Review: Train Valley 2 – a Train Puzzle-Strategy Game Developed by Flazm Studio

A studio known for making your train conductor dreams come true, Flazm has over a decade designing railroad games. Their latest addition to their legion of locomotives is Train Valley 2. But before you grab your cap and start stoking the coal, it’s important to note that this game isn’t a train simulator but a puzzle strategy game.

 

Train Valley 2’s engaging and addictive style will have you lost for hours working your way through the Industrial Revolution. With adorable low-poly graphics and a melodic soundtrack, it’s easy to be lulled into a false sense of calmness. You will still have to pay attention! While it may be designed for casual gaming, you will quickly notice that this game may be easy to figure out, but it can be quite challenging to master.

Don’t Worry About Losing Track of Time

Unlike its predecessor, Train Valley 2 isn’t a race against time; while you’re still required to get the right trains to their target station, there are some additional tasks you will have to complete. Starting in the age of the steam locomotive – and working your way up to electric trains – each level provides you with a map featuring one or more cities and a variety of resource centers.

The objective of the game is to satisfy the needs of the cities and deliver the set number of resources they require. Whether it’s six trainloads of cows or 15 loads of bricks, you must send the workers from the city to the resource center to process the goods before sending the freight back into town.

Become the Ultimate Conductor

As the levels progress, the resources will require multiple steps to be prepared: if steel slabs are requested, both iron ore and coal will need to be combined before the steel is ready for the trip home. With every resource sent to the right station, you earn money to upgrade your trains and continue constructing the passages through the valley.

By building tracks, tunnels, and bridges,  and keeping a very close eye on the switches–always keep your eye on the switches–you control the path of the locomotives. Once you have delivered the goods, you have completed the level–congratulations.

But don’t worry; there’s more!

Each of the 30 levels features a variety of challenges adding to the replay value of the game. From completing a level in a specific time frame to avoiding a train arrival at the wrong station, there are many different goals that can increase your star rating.

The challenges presented are no easy task, and you may find yourself cursing at your computer as your freight of cows barrels down the wrong line and into a coal mine, or worse, into another train. If you are anything like me, you will be restarting levels until you’ve gone cross-eyed in an attempt to claim the next star.

Express Your Creativity with Level Editor

And if you’ve mastered all the levels, you can check out Level Editor with Steam Workshop and create your own maps or subscribe to other players’ valleys.

Where Train Valley 2 Gets Derailed

While I enjoyed the game, I was left frustrated with the inability to rotate the maps or camera angle. On a couple of occasions, the track entrances were blocked by buildings impeding the view and leading to explosive consequences. If you were able to rotate the perspective, you could avoid these accidents and the smoldering pile of tracks.

If you enjoy the puzzle strategy genre then I would recommend picking up Train Valley 2.

Train Valley 2 is available via Steam.

[xrr rating=”4/5″]

Watch the official trailer for Train Valley 2 below: