Train games

Who among us, in childhood, did not play with the trains at least once? Almost all of us have done it. But today I want to talk to you, who are still a big fan of trains, pointing out some video games that I bet you will like a lot. These are train games , free or not, which can be downloaded to your computer or used directly online (depending on the case) to simulate real-time driving of the much loved means of transport.

Their level of difficulty is variable, although most of them tend towards extreme realism and, therefore, are not very intuitive at first use. To make them even more interesting there is the possibility, in some cases, to download additional trains and scenarios from the Internet, which can be used to simulate railway routes from every corner of the world and extend the fun practically indefinitely. Simulators aside, there are also many titles involving trains but belonging to other categories.

So, what are you doing still standing there? Below are the names, links and instructions for downloading some of the best-in-class titles available for Windows, macOS, Linux and even portable devices. Take five minutes of free time and try the ones that seem to suit your tastes best. You are spoiled for choice!

Index

• Train games for PC
  • OpenVBE (Windows / macOS / Linux)
  • Open Rails (Windows)
  • Train Driving Simulator 3D (Windows)
  • 3D High Speed ​​Trains (macOS)
  • Other train games for PC
• Online train games
• Train games for Android and iOS

Train games for PC

Let’s start this excursus among the best train games starting from those that can be downloaded on PC . Below, therefore, you will find the titles that in my opinion are the best of the genre for Windows , macOS and Linux . Good fun!

OpenVBE (Windows / macOS / Linux)

The first of the games in the category in question that I want to suggest you try is OpenVBE . It consists of an extremely realistic 3D train driving simulation. It is open source and is available for all major operating systems: Windows, macOS and Linux. Its development is no longer as active as it used to be, but it can still count on a huge community that produces scenarios and trains to be used in the game.

To download OpenVBE on your PC, connect to its official website and, if you are using Windows , click on the operating system logo and then on the Download 7z link  (vx.xxx Development) . Later, also download the OpenAL component and the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 (if they are not already present on your computer, of course), necessary for the game to work, by clicking on the appropriate links on the right.

At the end of the download, extract both ZIP archives obtained in a folder of your choice, start the oalinst.exe file  and, in the window that appears on the screen, click in sequence on the Yes and  OK buttons  (twice in a row) to install OpenAL.

Then start the dotnetfx45_full_x86_x64.exe file  to install the .NET Framework 4.5 and, in the window that opens, click on the Yes button . Then place the check mark next to the item  I have read and accept the license conditions , click on the Install button  , wait for the download of all the files necessary for the software to work (it will take a few minutes) and complete the setup by clicking on the Finish button  .

Now, start the OpenBve.exe file , click on the Options button on the left of the game screen that has appeared and select Italian from the drop-down menu at the top for the choice of language, in order to translate the interface of the game. game.

At this point, press the Start new game button that you will always find on the left, select the scenario and the train to use through the Route and Train fields (in the first you have to choose the rw or csv file of the scenario and in the second the folder containing the files of the train) and click the Start button to start a new game.

If, on the other hand, you are using macOS , after connecting to the program’s website, click on the Apple logo and on the Download 7z link  (vx.xx stable) . Also click on the OpenAL link and on the SDL link on the right to download the related components.

When the download is complete, open the OpenAPL .dmg package , double-click on the .pkg file contained within it and follow the setup procedure that is proposed to you. Next, open the SDL component .dmg package and drag the SDL.framework icon into the macOS / Library / Frameworks folder  .

Next, extract the game’s ZIP archive and launch it by double clicking on its executable . The rest of the steps to take to start playing are the same as seen for Windows.

I also point out that you can download for free many scenarios and trains relating to the Italian railway network from the Trenomania website . Just click on the Download button located in the left sidebar and choose the scenario or train to download to your PC. When the download is complete, extract the downloaded contents in the OpenBVE folder respecting the path indicated in the archive and start the game by choosing the route and train as seen above.

Open Rails (Windows)

Open Rails  is one of the best train games available for free on the Net. It is open source, compatible with all major versions of Windows and can count on a huge range of trains and additional scenarios that can be downloaded from the Internet (always at no cost).

To download it on your PC, connected to its official website , click first on the Download the installer button  and on the one with the word  Download . Considering that the simulator is supplied without trains or scenarios, to start taking the first steps with it, I suggest you also download the test package of the Edinburgh-Glasgow route that you can find from this other web page , by clicking on the download link  this model .

When the download is complete, open the .exe file  you just obtained and, in the window that appears on the desktop, click the Yes ,  OK  and Next buttons  . Then put the check mark next to the item  I accept the terms of the license agreement and complete the setup by first clicking on the Next button  for four consecutive times and then on those with  the words Install , Next  and Finish . If during the setup you are asked to download the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 , you agree to this as it is essential for the game to work.

Now that you see the game options window on the screen, go to the  Contents tab  and click the Add button  . Then, extract the ZIP archive containing the files with trains and scenarios downloaded from the Internet into a folder of your choice, select the latter by pressing the Add button and click the OK and  Start buttons  to start playing.

As for trains and additional scenarios, on the Open Rails site you will find a series of links to sites that allow you to download them for free, under the heading Communities Supporting Open Rails . For Italy there is also the TrainSimHobby forum   which contains material for all the main train simulators: take a look and you won’t regret it.

Train Driving Simulator 3D (Windows)

Another nice train game that I invite you to try, if you are using a PC with Windows 10 installed , is Train Driving Simulator 3D . It is a title available on the Microsoft Store , Microsoft’s digital store for finding applications and games on the company’s latest operating system, in which the user is required to drive modern steam locomotives and trains. As you can guess from the name itself, it also has a nice 3D graphics. It’s free, but offers in-app purchases to unlock extra content.

To start playing, visit the relevant section of the Microsoft Store and click the Get / Install button and then the Play button to start the game.

Once the Train Driving Simulator 3D main screen is displayed, click the Play button to start playing right away. Then move the lever on the right up to start the train. If you want to change the display mode, instead, click on the button with the camera that you will always find on the right.

At the top there is also the speed indicator and the button to pause the simulator. At the bottom left, on the other hand, you will find the buttons to sound the train horn and the one to brake taking into account the indications of the traffic light that you always find at the bottom of the screen.

3D High Speed ​​Trains (macOS)

Another title dedicated to the world of trains and specific to macOS that I think you shouldn’t miss is 3D High Speed ​​Trains . It is a simulation game that allows you to drive high-speed trains in various countries around the world. It can be downloaded from the Mac App Store , the official Apple store through which to find applications and games, and it is free, but with in-app purchases (starting from 2.29 euros) to unlock additional content.

To download it on your Mac, visit the relevant section of the Mac App Store , click on the View button in Mac App Store and, in the window that opens on your desktop, click on the Get / Install button . If necessary, authorize the download and installation of the game by typing your Apple ID password or using Touch ID if the Mac you are using supports this technology. Then press the Open button that appeared on the screen to start playing.

Once the main screen of the game is displayed, select the train of your choice by clicking on the arrows on the screen, press the Start button , wait for the passengers to board the train and move the lever on the left in the cockpit upwards to get you going.

After starting the train, at the top of the screen you will be able to view information such as the speed, the Km traveled, the current time and the expected arrival time. If you want, you can also change the display mode, by clicking on the button with the camera on the right and you can play the trumpet of the train, by pressing on the button with the trumpet that is always on the right.

Other train games for PC

Didn’t the train games I have already talked about convinced you in a particular way and are you looking for other titles belonging to the category? Then try to take a look at the sections dedicated specifically to video games that you find on the Microsoft Store and on the Mac App Store , the official Windows 10 and macOS stores to which I have already mentioned in the previous lines.

As for the Microsoft Store, to locate and download additional train games, first start the store by clicking on the relevant icon (the one with the shopping bag and the Windows logo ) that you find on the taskbar .

In the window that will later open on the desktop, select the Games item located at the top and then press on the item Show all , corresponding to the category Most popular paid games or Most popular free games . You can also search by keyword by clicking on the Search item at the top right and typing the keyword in the box that appears.

Next, click on the Category drop-down menu (at the top) and choose the Simulators item , which is the category in which most of the games dedicated to trains are present.

Once you have identified the title of your interest, click on its title and install it by clicking on the Get / Install button (if it is a free game) or on the one with the price (if it is a paid title). Once the download and installation procedure is complete, start the game by pressing the Play button .

To find other train games on the Mac App Store, however, first start the latter by clicking on its icon (the one with the “A” and the blue background ) on the Dock bar . In the window that you see appear on the desktop, then click on the Games item in the menu on the left, scroll down the new screen that is shown to you and click on the Complete list link that you find in correspondence with the various categories available.

If by doing so you cannot find any titles of your interest, you can search by keyword by typing the reference in the appropriate box at the top left.

Once you have identified the title you are interested in, click on its name and download it by pressing the Get button (in the case of free games) or the one with the price (in the case of paid games) and the Install button . When the download is complete, start the game by pressing the Open button that  appears on the screen.

I also suggest you take a look at the titles available on Steam , the famous free gaming platform developed by the software house Valve, available for both Windows and macOS through which you can find many exciting games in the category.

To download the relevant client on your computer, connected to the Steam website , click on the Install Steam button located at the top right and then on the one that says Install Steam now . Then proceed with the installation and the creation of the account to use the service by following the instructions on what to do that I have given you in my guide on how to download Steam .

Afterwards, you will be able to locate the train games you like the most directly from the client window. To do this, click on the Games menu at the top and select the Simulation category , i.e. the one in which you can find most of the titles dedicated to trains. Alternatively, you can search by keyword using the appropriate field at the top.

When you find a game to download, click on its title and press the Start Game button . Then, to install it, press the Next buttons and Accept .

Below are some of the main train titles available on Steam.

• Train Valley 2– game belonging to the puzzle-management genre in which you have to build an efficient railway, upgrade the locomotives and drive trains. It costs 12.49 euros and is for both Windows and macOS.
• Conduct Deluxe– game in which you find yourself driving lots of trains to bring passengers to their destination safely, changing tracks and avoiding collisions with other locomotives. It is for both Windows and macOS and costs 9.99 euros.
• Train Simulator 2019– famous train game in which you can master a wide range of locomotives around the world. It costs 29.99 euros and is only for Windows.
• Train Sim World– another simulator that brings to life the experience of driving powerful and realistic trains on the most amazing railways. It is for Windows only and costs 29.99 euros.
• Simutrans– game in which you have to take command of a transport company and build roads, railways, canals, etc. to bring passengers, mail and freight to their destination. It is not specifically dedicated to trains but it is still worth a try. It’s free and it’s for Windows and macOS.

Online train games

Don’t want or can’t download and install train games on your computer? Then take a look at the RailServe website now , which includes a very large list of free titles.

The games are in Flash , so in order to have fun with them you will need to make sure you are using a program for browsing the Internet with a “standard” integrated Flash Player, such as Google Chrome . If, on the other hand, you want to use a different browser, make sure you have previously  downloaded and activated the Flash Player plugin .

That said, to start playing, connected to the web page of the service , click on the name of the game you are interested in in the  Free Online Train Games section  and start having fun on the page that will open.

You can also find games dedicated to trains – not only simulations but also other genres of videogames that deal with this theme – on GiochiXL , a portal that offers many games (always in Flash) and on which there is a category dedicated to trains, and on Minigames portal , which also includes a category dedicated specifically to trains, all free and super fun.

And if you don’t want to or can’t use Flash Player, take a look at the Gioco.it website , which offers only HTML5 titles , usable without the slightest problem from any browser and operating system. It does not include a section dedicated specifically to trains, but doing a keyword search turns up numerous titles belonging to the genre.

Train games for Android and iOS

If, on the other hand, you are looking for some nice game dedicated to trains for Android and iOS , I inform you that through the Play Store and the App Store , the official stores to download apps on the platforms in question, you can find many titles of this type. How? I’ll explain it to you right away.

If you are using an Android smartphone or tablet, first start the Play Store by tapping on its icon (the one with the colored triangle ) in the drawer (the screen where all the apps installed on the device are present).

Subsequently, select the Games item at the top, then the Categories and Simulation items , in order to view the category to which most of the games dedicated to trains belong.

Alternatively, you can search by keyword, by tapping the button with the magnifying glass at the top right and typing the reference keyword in the field that appears.

Once you have identified the game you are interested in downloading, tap on its icon and install it by pressing the Install button (in the case of free games) or the one with the price (in the case of paid games). Once the download is complete, start the game by pressing the Open button .

On the iPhone or iPad, on the other hand, open the App Store, by tapping on its icon  (the one with the “A” on a blue background ) located on the home screen. Then, select the item Games at the bottom and identify the game of your interest, by tapping on the item See all that you find next to the word Top categories . Next, select the Simulation category, which is where most train games are found.

Alternatively, even in this case, you can find interesting titles by keyword, by tapping the Search item at the bottom right and typing the reference keyword in the appropriate field that appears.

When you find a game you want to download, tap on its icon, then click on Get (in the case of free titles) or on the one with the price (in the case of paid games) and then on the Install button . Then confirm the operation using Face ID , Touch ID or by typing the password of your iCloud account. Then start the game by tapping the Open button that appeared on the screen.

Below, you will find some of the most interesting train games for Android and iOS.

• Trainz Simulator( Android / iOS ) – is no longer very recent (it was released in 2011) but still enjoys a rather large community. It is a 2D graphics game where you have to build and manage a railway network. It costs 6.49 euros for Android and 7.99 euros for iOS.
• Train Driver( Android / iOS ) – train simulator that offers a highly immersive experience, while not being 100% realistic. It’s free, but offers in-app purchases (starting at € 1.99) to unlock extra content.
• Train Sim( Android / iOS ) – is one of the most popular train simulators for mobile devices. It includes over 50 types of trains and features very realistic graphics. It’s free, but offers in-app purchases (starting at 79 cents) to unlock additional content.
• Train Go( Android / iOS ) – game with cartoony graphics in which you have to build a customized railway network by placing tracks, junctions and even creating elevated lines. It’s free, but offers in-app purchases (starting at $ 1.09) to unlock additional content.