I’m usually not a huge fan of management sims. There’s something about them that just freaks me out: there’s always too much to do, too many choices, too many approaches, and frankly, too many ways to dig yourself into a hole that’s too hard to get out of. RAILGRADE is an exception, because it’s not just an endless railroad management simulator, it’s also a gem of a puzzle game that captivates as much as it challenges.
RAILGRADE’s progression is very similar to many other puzzle games and very different from most other railroad management simulators. It is a series of discrete stages, each with one or two main objectives. The first stages of the tutorial cover the basics: how to lay a track, how to place a train on that track, and how to transport goods from one facility to another, but after that, things turn absolutely wild Each stage of the future presents you with a new challenge, and the challenges range from processing and exporting 100 iron ingots to establishing and managing a complex network of facilities to achieve a certain amount of resources per minute.
Fortunately, it’s not as if the extremely complex missions come immediately after the simpler missions – there’s a wonderful sense of progression that I think is really RAILGRADE’s core strength. Each stage seems a little more compared to the last, and things get a little more complex with each step forward. Every once in a while, though, he’ll throw you a curveball, and that’s where the game gets really interesting. Instead of resting on your laurels and falling into familiar patterns, every now and then a mission will pop up that necessarily requires you to change the way you approach your rail networks. Where a straight round-trip rail network with one product per line might have worked in the last few missions, now you’ll have to start building multi-product, looping or branching networks that really put your logistics skills to the test . .
The first time you encounter each of these stages, there’s a good chance you’ll get a terrible score; after all, you’ve settled into a familiar rut, and breaking out of that rut is easier said than done. However, the more time you spend with this particular stage, the more you will understand the nuances of what is needed to make everything run smoothly. RAILGRADE’s smooth progression means that when you hit one of these obstacles, not only do you have to rethink how you approach your networks, but this process of rethinking feels natural and also helps you prepare for to the next challenges. Often times I’d be doing poorly on a mission and suddenly, out of the blue, I’d realize that not only do I need to change things, but I already knew exactly what to do to make everything work. I just, for whatever reason, didn’t. Having a solution that pops into your head makes you feel like an absolute genius, and implementing it and seeing it work, and work well, is very satisfying.
Unfortunately, despite my enjoyment, there were times when I also found myself incredibly frustrated and overwhelmed. The nature of some of the challenges is often a little annoying to play, and the objective of a challenge is subject to change as it nears completion. In some cases, I had created a network to meet the original goal that was completely incompatible with the second goal, and that required a complete rework for which I often did not have the money or resources. In these cases it was often a matter of accepting a bad score and waiting it out while building up money, or simply restarting the level, some of which I’d just spent half an hour or more playing, to rebuild something that worked. the later goal, too. This won’t be a problem for everyone, I’m sure a lot of people with different approaches to this type of game will do well, but for my particular playstyle it popped up a couple of times and often made me quit the game. game and we’ll be back tomorrow.
Another concern to note is text size. Take it from me: If you want to save your eyesight, don’t play this game on Switch Lite. The text and UI in RAILGRADE is small and even on the OG Switch, it’s barely passable. On the Lite, unless you get really close, use magnifiers, or squint really hard, it’s just not on. I’m sure you’ll probably be fine on the OLED, thanks to its larger screen and it’s obviously great in docked mode, but be aware that Switch Lite owners won’t have anything positive about this experience. Unfortunately, there are no options I can find to increase the text size, so what you see (or don’t see) is what you get.
Other than that, there’s a lot to like about RAILGRADE’s presentation. It looks pretty nice, with each stage looking like a small slice of a model railway, and the music is an absolute blast of electric hits that keep you energized as you continue to fade well into the background of some of the long-running levels. The controls are also fine on Switch; it’s a game that feels like it was very much made for PC, so it’ll never feel exactly right on a gamepad, but it does a serviceable job that you don’t really have to fight against. It’s a bit awkward, but more than usable once you’ve practiced a bit.
RAILGRADE is a wonderful combination of railroad management and puzzle solving, with truly satisfying railroad gameplay, mind-blowing puzzles to solve, and a fantastic soundtrack. It’s frustrating at times and almost unplayable on Switch Lite, but there’s still a lot to like.
Rating: 3.5/5