I’ll be among the first to tell you, honestly and upfront, that I was never big into trains. They didn’t captivate me in the same way that, say, dinosaurs and zombies did growing up. But as I grow older and find my gaming tastes changing, I’m opening up to new horizons and exploring the breadth of options in the simulator and logistics management genres. As such, when Team17 sent me a copy of Sweet Transit, I dove in headfirst with some excitement!
Undergoing Train-ing
Despite the initial excitement, I quickly realized I have little to no clue how to successfully construct a functional railway line. I need wood, coal, and other vital materials for my modest towns to grow. For that, I require an expansive railway capable of delivering workers to mines, then delivering raw materials back to town. It’s a circuit that, at first glance, appeared inexplicable to me.
Thankfully, the developer behind Sweet Transit crafted quite an extensive tutorial section, including Basics, Village Building, Expansion, and Signals.
The last one proved most crucial to my learning experience. Overall, placing down lines and constructing buildings was both manageable and convenient. Many years spent thoroughly enjoying base-building and city-building games have helped me better grasp the fundamentals of Sweet Transit. But signals stopped me dead in my tracks.
I lost my first two trains relatively early in my gameplay experience due to a severe crash. A costly mistake.
All in all, the tutorial sections were worth experiencing and gave me the necessary tools and know-how to progress in my own campaign. That’s a plus one in my book!
Sweet Progression
One of my favorite aspects of Sweet Transit thus far is the progression. It genuinely feels like everything you do matters, despite the overall world being quite empty initially.
When you found your first colony, it’s nothing more than a shamble of log houses, dirt roads, a few water towers, and a fishing dock; all attached to a small train station to bring in goods and send workers off to the fields for the day.
But as you connect your rail lines and bring in coal, wood, and other resources, you’ll watch as the town slowly grows in size and numbers. You are the leading factor here.
I love that!
Bugs on the Tracks?
As an Early Access title, one would expect a modicum of bugs to crop up during gameplay. I have to say, during my many hours of playing, I never experienced any game-breaking bugs or crashes. For an early build, Sweet Transit is extremely stable and playable.
For that, I commend the developers.
Is Sweet Transit Fun?
The most important aspect when reviewing a game is whether or not said title is fun or not, right?
If you’re a fan of logistics games, like Factorio, then absolutely, you’re likely going to have an enjoyable time in Sweet Transit. If you’re here for a pure city-building experience, on the other hand, you may find yourself frustrated with the signals and rail line construction mechanics that are so key to a flourishing metropolis.
That being said, I have witnessed and heard firsthand about a few players who found the game fun for a time, slowly becoming tedious. While I personally do enjoy building up each town and connecting the whole venture by rail, others may find it tiresome after a few hours.
I’ll closely watch the development of Sweet Transit and, upon its full release from Early Access, will post a more comprehensive review and assessment of its gameplay, features, and game state.