''Train Valley 2'' is a

puzzle A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together ( or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to find the solution of the puzzle. There are differe ...

strategy Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "troop leadership; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the " a ...

train simulator A train simulator (also railroad simulator or railway simulator) is a computer-based simulation of rail transport operations. They are generally large complicated software packages modeling a 3D virtual reality world implemented both as comme ...

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

developed by

Flazm Flazm Interactive Entertainment is a Lithuanian video game developer and video game publisher, publisher founded in 2010. It is best known for creating the simulation video game, simulation video games ''Train Valley'' and its sequel, ''Train V ...

as a sequel to ''

Train Valley ''Train Valley'' is a puzzle video game, puzzle-strategy game, strategy train simulator video game developed by Flazm, released on September 16, 2015. It is available for download on Steam (service), Steam and iOS. A sequel, titled ''Train Valle ...

''. It was released in early access on 29 March 2018, and fully released on 13 April 2019.

Gameplay

Cities demand various goods, such as cattle, furniture, iron ore, or steel plates. Each level is complete once all city demands are delivered to their respective stations, who also supply workers to operate industries. Unlike the original ''Train Valley'', where the player just has to deliver a set number of trains, the player has to manage production chains (for instance: furniture requires glass and boards, which in turn requires sand and logs). In addition to raw materials, nearly every industry requires workers to operate, and some of them also require electricity, which in turn requires a connected, operating power plant. Also unlike the first game, passengers and destinations aren't randomized. Instead the player delivers workers and materials to the various industries using the locomotives available to him in the level. As goods are delivered, the player gains income that can be used to lay more track, upgrade his locomotives to go faster and carry larger loads, and buy more of them to operate more trains simultaneously. Each level contains five objectives which create a five-star rating for the level. Two of the objectives are for accomplishing different tasks (such as "do not destroy tracks") while the other three tasks are time challenges (such as "complete the level in under 10 minutes"). Each objective gives the level one star. The early access version of ''Train Valley 2'' 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'' features a realistic style while ''Train Valley 2'' has a

low poly Low poly is a polygon mesh in 3D computer graphics that has a relatively small number of polygons. Low poly meshes occur in real-time applications (e.g. games) as contrast with high poly meshes in animated movies and special effects of the s ...

, simplistic art style.

Development

The prequel to ''Train Valley 2'', ''

'', entered

Steam Early Access Early access, also known as alpha access, alpha founding, paid alpha, or game preview, is a funding model in the video game industry by which consumers can purchase and play a game in the various pre-release development cycles, such as pre-alph ...

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.

Reception

The game has been described as "a beautifully executed hybrid of puzzle game and tycoon sim that charms and challenges in equal measure." The graphics have been described as "aesthetically pleasing", with an "endearing sense of childish innocence", and has been compared to ''

Poly Bridge ''Poly Bridge'' is a simulation-puzzle video game series developed and published by Dry Cactus. The franchise was introduced in 2016 and received three installments, with the third title, '' Poly Bridge 3'', released on 30 May 2023. Games Poly B ...

''. 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." The way tracks are laid down in the game has been criticized, with them being described 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.

References

External links

* {{Portal bar, Video games 2018 video games Early access video games MacOS games Puzzle video games Single-player video games Simulation video games Strategy video games Transport simulation games Vehicle simulation games Video games developed in Lithuania Windows games