The launch of Sid Meier’s Railroads in 2006 was a watershed moment in the history of tycoon games, and it’s now available on your phone or tablet. It was ported to mobile by Feral Interactive, a developer that has a long history of successfully porting PC games to mobile. Railroads is a stellar example of Feral’s expertise; its touchscreen controls are intuitive, and the UI has been perfectly adjusted for smaller screens, making for an excellent mobile port.
After familiarizing myself with the controls, I recorded the above 20-minute gameplay video to showcase precisely how the game plays on Android. I recorded it on an Asus Rog 6 Pro, which is not one of the devices currently listed as supported. Nevertheless, the game ran perfectly throughout my testing. I also tested the game on a Pixel 7 Pro (an officially supported device), which resulted in the same flawless gameplay. While I don’t have one on hand, I suspect this game will work great on even budget Android phones.
A complete list of supported devices can befound on Feral Interactive’s website. If your device isn’t on the list, there’s a good chance it’ll run fine; it’s just that Feral Interactive has been unable to test it. However, older devices that are incompatible will be prevented from installing Railroads.
Railroads UI has been perfectly adapted for mobile
As you’re undoubtedly aware, games developed in 2006 were not designed for touchscreens. Fortunately, Railroads' original UI consisted of simple buttons and menus, which did not require much tweaking for mobile (Unlike games likeMedieval: Total War, which saw a near complete UI overhaulfor mobile devices). However, the small but significant changes to Railroads' UI make mobile gameplay a breeze.
Across the board, UI elements are easier to pick out at a glance. What were previously text headings have been replaced by intuitive symbols, reducing clutter and making information easier to process at a glance. I would love to see a remastered PC version that uses these changes, as they’re an upgrade in nearly every way over the classic UI. Were it not for the dated graphics, it would be hard to tell this was a 2006 game.
It’s worth noting that clutter is still present on phones, but it isn’t a significant issue. Even while bidding on technology, building railroads, and checking profits simultaneously, I wasn’t overwhelmed by the information on the screen. For those unfamiliar with Railroads, it’s a game that requires a lot of multitasking, which could quickly become unmanageable on a small screen. Feral’s port treads a fine line between providing necessary information and avoiding clutter, and the result is near perfect.
Railroads' controls are hard to pick up at first but easy enough to master with some practice
While veterans of the tycoon game will be familiar with its mechanics, adjusting yourself to mobile will still take some practice. The aforementioned UI is cleverly designed, but it’ll take a few games before you manage your railroad empire effectively.
I had great trouble initially when performing the most basic of actions, adding tracks. While the controls are straightforward, they’re unforgiving. Move your finger slightly wrong, and you’ll have to restart the process. However, I soon became adept at anticipating how the game would place the tracks, minimizing the number of restarts.
Some of the granularity in placing tracks is challenging on a touch screen. Like in real life, placing tracks on flat ground is cheaper, so you’ll want to avoid hills and rivers as much as possible. In-game, this requires careful adjustment of new tracks, which is challenging when your finger obscures the detail. This isn’t as much of a problem on a tablet, but those who like to optimize their game may find the experience frustrating on a phone.
Sid Meier’s Railroads is a success on all fronts
I’m continually impressed by the quality of Feral Interactive’s mobile ports, and Railroads is one of its best. While there are issues, these are mostly due to the nature of touch-screen mobile devices rather than any failure on Feral’s part. Overall, it’s easily one ofAndroid’s best management and tycoon games, yours today for $12.99.
Of course, just like most other PC strategy game ports, Railroads is a game best experienced on a tablet. That being said, you won’t find many issues when playing on your phone.
