Transport INC
Disclaimer: Ol' Il Pallino has Asperger’s, and the characterization of aspies having a high tolerance for repetition is mentioned in the Negatives section of this review. If stereotypes of aspies offends readers (however true) the reader is advised to go read someone else’s review. Ol' Il Pallino and REXCurse hereby disclaim liability of triggering snowflakes who become butt-hurt as a result.
Overview
This is one of those times where writing a review is tricky, because recommendations are purely Yes/No and management sim Transport INC is in a gray area with a slight red tint from what was experienced in the story. Apart from the story, which is a campaign about the son of a bus driver who has ambitions of becoming a shipping tycoon who’s father very early own proves to not share-in on the main character’s ambition, the main character branches out from a bus empire to also trucking, which leads to other modes of transporting passengers and cargo. The game also has a casual Free Play mode and Global Race mode where the player and AI opponents compete against each other to “capture” cities by being the most profitable carrier.
– Real player with 21.4 hrs in game
Read More: Best Minimalist Singleplayer Games.
[url] Please see my curator page for more games that are well worth your time[/url]
I’ll start this review with something I normally wouldn’t need to do, a WARNING: At the time of writing, there is one achievement in the game that you can’t unlock (yet).
There is an achievement for completing the campaign on expert mode, however, the expert mode appears to not be added to the game. People who’ve completed it on Hard Mode have reported on the Steam Forums that it hasn’t unlocked the Expert Mode. I’m not sure if that is how it should unlock or if there is something else currently causing the issue, I just hope that in the future, this warning will not be needed.
– Real player with 19.7 hrs in game
Fly Corp
As you can see by the number of hours I’ve played, I definitely enjoyed this game. Play is fun and exciting and yet weirdly satisfying.
It could be perfect with these changes:
1.) It would be cool to see what percentage of players beat each scenario (like “0.1% of players beat this scenario” for “Unlock All Countries”). This would make winners who beat difficult scenarios feel even more superior, and warn those of us who struggle. It’s nice to get an idea of what difficulty to expect.
2.) In the tutorial, I would mention that there is a random element to the game in addition to skill. It’s possible to be the best player and still lose if you get a bad unlock order. That’s good to know coming in as opposed to slowly realizing it over time.
– Real player with 102.1 hrs in game
Read More: Best Minimalist Early Access Games.
I see potential for a great game in Fly Corp, but I feel it’s developing in the wrong direction. The devs seem to be making a shift toward realism and have made the game difficult beyond belief. It already had major balancing issues in terms of cost scaling before the latest update. Now it’s unplayable.
I implore the devs to remember this is a game. Yes, make it difficult, but on the same note, it needs to be winable or you’ll lose your audience.
Please dial back the cost scaling, fix the event randomization and imbalances, and completely remove cost scaling for routes. It should not cost more to build the same route just because you’re farther into the game.
– Real player with 52.7 hrs in game
TripleBuilder
Ok, at first I was like; this game is meh…. Cool idea, love the sodoku like grid/puzzle play. Then I figured out how to move the camera. Then I realized you could play across borders. And then I timed out. I said “What, this was just starting to get good!” Then I found Infinite Mode and it is 2 hours later. I am officially addicted. Please, please figure out how to fix the point system the Infinite mode. Or make it so you can continue to build your little city when you have time again. So easy to learn, I will be playing for hours. I love how the buildings top out at level 9 as well.
– Real player with 3.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Minimalist Score Attack Games.
I’m on the fence with this, somewhere between a “Yes” “No” recommendation. I opted for “Yes” because the building / Match 3 concept is interesting and it’s a free game, so worth a play through. For me, there wasn’t enough strategy to maintain interest, but I’m hoping the game will grow on me with a few more plays!
English is not the default language, but that can be changed. On the main screen, the third button down opens the options screen and the third option opens the language screen.
– Real player with 1.5 hrs in game
BUS SIMULATOR
⠄⠄⠄⠄⣠⣴⣿⣿⣿⣷⣦⡠⣴⣶⣶⣶⣦⡀⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄it’s good
⠄⠄⠄⣴⣿⣿⣫⣭⣭⣭⣭⣥⢹⣟⣛⣛⣛⣃⣀⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄Play it
⠄⣠⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⢯⡓⢻⠿⠿⠷⡜⣯⠭⢽⠿⠯⠽⣀⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄
⣼⣿⣾⣿⣿⣿⣥⣝⠂⠐⠈⢸⠿⢆⠱⠯⠄⠈⠸⣛⡒⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣶⣶⣭⡭⢟⣲⣶⡿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠋⠄⠄⣴⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⢶⡀
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢟⣛⠿⢿⣷⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⡄⠄⢰⠇⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠈⣧
⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⡹⣭⣛⠳⠶⠬⠭⢭⣝⣛⣛⣛⣫⣭⡥⠄⠸⡄⣶⣶⣾⣿⣿⢇⡟
⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⣭⣛⣛⡛⠳⠶⠶⠶⣶⣶⣶⠶⠄⠄⠄⠙⠮⣽⣛⣫⡵⠊⠁
⣍⡲⠮⣍⣙⣛⣛⡻⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠿⠖⠂⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⣸⠄⠄⠄⠄
⣿⣿⣿⣶⣦⣬⣭⣭⣭⣝⣭⣭⣭⣴⣷⣦⡀⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠠⠤⠿⠦⠤⠄⠄
– Real player with 8.4 hrs in game
I love this stuff. This is a strange cosmic trippy VR experience that makes you feel weird and I like it. A masterpiece of the art form. Thanks for the free experience.
! The big purple baby head knows all. https://youtu.be/4RZ0ZxR5GrI
– Real player with 0.9 hrs in game
Capital Simulator
Eine Geschäftswelt auf dem Karoraster. Mehr Idle-Game als Simulator.
Grafik
Grafisch kann man hier nicht von einem Highlight sprechen, unsere Geschäfte sind Piktogramme auf einem einfarbigen Hintergrund. Generell steht hier eindeutig Funktion über Form und die Grafik und Farben, welche uns hier zur Verfügung gestellt werden sind einzig und allein da, um die Geschäftsbereiche und Produkte voneinander abzugrenzen.
Gameplay
Das Gameplay ist relativ simpel gehalten: Wir beginnen mit einer Grundressource und wollen diese am Ende zu Geld machen. Anfangs fördern wir sie einfach und verkaufen sie am Ende in einem Laden. Doch um mehr Profit zu erlangen und unser Unternehmen weiter auszubauen machen wir diese Kette einfach immer komplexer mit Fabriken, welche unser Produkt veredeln oder weiterverarbeiten. Hier können wir recht komplexe Bauteile wie Computerchips fertigen, für die viele verschiedene Grundressourcen und Arbeitsschritte notwendig sind.
– Real player with 14.6 hrs in game
I actually really enjoy this game. It takes some time to understand wtf is going on, but its a game thats simplistic once you understand the rules. I wish there was more polish and there are a lot of typos, but I do hope the devolper makes things a lot like this in the future
– Real player with 3.9 hrs in game
Mini Metro
Positives:
Though still in need of some refinement and balancing—and possibly some additional features—the core gameplay of Mini Metro scratches that city-building itch without requiring a major investment of time. You can play this on a break without worrying you’ll be sucked in for hours (though you won’t get bored if you did waste a day on it).
The interface is a case study in complex, context-sensitive functionality from simple interactions. Click, hover, drag and drag paths all combine to do just what you want without requiring a tutorial. Though you might spend your first game puzzling it out, it all just works how you’d expect on the first or second try. Pure, blissful affordance. If only more games thought out their interface so elegantly.
– Real player with 138.5 hrs in game
Mini Metro, currently available in Early Access (the game can be purchased but is still in development so some elements, such as sound in this case, are missing or unfinished), is a game about moving people. Where this may seem like an oversimplification, it is not, and the game is all the better for it. Other games of this sort focus on such elements as budget and specific regions, population density and specific destinations of interest to that population; but Mini Metro instead focuses on the general and the deliberately vague; and this works fantastically given the style of the game. There is no budget with which to be concerned, there are no apparent city divisions or districts. The placement of stations is random, and also out of the control of the player. In many ways, this almost makes the goal more true to life of a real world occupation, albeit without feeling like work: somebody is presenting the player with a scenario, and the goal is to make it work by connecting the stations, and keeping people moving.
– Real player with 38.0 hrs in game
Pax Narcotica: Trafficker
BECOME A DRUG LORD
Take on the role of cartel kingpin In Pax Narcotica: Trafficker. Develop smuggling routes, establish distribution across the US, corner the market, and defeat your competition using violence and strategic intelligence .
Choose your own approach to expanding your empire - spread aggressively across the US, or concentrate on specific cities and markets. Use your funds to hire soldiers and buy weapons to defeat your rivals, or bribe key figures to disrupt their operations.
Manage every shipment how you wish, with a fleet of vehicles on land, sea, and air - invest in counter-measures and build impenetrable supply lines,
Violence is not the only option: Undercut your rivals’ prices and steal their clientele, or supply rival gangs with weapons and product and let them do the dirty work.
Hire a team of engineers and chemists to build a network of meth labs, weed plantations, and weapons factories, and reduce the risk of costly international seizures.
Send money and weapons south of the border to build up your base of operations and take over rival territory. Increase the size of your shipments north, or recruit mercenaries to expand your control into new cities.
RISK vs REWARD
Every shipment comes with a risk of seizure by the authorities, or hijacking by a rival, but when a shipment gets through the rewards are enormous. You must decide how to reduce the risk, with simple measures such as decoy cars or concealment, or buying shell companies to transport cargo across the country.
PLAN EVERY MOVE
At any time you can stop time to plan your next move. Arrange a chain of shipments; send operators to a city to assassinate a rival; transport cash across the border to pay for the next consignment, then watch the actions play out in real time.
TAKE OVER REAL CITIES
Expand into over 50 US cities, each with different demands and underworld networks. Choose your clients, negotiate the highest price, and help them build their market share.
CLEAN YOUR CASH
Invest in front businesses and real estate to clean your money, then send it south of the border to expand your power base. Always pay your suppliers on time, or risk losing the source of your power.
KEY FEATURES
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Play your way: Expand quickly and aggressively, or build up methodically
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Attack your rivals directly, or undercut their prices and cut off their funding
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Cut your product to maximise profit, or sell the highest quality merchandise to corner the market
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Choose how to invest your money; Buy larger shipments, or hire soldiers to expand your operation
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Build meth labs, weed farms, and weapon factories, and hire engineers and chemists to maximise their output
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Recruit a network of cops, politicians, and lawyers, to build your empire, protect your cargo, and clean your money
Cargo Transportation: Low Poly
Cool 3D game, great design!
– Real player with 3.0 hrs in game
Quite addicting but I rage a lot but like the game but VERY glitchy should be fixed
– Real player with 2.3 hrs in game
Mini Motorways
Absolutely LOVE this game. As in Mini Metro, this game is easy to learn how to play and yet hard to master, in certain ways. The game is a bit more complex than Mini Metro, but still a relaxing style of play. The RNG of this game seems to be more prominent as well.
As you start the game a “business” appears as a large rectangle building, also appearing are houses that contain two cars. You must build your citie’s infrastructure to move these cars to like colored businesses, to pick up “pins” that start congregating at each business. You always have road tiles to do this with as soon as the game begins. Different maps provide different things to begin with, you may start with a bridge or tunnel, depending on the map. Other building materials are round-a-bouts, traffic lights and motor ways.
– Real player with 146.3 hrs in game
Of the two ‘Mini Mobility’ games [this should actually be this series’ compound name], ‘Motorways’ is probably the easier one, ultimately. After all, I’ve gotten all the achievements for it, whereas ‘Metro’s harder achievements elude me to this day. It’s got a bit of a steeper learning curve, though. But once you wrapped your head around all the new elements and rules, you’ll love this one as much as you do ‘Mini Metro’. A very good continuation without just doing the same thing again.
– Real player with 38.4 hrs in game
NIMBY Rails
For a game that is only £13.49, you can’t argue with the amount of packed content for price. After paying this fee, I expected the game to be sluggish, boring, and lacking of content (bought as I was bored looking for a new game) but boy was I wrong… 933 hours play time, 56,388km (35,037 miles) of track laid, 102 lines created, 358 trains purchased later, I was able to create approximately 85-90% of the entire UK rail network, and I’m still building it 6 months later!! It has simply been an IMMENSE project that has completely submerged me with my free time.
– Real player with 1075.0 hrs in game
This is a game for a very specific audience. In the real world, I’m a transportation planner, and I’m that audience.
It’s simple and so complex. Lines on a map. These are train lines. But it uses a real world map and if you know anything about building infrastructure, then you know you can’t just point a train line from point A to point B and call it a day. (Actually you can, in tunnels, but that gets very expensive! If you don’t start with sandbox mode, you’re not building any subways from the start.) Surface lines have to be bridged over streets (game does that automatically) and viaducted over large bodies of water.
– Real player with 549.9 hrs in game