Train Valley 2
A puzzle-strategy train simulator with production chains and low poly art.
Train Valley 2 is a puzzle-strategy train simulator and the sequel to Train Valley, developed by Flazm. It entered early access on 29 March 2018 and launched fully on 13 April 2019. The gameplay shifts from the original's simple delivery of a set number of trains to managing production chains. Cities demand goods like cattle, furniture, iron ore, or steel plates, and each level ends when all demands are met. Industries require workers to operate, and some need electricity from a connected power plant. Unlike the first game, passengers and destinations are not randomized; instead, players deliver workers and materials using available locomotives. Income from deliveries funds new track, faster locomotives with larger loads, and additional trains. Each level has five objectives for a five-star rating: two for tasks like "do not destroy tracks" and three for time challenges like "complete the level in under 10 minutes." The early access version had 20 levels, while the full release contains 50. The art style is completely different from the original—Train Valley used a realistic look, while Train Valley 2 adopts a low poly, simplistic style.
The original Train Valley entered Steam Early Access on 9 May 2015 and fully released on 16 September 2015. Flazm announced Train Valley 2's development on 23 December 2016, and it fully released on 13 April 2019.
Reception describes the game as "a beautifully executed hybrid of puzzle game and tycoon sim that charms and challenges in equal measure." Graphics are "aesthetically pleasing" with an "endearing sense of childish innocence," and it has been compared to Poly Bridge. The terrain "can be difficult to interpret," but maps are "still interesting and varied," making the game a "little gem that will keep you entertained for hours." Track laying has been criticized as "unnecessarily fiddly" with "a bit of trial and error involved in working out where you can actually build, especially when it comes to slopes." The game won the Grand Prize at the DevGAMM Moscow 2018 conference.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Train Valley 2
- Developer
- Flazm
- Producer
- Alexey Davydov
- Programmer
- Sergey Dvoynikov
- Artist
- Timofey Shargorodskiy
- Composer
- Alexander Ahura
- Designer
- Anton Antsiferov
- Released
- 13 April 2019
- Genre
- Puzzle / strategy / train simulator
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- Windows / Linux / macOS
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Train Valley 2 is a sequel to Train Valley, which entered Steam Early Access on May 9, 2015 and was fully released on September 16, 2015. On 23 December 2016, Flazm announced that Train Valley 2 was in development. The game was fully released on 13 April 2019. Unlike the original Train Valley, where the player just has to deliver a set number of trains, Train Valley 2 requires the player to manage production chains. For instance, furniture requires glass and boards, which in turn require sand and logs. Nearly every industry requires workers to operate, and some also require electricity from a connected, operating power plant. Passengers and destinations are not randomized; instead the player delivers workers and materials to industries using available locomotives. Each level contains five objectives creating a five-star rating: two for accomplishing different tasks (such as 'do not destroy tracks') and three time challenges (such as 'complete the level in under 10 minutes'). The early access version contained 20 levels, and the full-release game contains 50 levels. Train Valley 2 features a completely different art style from the original – Train Valley has a realistic style while Train Valley 2 has a low poly, simplistic art style.
Reader's Guide
Train Valley 2 has been described as 'a beautifully executed hybrid of puzzle game and tycoon sim that charms and challenges in equal measure.' Its graphics have been called 'aesthetically pleasing' with an 'endearing sense of childish innocence,' and have been compared to Poly Bridge. The terrain 'can be difficult to interpret' but the maps are 'still interesting and varied,' with the game overall being a 'little gem that will keep you entertained for hours.' However, the way tracks are laid down has been criticized as 'unnecessarily fiddly' with 'a bit of trial and error involved in working out where you can actually build, especially when it comes to slopes.' The game won the DevGAMM Moscow 2018 conference's Grand Prize. Its significance lies in evolving the train simulator puzzle genre by introducing production chain management and a distinct low poly art style, while maintaining the core challenge of logistics and time management.
Did You Know?
- Train Valley 2 was announced on 23 December 2016.
- The game won the Grand Prize at DevGAMM Moscow 2018.
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