CHENNAI: If games on trains are a no-brainer for you, you might have come across a few of these: Rail Nation, Railroad Tycoon, and Mini Metro. However, another game recently made everyone stop in their tracks because it was free to download on the Epic games store (for the PC). Railway Empire calls itself a Rail Tycoon simulation game.
When you start playing it, you might start thinking that everything, but the ‘game’ part of the phrase is accurate. If you missed the train on the freeversion, here are some reasons for you to consider a buy on the full-version online.
A trip to the 1800s: Steampowered locomotives, the opportunity to research and develop new alternatives, and even set-up shop in historic cities! A New York City resembling an overgrown forest? Wait till your tracks raze them all down, and your industries keep pollution levels right up! The game even has expansion packs into other continents — covering Europe, South America and Australia.
Visuals and music-tracks: The game has multiple pleasant background tracks that will keep you calm even as an enemy tycoon captures territory you dearly want. The visuals make the operations intuitive (to an extent, signal placement is still a daunting task). Placing tracks and establishing stations feel exactly right, with those lime green highlights directing you to empty areas. The ka-chings on purchase of new equipment is an under-rated pleasure.
The game also allows for some cool camera views, so you can look outside your train window when it stops outside a cornfield or crosses a bridge. While the game seems straightforward to start with, it gets difficult just as fast. It requires patience, and proper rail management to ensure regular cash flow to expand the railway biz. A lot more choo do: While appreciating the logistic difficulties in setting up a railway network, the game provides the opportunity to develop new technologies, trade and industrialise.
As the city gets better connected, the population increases – providing the opportunity to capitalise on passenger, as well as freight traffic. But we would also do well to note that unless you have unlimited money supply (like in the sandbox mode), the game would require a lot of waiting around and railroad rearrangement. If you’re looking for a diversion, place your signals on Railway Empire. It isn’t a bad choo-choice.
Anusha Ganapathi @quaffle_waffle
(This economics graduate spends her leisure time preparing for the zombie apocalypse)