Train Fever
Last updated: 2026-02-16
- Extensive modding support enhances gameplay variety and longevity.
- High-quality graphics and detailed vehicle models.
- Fun and challenging gameplay with dynamic city growth.
- Sandbox and free-form gameplay with strategic management.
- Poorly designed menus and non-intuitive gameplay mechanics.
- Cumbersome track building and various bugs, performance issues.
Emotions
Players experience frustration primarily due to the game's complex and poorly explained mechanics, such as setting up cargo routes and building tracks. Additionally, performance issues, bugs, and a lack of tutorials or proper UI design significantly hinder the gameplay experience.
Players find satisfaction in the game's detailed models, engaging gameplay, and the freedom to create and manage transport networks. The relaxing atmosphere, high replayability, and the rewarding experience once the game is mastered also contribute to this positive emotion.
Disappointment stems from the game's unfinished state, lack of updates, and various performance issues. Players also feel let down by the game's lack of depth, replayability, and the developers' shift in focus to other projects.
Enjoyment comes from the game's addictive gameplay, strategic planning, and the pleasure of watching trains and cargo transport. The extensive modding support and the game's graphics and music also enhance the enjoyable experience.
Excitement is generated by the anticipation for future releases and updates, such as Transport Fever 3. Players also appreciate the historical period detailing and look forward to future modding tools.
Verdict
Mixed
Summary
Positive 55% Ā· Negative 45%. Score: 45 / 100
Positives:
- The game offers a wide range of mods that significantly enhance the gameplay experience, providing players with numerous options for customization and extended gameplay.
- The game features a diverse selection of train models, vehicles, and transportation modes, each with detailed designs and animations.
- The game is praised for its high-quality graphics, including detailed vehicle models and pleasant visuals that enhance the overall gaming experience.
- The game offers enjoyable and challenging gameplay, making it fun for players to engage with the transport simulation.
- The game features dynamic city growth and economic progression, adding depth to the gameplay as cities develop and infrastructure expands.
Negatives:
- The game's interface is widely criticized for being counter-intuitive, confusing, and awkward. Players find the menus clunky and the overall UI design amateurish, which detracts from the gameplay experience.
- Players find the gameplay non-intuitive and bland. The learning curve and interface issues contribute to a frustrating experience, and the gameplay is described as slow and repetitive.
- Building tracks is described as tedious, frustrating, and error-prone. The system is seen as unfriendly and lacks features like an undo button or planning mode, making the process more difficult than necessary.
- The game lacks various railway features such as elevated, underground, and curved stations. Additionally, trains have issues with AI and cannot handle steep slopes or choose platforms intelligently.
- Many players feel that the game is incomplete and rushed. This perception is exacerbated by the developers abandoning the game to work on new projects.
Gameplay:
- The game offers a wide range of transportation options including road and rail transport, with various vehicles like trains, trams, buses, and trucks. Players can transport both passengers and goods, and can build different types of transport lines to connect towns and industries.
- The game features a detailed track building system that includes laying tracks, building tunnels and bridges, and managing signals. While the track planning tool is user-friendly, the overall track laying process can be complex and sometimes frustrating.
- The game incorporates city-building elements with a focus on realistic transport management and city growth. Cities develop with residential, commercial, industrial, and leisure buildings, and players can observe city prosperity and development.
- Players are tasked with building and managing transport networks, focusing on both passenger and goods transport. The game spans from 1850 to modern times, involving route planning, train management, and the creation of transport lines using various vehicles.
- The game includes historically accurate vehicles and spans time periods from 1850 to the present. Time progression affects gameplay, with vehicles aging and requiring replacement over time.
Performance:
- Many players report performance issues, including poor optimization, frame rate drops, and laggy performance. These issues are particularly noticeable with large maps and during late-game scenarios.
- The game had significant bugs and performance issues at release, but many of these have been addressed through patches and updates over time.
- Players experience memory usage issues, particularly with large maps and mods. High VRAM consumption is also a common complaint.
- There are occasional lags with camera angle changes and FPS drops when zooming, which can affect gameplay.
- There are reports of input lag and UI resolution issues, which affect the overall gameplay experience.
Recommendations:
- The game is highly recommended for fans of transport simulation games, including those who enjoy titles like Transport Tycoon Deluxe, Cities in Motion, and Sim City. It is particularly appealing to those who enjoy modding and are willing to overcome a learning curve.
- Many reviewers suggest considering Transport Fever or its sequel instead of this game. This recommendation is based on the improved features and overall better experience offered by Transport Fever.
- The game is recommended for those who enjoy a relaxing, sandbox-style experience. It is also suggested for train enthusiasts and city builder fans, especially during sales.
- The game is suitable for casual players and train enthusiasts who are looking for a less intense gaming experience.
- Fans of economic strategy games and economy simulations are likely to enjoy this game due to its strategic elements.
Miscellaneous:
- The developers have shifted their focus to a new game, Transport Fever, and are not providing further updates to this game.
- The game was created by a very small team, which might explain some of its limitations or lack of updates.
