This might just be my new favourite tycoon game.
Train Valley World is a railway themed tycoon game, where you build your very own train networks.
In this article, we’ll be giving a full review of the game and ranking it from decaf to fully caffeinated.
Prefer to watch the video version? Check it out here
Story
Train Valley World is a tycoon game, so story isn’t really a big factor. However, what this game has done really well is incorporate mini stories into the level designs.
Each level has its own story you can follow, from building pyramids to keeping Godzilla fed, there’s actually a pretty decent plotline going on if you pay attention.
You won’t find dialogue bubbles, or cut scenes in the game, and it’s definitely a story you can miss if you’re not really paying attention, but it definitely serves its purpose well, adding a bit more context to the levels, and a touch of entertainment value too.
I really found this was a great way to approach story telling with a tycoon game. So for Story, I’m rating Train Valley World as Fully Caffeinated.
GAMEPLAY
If I could sum up the gameplay of Train Valley World in one word it would be addictive.
You are the mastermind behind the railway network in this game, and it’s up to you to create an efficient network to fulfill the level goals. Each level presents three different goals to achieve, with each goal rewarding you with one star to spend on upgrades. Each level also has a number of deliverables which are how you win the level.
You’ll have a number of different resource buildings and cities you can construct stations at, and each have different things they can produce and receive. For your resource buildings, they’ll produce a certain resource which can be transported to other resource buildings, or to cities to sell. The first level resource buildings produce resources periodically, whereas the secondary ones require other resources before they will work. Cities are usually the end point for your resources, where they can be sold, which is done automatically, but they also have one resource you can transport: passengers. Passengers can be taken from city to city, and are a great way to earn a bit of extra income.
You’ll have a certain number of trains you can purchase, and there’s a bunch of different train types you can select, each with different speeds, and carriages. Once you’ve got your train lines run and your trains purchased, you’ll need to schedule your trains route, directing them to load and unload resources where needed. This is where the game gets strategic, because you’ll need to create the most efficient routes for your trains to take, ensuring all resources get to where they need to go.
Once you earn some stars, you’re able to purchase different trains, as well as specialists who have different perks. Each train can have one specialist on board, and they cost to hire them, but they are a great way to up the value of your trains.
Now all of this is just covering the single player mode, because yep, there’s a multiplayer mode too. You can create your own maps, and head into multiplayer mode to create train networks with your friends, or go up against each other and see who comes out on top.
Train Valley World is definitely up there with some of the best tycoon games I’ve played. The only gripe I could possibly have, is that the tutorial wasn’t overly thorough, and the learning curve can be a little steep, but once you play for a bit it’s not really an issue. There’s 16 levels to play through, which I may have done in just one day, and I for one am really hoping they add more, as it was a blast to play through. For game play, I’m rating Train Valley World as Fully Caffeinated.
DESIGN
Train Valley World has a pretty cool design style.
Featuring a cartoon but realistic style, it definitely fits right in to the tycoon genre. The maps are all really interesting, and the attention to detail in the entire game is next level. I particularly loved the different train designs, and the themes of the levels.
The sound scape of the game is a great fit for the gameplay, giving you a pretty chill soundtrack to build trains too, and some great sound effects that add build the atmosphere of the game.
You can tell this is a game that was designed with a lot of care, so for design, I’m rating Train Valley World as Fully Caffeinated.
ORIGINALITY
Train Valley World is a railway tycoon game that doesn’t really stray too far from what we’ve already seen before.
The unique settings and level themes add a quirky touch to the game, and the multiplayer player vs player mode is an interesting addition too.
I wouldn’t say this is anything too different to other games in this genre, but while it might not be super unique, it definitely nails the train theme.
For originality, I’m rating Train Valley World as Buzzed.
THE FINAL BREW
Train Valley World is one of the best new tycoon games we’ve played this year. It offers some quirky stories with some great tycoon railway management, and is fun and addictive to play.
We’ve ground the beans, weighed and pressed the grinds, and brewed this game down. Now it’s time for a taste test… Train Valley World is Fully Caffeinated.
Train Valley World is available on Steam now. You can check it out here.
Until next time, stay caffeinated!