Sid Meier's Railroads!

Sid Meier's Railroads! strikes a comfortable balance between a deep economic simulation and an accessible, streamlined empire-building game. People looking for the same level of micromanagement of Railroad Tycoon 3 might be disappointed with just how simplified Railroads! is, but there's still plenty of depth here to make it worth a look.

Railroads looks good and plays well. It is very easy to learn, but that doesn’t mean it is too easy to enjoy. While it’s not the difficult game Railroad Tycoon was, it has plenty of things to do and manage in the scenarios. Everyone loves trains, and everyone should enjoy this game, even if they are micromanagement nuts.

Sid Meier's Railroads is a game that comes frustratingly close to excellence without ever justifying such a tag. Though the gameplay has depth and simplicity, it often feels more like a multiplayer game with single-player tacked on, than a genuine single-player title in its own right. Without any kind of campaign mode there's a significant lack of structure and incentive, and this restricts Railroad's appeal, making it a fun, but ultimately short-lived experience.