Iron Roads
Release date: Jan 20, 2025
Developers: Cowleyfornia Studios
Publishers: Cowleyfornia Studios, Hawthorn Games
Genres: Simulation, Early Access
Categories: Single-player, Family Sharing
Supported languages: English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese

Your goal is to set up an efficient rail network that keeps your passengers happy and on-time Iron Roads is a top-down 2D train management game in which you lay tracks, buy trains, and set their routes until you have an efficient network carrying passengers and cargo between your towns and factories. With board game-inspired mechanics such as resource tokens, geographically-induced space constraints, and innovative track order systems, Iron Roads will appeal to players who relish the more cerebral, optimisation elements of train simulation games, as opposed to more realistic business sim/tycoon-type games. Choose between 3 modes of play Endless mode:  Start with just a couple of randomly-generated towns needing connection. If you serve them well, you are rewarded with R&D tokens that you can exchange for map expansions to add towns and systems. Start small, end devilishly complex! Scenarios: Hand-crafted experiences with distinct narratives and gameplay features Monthly challenges: Play time-bound challenges to compete for a spot on the high-score board Features Minimalistic interface  Well-suited for setting up sprawling and complex networks, while being approachable for new players Manage your resources  Earn resource tokens by growing towns or completing contracts. Use your tokens strategically to expand your network and keep your erudite animal passengers happy Carry cargo Transport goods efficiently in interconnected production chains Research Unlock new trains, technologies, and things to transport Listen to the sound of your network Music in Iron Roads is a combination of notes generated from your trains and passengers, and authored melodies. The music you hear will be as unique as the layouts you build Performance graphs The main goal of Iron Roads is to optimise your network, so you may wish to use the charts to analyse data relating to your finances and passengers Build large, complex networks Or small-to-medium sized networks, if that's what floats your boat Early Access We anticipate that we’ll be in Early Access for a couple of years, but are committed to providing regular updates based of feedback.  Our plan for each update is based on feedback from the community and the state of the game at that moment. So if there is something you'd especially like to see in Iron Roads, get in touch! Iron Roads will not have Buses, boats, planes or any other form of transport 3D graphics: our focus is on allowing you to build large networks easily, and we find 2D better for that NFTs, lootboxes or microtransactions Games we were inspired by OpenTTD Mini Metro Two Point Hospital Lets Build a Zoo Opus Magnum Iron Roads is being developed by a BAFTA-nominated husband-and-wife team, Marina and Duncan. You can find out more about us and our work on our website. 

Press reviews: “Iron Roads turns railways into an optimisation puzzle by removing money and signals” TimberwolfK