Tram Sim

About

Tram Sim is a single player open world simulation game. It was developed by ViewApp and was released on October 29, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Tram Sim is an open-world, single-player game offering 10 hours of playtime, featuring outstanding graphics and highly realistic tram controls. Explore Vienna's historic city center, Ringstrasse, and green Prater, traversing a vast 4,000,000 m² map with intricate tram networks. Begin with beginner mode, gradually unlocking advanced and professional controls for a superior simulation experience."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 383 reviews

graphics35 positive mentions

optimization15 negative mentions

The game features stunning graphics and a highly detailed recreation of Vienna, making it visually impressive.
Driving the tram is fun and immersive, with realistic controls and physics that enhance the experience.
The developers are actively working on updates and improvements, showing commitment to enhancing the game over time.

The game currently offers only one route and one tram, which limits replayability and content for the price.
There are numerous bugs and performance issues, including crashes and AI glitches that detract from the overall experience.
The lack of keybinding options and controller support makes the game less accessible for some players.

graphics
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
47%
4%
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their high quality and detail, particularly in recreating the city of Vienna, with many users noting the immersive experience provided by the Unreal Engine. However, performance issues such as stuttering, lag, and various graphical bugs detract from the overall experience, leading to mixed feelings about the game's visual fidelity. While the graphics are often described as beautiful and realistic, optimization remains a significant concern for many players.
- “This is definitely the best tram simulator; the physics are good, the graphics are amazing, and it's very fun. I highly recommend it.”
- “The part of the map presented here is exactly how it is in real life, and Unreal Engine graphics combined with high-detailed textures really make it feel immersive and authentic.”
- “The graphics are breathtaking; the map and the tram are detailed and well-made.”
- “Performance is still poorly optimized with a fair bit of stutter on graphics which are not exactly state of the art.”
- “Everything else, from the menu to the graphics, to the terrible pedestrian models and animations, to the weirdly bad VR implementation is just barely functional.”
- “Currently it is very hard to enjoy playing this game because of many bugs like flickering graphics mainly on both sides of the vehicle.”
optimization
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
44%
47%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with players reporting severe performance issues, including stuttering and low frame rates even on high-end systems. Despite attempts to enhance graphics, the overall experience is marred by bugs and inconsistent performance, leading many to describe it as an unoptimized mess. While some users note occasional smooth gameplay, the general consensus is that significant improvements are needed to make the game playable across a range of hardware.
- “Optimization is quite ok.”
- “Performance wise I have not seen any issues and frames are smooth.”
- “The buildings are detailed and trams are fun to drive, but the performance really lets it down.”
- “The engine runs pretty poorly, showing that the dev team made some attempts at making the game look good but does not have a grasp on Unreal Engine optimizations, so it runs very badly even on machines that run 2024 games at 4K and ray tracing.”
- “The game is severely under-optimized and lags horribly on any PC that does not have top-tier specs.”
- “Yeah, I praised it before, but it's just an unoptimized buggy mess at this point. It's been one year and nothing seems to have changed; anytime I try to play it, it just gets laggy, and I somehow end up being tilted 90 degrees in the air.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
Gameplay in this title is a mixed bag; while it offers decent simulation elements and enjoyable mechanics for tram enthusiasts, it suffers from repetitive tasks, limited controls due to keyboard-only input, and inconsistencies between different game versions. Players have noted bugs and challenges that detract from the experience, leading to frustration despite the potential for engaging gameplay. Overall, while some find it enjoyable, the high price point and gameplay limitations make it a tough sell for many.
- “The graphics and the gameplay are really nice; however, the bugs and my inability to play the challenges make this all really sad.”
- “Gameplay-wise, I like it still, and if you have an interest in trams and some connection to Vienna, you'll like it as well.”
- “It's really enjoyable once you understand the mechanics and take off on your own.”
- “Gameplay is decent, controls are very approximate as you can only use the keyboard, so there is limited flexibility in what you can do.”
- “They create an excellent simulation, but then throw it away with terrible gameplay.”
- “Typical of Viewapp, bare minimum gameplay, and maximum consumer exploitation.”
stability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
94%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, frequent freezes, and performance issues, even on high-spec systems. While some players find enjoyment in the gameplay, the overall experience is marred by unoptimized features and glitches, particularly in VR mode. Despite occasional updates that seem to improve certain aspects, many feel the game remains an unstable and buggy product.
- “The latest update (Route 71) seems bug-free.”
- “I haven't encountered any crashes or glitches since the last patch.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any major issues, making for a great experience.”
- “What you get if you buy this game is a very buggy, half-baked tram sim.”
- “Yeah, I praised it before, but it's just an unoptimized, buggy mess at this point. Firstly, I gave it the benefit of the doubt, which looking back at it was a bad idea. It's been one year and nothing seems to have changed. Anytime I try to play it, it just gets laggy, and I somehow end up being tilted 90 degrees in the air.”
- “In reality, nothing more than unstable alphas, which become an excuse for rushing untested and very buggy features that were long-awaited by the community.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The reviews indicate that the game lacks a significant narrative, with players noting a repetitive experience across Aerosoft's titles. Instead, the focus is primarily on gameplay mechanics, such as driving trams and completing missions, rather than a compelling story.
- “I've tried so many Aerosoft games, and it's always the same engaging story.”
- “I learned how to drive the trams by doing the free ride missions, just driving around the city, picking up people, and getting to know how trams work.”
- “After that, you do the single missions and full schedule after you get used to it.”
- “I've tried so many Aerosoft games and it's always the same story.”
- “No story.”
- “No story.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is widely criticized as a low-effort cash grab, with users highlighting fundamental flaws and disappointment over the lack of promised VR support.
- “Cash grab in my opinion, intentional or not.”
- “This is a low effort cash grab with fundamental flaws.”
- “No VR support despite their website advertising VR support.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its immersive atmosphere, enhanced by well-designed controls and appealing graphics. Players appreciate the realistic settings and the creator's evident passion, contributing to a captivating overall experience.
- “The controls are well thought out, the graphics are nice, and the atmosphere (real retailers, etc.) is fantastic.”
- “This is a great and very atmospheric title, with a creator who is truly passionate about what he does.”
- “The game creates a very good atmosphere.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express that the grinding aspect of the game is extremely time-consuming, suggesting that it feels like a task that could require a second life to fully accomplish.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, users find the game highly replayable, especially for fans of transit themes. However, the limited number of routes and trams currently available may hinder its long-term replay value.
- “Overall, Tramsim has become one of my favorite games and is easily replayable multiple times if transit is a particular topic you enjoy.”
- “The current lack of further routes and trams does limit value for money, as well as replayability.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game enhances the experience, making it an ideal choice for relaxation while playing, as players can enjoy their own tunes while driving in the simulator.
- “The best tram simulator I know of, and a great evening chill-out game: put on some music and just drive!”