Back at Gamescom this summer, I got to see an early version of Locomoto from Green Tile Digital. It's a game that asks a simple question: What would Animal Crossing look like if it happened on a train? The answer is a cozy and sleepy world filled with characters (and cargo) that need to be moved from A to B.
Your train is your domain, and you are able to decorate it however you want. Casual games are a competitive market, which runs in direct contradiction to their chill vibes. So does Lokomoto have enough to stand out?
Train sim – or not
Locomoto simulation is light on the side. It's not a train simulator classic with lots of buttons and levers and an encyclopedia-sized manual needed to start the engine. In a locomotive, you pull a lever, the train moves, and then your main job is to meet your passengers. I can see what the developers were trying to do here – take away from the management side of the train for the ultimate cozy vibes – but I'd still like to see the mechanics go a little deeper. You can throw coal in the engine, but that's about it.
Instead, you're more train conductor than driver, chatting with your passengers about their day, finding out some local gossip, and running errands for them. They talk in Animal Crossing gibberish, as is tradition for these types of games. As you upgrade your train, you can purchase new cosmetics and functional items, such as a coffee machine or some snacks for your passengers.
Note: I caught a glimpse of some trains from later stages of the game, and it reminded me a lot of the freedom you have when designing the interior of your Animal Crossing home.
Along with the tracks
Because the game is about driving a train, exploration is fairly linear. The train can only stick to the tracks. But, you are free to visit different villages, farms, ranches and other places. Each location is unique, and all seem worth visiting – if only to meet new villagers to get quests. Overall, the art style is quite simple, but the character designs are enough to bring to life the various citizens who live on the train line. The game also has some light crafting elements, but you'll need to visit workshops around the map before you can improve your station on your vehicle.
Locomoto feels like one of those games where there's always another task at hand. If it is not picking up passengers, it is transporting cargo from station to station; If it's not delivering cargo, then it's upgrading your vehicle with fancy new chairs or new windows. The last train game I played was Choo Choo Charles, and that was a very different experience – mostly due to the giant spider death train chasing you around the map.
There is definitely room in the market for a relaxing train simulator. And while there have been plenty of Animal Crossing-likes, to my knowledge, there's never been one with a train thrown into the mix. I'm curious to see how much depth is added before the game is released, especially in terms of how big the map is and how many cosmetic items you can craft or find for your train. Will the game be enough to rival Animal Crossing's sometimes quirky charms? It's hard to tell before playing it yourself, but maybe just having a cute and comfortable train game is enough to sell yourself.

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