The game has a somewhat unusual premise: it's essentially a truck simulator on rails. In the current form you're provided by the company with most of the motive power, while you pay for its maintenance and get most of the profit from the deliveries. The premise itself turned me a bit away initially, but I couldn't be more wrong. You can own some special locomotives, which you're solely responsible for.

The deliveries are done across a relatively small but stunningly beautiful region (the titular Derail Valley), inspired by Eastern Europe. It's full of generalized destinations between which there's a working supply chain: oil fields produce crude which sent to refineries which feed cities and send oil products for export, factories produce goods and tooling and need raw materials, and so on. Each significant industry has a train station with multiple yards and parked rolling stock, mostly signifying orders. The stations are sensibly organized, and usually are pretty easy to navigate, although building or parking is still quite a puzzle.

There are three types of jobs: self evident freight hauls, switching/shunting, and logistical hauls (moving empty rolling stock). Initially you can haul only freight, short trains, single order of safe goods at a time. Progression is realized by buying licenses, which allow you to do more more lucrative jobs but also increase your risks by raising your insurance deductible (copay). Insurance can pay for anything, and initially the copay is very low, but as you progress, it's increasing, making mistakes more painful. And you _will_ be paying for your mistakes: unlike most train simulators, the consequences of your actions are properly simulated, and you might end up paying not just for the destroyed cargo and rolling stock, but also for environmental damage you've caused. On the lower difficulty settings you can just load the game, but it's much less forgiving at the higher ones.

As for the motive power, it covers all the basics of non-electrified track operations: different types of diesel and steam locomotives. Locomotives systems are somewhat simplified, or rather downscaled, compared to real life, but definitely not as dumb as some competition. Each locomotive has its quirks and difficulties, and will take getting used to, and steam locomotives are very involved to both maintain and operate, but also very rewarding. As a bonus, there's a basic customization systems available for any locomotive (not just the ones you own), allowing you to add cab equipment and cosmetic features.

Overall physics simulation is very competent, with properly simulated adhesion, forces acting on the vehicles, and is responsive to weather and vehicles condition.

Currently, there's no driving scoring, signalling, or safety systems (except optional vigilance system). If things are delivered as loaded, you get paid, no question asked. If you push it too far and break things, you pay for it. Nothing is arbitrary, everything is very material and very visceral. Signalling and AI traffic are planned in the future updates, but I would say the current form of the game has its weird wild west charm.

As a closing word, a bit on the current state of development. The team definitely has their priorities straight, bugs are few and far between, the game is shockingly polished for Early Access. Things confirmed to come are: electrification and electric motive power, double track sections and loops, busier map (2025), AI traffic and signalling (2026+), passenger traffic and schedules (2027+).

I would recommend this game to any railfan. It's whatever you make of it, and if you want to go all crazy, you can, but you also can practice to do things as responsibly and safe as possible. The game encourages experimenting, and the game world's your oyster.

The game has a somewhat unusual premise: it's essentially a truck simulator on rails. In the current form you're provided by the company with most of the motive power, while you pay for its maintenance and get most of the profit from the deliveries. The premise itself turned me a bit away initially, but I couldn't be more wrong. You can own some special locomotives, which you're solely responsible for. The deliveries are done across a relatively small but stunningly beautiful region (the titular Derail Valley), inspired by Eastern Europe. It's full of generalized destinations between which there's a working supply chain: oil fields produce crude which sent to refineries which feed cities and send oil products for export, factories produce goods and tooling and need raw materials, and so on. Each significant industry has a train station with multiple yards and parked rolling stock, mostly signifying orders. The stations are sensibly organized, and usually are pretty easy to navigate, although building or parking is still quite a puzzle. There are three types of jobs: self evident freight hauls, switching/shunting, and logistical hauls (moving empty rolling stock). Initially you can haul only freight, short trains, single order of safe goods at a time. Progression is realized by buying licenses, which allow you to do more more lucrative jobs but also increase your risks by raising your insurance deductible (copay). Insurance can pay for anything, and initially the copay is very low, but as you progress, it's increasing, making mistakes more painful. And you _will_ be paying for your mistakes: unlike most train simulators, the consequences of your actions are properly simulated, and you might end up paying not just for the destroyed cargo and rolling stock, but also for environmental damage you've caused. On the lower difficulty settings you can just load the game, but it's much less forgiving at the higher ones. As for the motive power, it covers all the basics of non-electrified track operations: different types of diesel and steam locomotives. Locomotives systems are somewhat simplified, or rather downscaled, compared to real life, but definitely not as dumb as some competition. Each locomotive has its quirks and difficulties, and will take getting used to, and steam locomotives are very involved to both maintain and operate, but also very rewarding. As a bonus, there's a basic customization systems available for any locomotive (not just the ones you own), allowing you to add cab equipment and cosmetic features. Overall physics simulation is very competent, with properly simulated adhesion, forces acting on the vehicles, and is responsive to weather and vehicles condition. Currently, there's no driving scoring, signalling, or safety systems (except optional vigilance system). If things are delivered as loaded, you get paid, no question asked. If you push it too far and break things, you pay for it. Nothing is arbitrary, everything is very material and very visceral. Signalling and AI traffic are planned in the future updates, but I would say the current form of the game has its weird wild west charm. As a closing word, a bit on the current state of development. The team definitely has their priorities straight, bugs are few and far between, the game is shockingly polished for Early Access. Things confirmed to come are: electrification and electric motive power, double track sections and loops, busier map (2025), AI traffic and signalling (2026+), passenger traffic and schedules (2027+). I would recommend this game to any railfan. It's whatever you make of it, and if you want to go all crazy, you can, but you also can practice to do things as responsibly and safe as possible. The game encourages experimenting, and the game world's your oyster.