Its fun but relatively shallow. I had a great time with it, and can definitely see myself coming back to it. Great fun for casually picking up on a day off. I will say, my main complaint is that the AI competitors don't really do anything or really serve a a part of the difficulty. The majority of the difficulty (at 100% diff at least) comes from traffic management (hence why trains are so important. Trains are a tad finicky, but it is possible to make complicated and satisfying train routes.

A secondary QOL request I would have was that the distance you can place train/boat/zeppelin terminals from warehouses (the main logistical building of the game) should be clearly indicated when placing warehouses, especially in the case of boats it can be frustrating to "guess and check" if you are able to place a boat terminal from the recently places warehouse.

My last note is that the game quickly feels "solved." As the AI companies don't really serve as much competition, once you have created a steady cash flow for yourself, the challenge becomes almost entirely removed (from the business side of the game at least). It would be nice if the market system was more dynamic, and if the other businesses felt like real competitors.

Despite my minor complaints, the game is very fun and satisfying to play, and I look forward to many more hours in the future.

Rise of Industry is a masterfully crafted strategy game that offers a compelling mix of economic management, logistics, and industrial planning. While it may not reach the complexity of some genre titans, its accessible mechanics, beautiful visuals, and rewarding gameplay loop make it a standout choice for strategy enthusiasts.

• Detailed and Satisfying Logistics: The game offers an intricate logistics system that feels deeply rewarding as you optimize supply chains, balance resources, and meet city demands.
  
• Beautiful Visual Design: The vibrant and clean art style makes it easy to navigate the map while giving a modern, polished feel to the industrial world.
  
• Strategic Depth: From managing pollution to balancing regional relations, every decision matters, creating a highly engaging experience.
  
• Satisfying Progression: Growing a simple production chain into a sprawling industrial empire is incredibly rewarding, especially as towns grow in response to your supply.

• Traffic Management Challenges: While realistic, managing traffic can be daunting, and requires significant planning to avoid bottlenecks.
  
• Resource Saturation: Overproduction and market saturation can slow down progress, requiring careful planning to keep operations running smoothly.

Rise of Industry strikes a perfect balance between challenge and accessibility, offering a fulfilling industrial strategy experience. Whether you're optimizing farms, crafting high-end goods, or building sprawling trade networks, the game provides countless opportunities for creative problem-solving and strategic planning. While a few areas, such as traffic management, require extra attention, the overall experience is immensely enjoyable.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
If you love strategic resource management and building industrial empires, Rise of Industry is a must-play!

Okay so it's a blend
Factorio: crafting / tech tree
Workers and resources: loans / management / railways

Very simple but then also gets complicated very quickly.

Nails in the coffin:
1. Instead of updating cool existing gameplay adding craft new mechanics etc they came up with an ugly completely unnecessary 2130 mod, who asked? Ofcourse dlc sells that's why. I can see this game being alive and kicking if all that effort was put into the main game instead.

2. Pretty but unusable UI. I am not joking when I say I got a headache because the text pop up saying u can't place the building here is on top of a building your are trying yo place. Sp you can't see why you can't place it!!! Like bruh, why xant ypu close windows woth q like in factprio, why is it even possible to open so many windows?

3. Minor, but I think railway system is an insult to all people who like rail ways.

Bottom line:
If this was being updated and 2130 did not exist, i would sink 100h into this and recolmend it. Game content is lacking and its not getting better. Lost potential - not recommended.