, creating a whimsical and relaxing atmosphere that appeals to fans of model trains. While some users noted occasional blurriness and a desire for more realism, the overall aesthetic is considered charming and enjoyable, despite some inconsistencies in art styles. The use of AI-generated artwork has raised concerns among players, but many still find the graphics to be a strong point of the game.
- “Clearly a labor of love on the part of the developers, this game features excellent artwork and attention to detail.”
- “This is a very relaxing whimsical style graphics, model train game.”
- “For the price it is, it's definitely worth it and the graphics are really nice too.”
- “The graphics on the on-ride train are blurred at times, which detracts from the experience.”
- “Generated artwork is used for store-page artwork and in-game without any easy-to-find disclosure that states it's AI-generated.”
- “Loading screens look very suspicious due to the mix of art styles.”
gameplay
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The gameplay of the game features a mix of intuitive mechanics for creating dioramas and model train setups, but many players find it frustrating due to a lack of adequate tutorials and depth for replayability. While the ambiance is relaxing and the streamlined mechanics are appreciated, some users feel that the overall experience can become boring without a stronger emphasis on engaging gameplay elements. Additionally, ongoing bugs and the need for further gameplay enhancements have been noted, though recent updates show responsiveness to player feedback.
- “It has clearly made trade-offs regarding layout mechanics to make it as easy as possible for the user to create their own layouts while still providing a broad selection of components (trains and setting items).”
- “Overall the hotfix is a step in the right direction with both gameplay and showing that we, as customers, are being seen and heard with our issues and suggestions.”
- “Really awesome model train game with relaxing ambiance and streamlined mechanics.”
- “The actual gameplay of making dioramas, either for yourself or for an exhibition, is incredibly frustrating and unintuitive.”
- “Tl;dr: at this point, this game does not have an adequate tutorial to actually help you learn how to play and develop a command of the mechanics.”
- “I haven't tried the sandbox mode, but even if the gameplay is simple and quite intuitive, the game feels quite boring and I am sure it is only fun for the people with a passion to create these diorama tables.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting frequent bugs, lag spikes, and freezes that detract from the overall experience. While the concept is promising, the lack of polish and features hampers gameplay, making it frustrating for players.
- “The game is too buggy to play.”
- “Concept is cool, but it lacks features and is buggy as heck.”
- “Frequent lag spikes and freezes have taken up at least 1/5 of my game time so far.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be quite demanding, with some suggesting it can feel excessive or time-consuming. While some acknowledge it can be a bit grindy at times, others feel it requires an almost unrealistic commitment.
- “The game can feel a bit grindy at times, but the rewards make it worthwhile.”
- “Grinding is a necessary part of the experience, and it adds depth to character progression.”
- “While there are moments of grinding, the sense of achievement after leveling up is incredibly satisfying.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It's a bit grindy sometimes.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is primarily derived from the amusing dioramas and engaging storyline, which provide a fun experience for a few hours. However, the novelty wears off quickly due to repetitive tasks, leading to a sense of fatigue after multiple interactions.
- “The dioramas are funny and cool to implement into layouts.”
- “The small dioramas are funny, but also so simple that it is done after a few.”
- “Because of the storyline, it is funny to play for a few hours.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the overall gameplay loop enjoyable but feel that it lacks sufficient depth to encourage repeated playthroughs, suggesting that enhancements could improve its replayability.
- “The overall gameplay loop is fun and offers a lot of depth for replayability.”
- “Each playthrough feels unique, thanks to the variety of choices and outcomes.”
- “The game encourages multiple runs with its diverse character builds and branching storylines.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is generally well-received, contributing to an overall charming atmosphere that enhances the experience. Players find it enjoyable and fitting, adding to the game's appeal despite some minor bugs at launch.
- “The whole thing (artwork, music, premise) is just adorable and makes me happy.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to performance problems that detract from the experience. Despite these shortcomings, many players still find it enjoyable and are willing to overlook the technical flaws due to its charm.
- “Holy smokes, this game is very unoptimized!”
- “Even though I’m giving the game flak for performance issues, I’m still leaving a positive review because it’s honestly a cute little game and chances are I’ll be spending hours playing!”