Railway Islands Review

Introduction

Trains are in my blood. With a grand-parent who worked on the railroads back in the day, I was always near them in some shape or form. I’m by no means a spotter – I can’t tell you the difference between track gauges and engine types – but I find satisfaction and calm in their clockwork machinations. From the original Sim City to todays simple puzzlers, trains have featured in gaming in many interesting ways. Released on Steam at the tail end of 2021, Train Islands tasks the player with rearranging a variety of track tiles to the dinky train can get to the exit. It’s a simple idea, but it’s amazing how many times it left me feeling like my brain was leaking out of my ears.

Gameplay

Presented from a three-dimensional isometric viewpoint, the hexagonal tiles need to be rotated and swapped with each other. Set the track up, press the go button and watch the little engine tootle off round the track. Oh, but only if things were so easy – junctions, gaps, raised areas and scenery mean you’ll be wrapping tracks into Gordian Knots. You also need to pass through several stations to collect items before you can exit the level.

Early levels see only the most basic track parts being used and the game ramps up the difficulty every so often by introducing new pieces. Junctions let the train switch routes. Ramps and bridges can be used to access higher areas or create flyovers. Put simply, new layouts become possible and the complexity increases. Some gameplay elements could have been explained more clearly – what the numbers on junctions mean for example – but the expectation is clear from the outset. There will be some trial and error but the feeling of satisfaction as you clear some of the more difficult levels is fantastic.

There are absolutely moments where you will find yourself staring at the screen for half an hour going “what the hell am I missing” only to realise you need to come at it from a different angle. It’s fun tying yourself in knots only for everything to just “click” but I’ll admit there were times I got the solution with what felt like luck rather than good planning. Also, I don’t know if it was intentional, but I did appreciate what appeared to be an easier level after one that left me perplexed. The only thing I wrestled with more than the puzzles were the controls. They were by no means irritating but sometimes switching from tile to tile can see the pointer get stuck.

Presentation

The visuals do the job nicely with the 3D environments and flat textured scenery standing out sharply against each other. Seasons change and that means snow covered trees and hillsides in the winter, autumnal browns and vibrant greens and blues of the summer and spring months. Background details like fishing boats rock past the islands and the calming music set a charming tone for a charming game. I loved the clackety-clack of the train as it rolled around the environment and seeing each scene come to life was a joy.

Extras

Outside of the 50-level campaign there is also a track builder. Here you get access to all the tiles from the campaign plus a few more scenery pieces. These can be set up in any way you want so long as there is an entrance and an exit. Once you’ve arranged your devious puzzle this can then be uploaded to the servers for other players to noodle over. Same goes for any level uploaded by other user. This could mean there is a lot of potential life here should a small community gather.

Conclusion

I enjoyed my time with Railway Islands even when I was pulling my hair out. The chilled ambiance of the whole thing kept me entertained throughout and I’m glad I saw it through to the end of the campaign. There is no deep, enthralling story. It’s just you, a load of bits of track and a route to plan. Don’t let its simplistic exterior put you off, there is a good challenge here and it’s well worth your time.