Tumbleweed Express

About

In "Tumbleweed Express" , set in 1885 America, players challenge Dirigibaus' airship monopoly by piloting the Tumbleweed Express Steam Engine, supporting the oppressed with logistics. The game features fast-paced collection quests in 12 levels, direct combat management from the caboose, and train defense upgrades to outperform the competition. Conquer the Dirigibaus and restore balance to the West.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 208 reviews

gameplay28 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

Tumbleweed Express offers a fun and engaging gameplay experience, blending on-rails shooting with tower defense elements.
The game features a charming art style reminiscent of Borderlands, and the upgrade system provides a satisfying sense of progression.
At a low price point, the game delivers good value for the amount of entertainment it provides, making it a worthwhile purchase for casual gamers.

The game is very short, with only 12 missions that can be completed in about 2-4 hours, leading to concerns about replayability.
Voice acting and some narrative elements are poorly executed, detracting from the overall experience.
Gameplay can feel unbalanced and grindy, especially when trying to achieve higher ratings on missions for upgrades.

story
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
86%
7%
The game's story is generally considered short and basic, consisting of only 12 missions that can be completed in under four hours, with many players finding it unremarkable and lacking depth. While some appreciate the humor and replayability of missions for upgrades, the narrative is often described as a mere backdrop to the gameplay, with flat characters and minimal engagement. Overall, the story serves as a secondary element, with players expressing a desire for more substantial content in potential future expansions.
- “While yes it's a bit too short, but the story is funny and gameplay is 9/10.”
- “The main missions are not terribly long, and there are only 12, but they're replayable as hell and I never once felt like I was 'grinding' when I was going back to some old levels for loot.”
- “I would absolutely pay more for a DLC, hell, even a sequel with more train customization, bigger branching levels, more fleshed out story and characters, more weapons... the possibilities are limitless.”
- “The story is nothing to write home about, the graphics are also rough, and the voice acting was probably made by the devs themselves.”
- “There isn't much story to speak about, and the characters are lovable yet flat.”
- “There is a story in animated pictures, it was incredibly boring, so I can't tell anything particular about it.”
gameplay
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
53%
11%
The gameplay is generally engaging and features a unique concept that combines tower defense mechanics with on-rail shooting, though it suffers from some balance issues and repetitiveness. While many players appreciate the core loop of upgrading and utilizing the train, some find the implementation lacking, with clunky mechanics and confusing boss fights. Overall, the gameplay is solid and enjoyable, with a fun upgrade system, but it may not offer deep or varied experiences.
- “This game has extraordinarily fun and engaging gameplay, an original concept (moving tower defense) and an intuitive interface so that you don't need instructions on how to do anything in the game; it is all designed to be played without a complicated tutorial or manual.”
- “The gameplay is fast, thrilling, and challenging (yet somehow never frustrating).”
- “The gameplay is pretty great - it's essentially a tower defense game but with your towers on a train, and you operate one of the guns.”
- “Extremely repetitive gameplay.”
- “Very limited gameplay, poor instructions, and confusing boss fights.”
- “As good as the gameplay idea is, as bad is the implementation.”
graphics
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
56%
6%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the unique art style reminiscent of Borderlands, which fits the game's theme well. However, some users criticize the graphics for being rough or lacking polish, alongside issues with performance and UI. Overall, while the aesthetic is appreciated, there are notable concerns regarding graphical quality and visibility in certain settings.
- “The graphics fit the theme of the game perfectly and so does the music.”
- “Awesome game, great visual style and artwork, good worldbuilding, one or two minor problems.”
- “The art style and overall feel of the game is great; I would recommend it if you like tower defense games or similar types, especially considering the price.”
- “First of all, the game has very bad graphics and awful UI.”
- “- very bad performance, UI and graphics.”
- “The story is nothing to write home about, the graphics are also rough, and the voice acting was probably made by the devs themselves.”
music
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
39%
11%
The music in the game receives largely positive feedback, with many reviewers praising its catchy and thematic quality that enhances the overall atmosphere. While some note that the soundtrack varies from old west country to rock and roll, others highlight standout moments, particularly the delightful credits song. However, a few critiques mention that the music alone cannot compensate for other shortcomings in the game.
- “The music is absolutely phenomenal, it's better than the music in most professionally released games.”
- “The graphics fit the theme of the game perfectly and so does the music.”
- “(p.s. don't skip the credits! The song played during the credits and the sketches are a true delight.)”
- “All it ends up being is a click fest to some passable soundtrack and the end result is something not worth any price tag, which you should probably skip.”
- “The music also changes from an old west country theme to a rock and roll track.”
- “The voice acting is really cute and amusing, and man, the music.”
replayability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
Overall, the game offers a moderate level of replayability, primarily through its diverse tracks, contracts, and time challenges that encourage players to revisit levels with new goals and strategies. While some users feel that the long-term replay value may be limited, many appreciate the engaging upgrade system and the absence of grinding, making repeated playthroughs enjoyable.
- “Each track is different, and the extra contracts provide new ways to approach each track, giving some replayability.”
- “The main missions are not terribly long, and there are only 12, but they're replayable as hell and I never once felt like I was 'grinding' when I was going back to some old levels for loot.”
- “Just not really worth it for the long haul, and no real replayability.”
- “Contracts provide a bit of replayability.”
- “The upgrade system and contracts add a lot of replayability to each level and keep it from getting stale.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding the story, dialogue, and character interactions, particularly the main villain and his sidekick, to be genuinely funny. The voice acting, while described as hammy, adds to the comedic effect without being off-putting, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience despite the game's brevity.
- “The main villain and his toady are quite funny as well, and the final battle is a real fun one!”
- “Dialogue is pretty funny too.”
- “The voices are funny and I can only imagine how fun they would have been to script/record.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be manageable, particularly when replaying levels for loot, which keeps the experience enjoyable rather than tedious. However, some express that achieving 100% completion can feel grindy, and there is a desire for more content to extend gameplay. Overall, while the main missions are short, their replayability mitigates the grind for many players.
- “The only downsides I'd say this game has is that it's pretty grindy if you want to 100% it.”
- “I really wish we could do areas in Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, and the other areas on the map. It would have lasted longer. Either way, it was a fun on-rails shooting gallery kind of game. The grinding is easy, but I kind of wish we could have extended the train by a few more cars. Having 5 cars (excluding the engine part) wasn't enough in my opinion, especially since it would make the game either harder or easier (depending on one's skill) because it wasn't enough of a challenge to play through.”
- “The only downsides I'd say this game has is that it's pretty grindy if you want to 100% it.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, particularly in performance, user interface, and graphics. Despite these shortcomings, many players feel that they do not significantly detract from the overall gaming experience.
- “Very bad performance, UI, and graphics.”
- “It does have a couple of optimization issues and the UI needs a few upgrades, both of which I brought up in the aforementioned meeting with some of the devs, but it doesn't detract from the game much at all.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, particularly for its effective use of music that enhances the overall experience and complements the game's setting.
- “The atmosphere is captivating and immersive.”
- “The good music really ties in well with the atmosphere of the game.”
- “The atmosphere is rich and engaging, enhancing the overall experience.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, players report a high level of stability, with no significant bugs, glitches, or crashes experienced during gameplay. The absence of issues such as weird animations or environmental anomalies further underscores the game's reliability.
- “I didn't encounter any bugs, no glitches, no weird animations or flying trains or falling through the world; it didn't crash.”