Derail Valley

After lots of recommendations I gave it a shot, this is by far the most enjoyable, engaging and challenging train sim I have ever played. And i have been train simming since MSTS years ago. Dropped a lot of money on TSW only to be dissappointed and insulted again and again. This is a very well rounded game. Never thought i'd say this but shunting is actually kinda fun, relaxing and rewarding.

One thing I would love to see is the ability to enter inside passenger cars. You can spawn them and ride on top of them in sandbox mode but taking a ride inside one while also driving the train would fully close the loop for me with TSW.

Pretty cool game. My first legit train sim game was railroads online, and while I really enjoyed the problem solving of having to build all the stations, sometimes I just wanted to operate trains without worrying about that.

Derail Valley is the perfect game when you want to chill and haul some cargo. Love the atmosphere.

this is a fantastic game with great physics!! 100% recommend playing this one

I am not much of a Train Sim kind of player, but felt the need to try something different than running around world maps collecting resources and killing enemies. So I thought I would try some train simulation.
This one took my by surprise and I have played it almost daily. Just setting up and doing a run each day. I have really enjoyed the mechanics of the game, choosing the run, building up cash, investing in licences and then finding demonstrator models to build.
This is a wonderful way to play a couple of hours a day, and feel a sense of achievement after each session. Unless of course you arrive at your destination and realise you left a order behind. Sigh. Definitely recommend this to any player, not just train enthusiasts. Anyone can pick this up with the diesel and electric powered loco's. Moving to Steam Power is whole new level of learning, but you can easily play this game with never using steam powered.

I like Trains!
Honestly game is realy good simulated and what it lacks in variety it 10x makes up for it in the detail put into the Locos and how to operate them and you can even customize them to your likeing. According to the Roadmap this game is not close to beeing finished however to i can only say its still worth buying you still get a realy good and polished game that feels finished already, the updates are free aswell! I can realy feel the love they put into this game and are continuing to put into this game!

It is a hard game to get into it but patience wins out. It is a game i have been watching on you tube and its as much fun as it shows in the videos.

8 hours in and really loving this. Thanks to Squirrels videos on YT I found this game. Have to say its more fun than I anticipated. Looking forward to what they do with this title in the future.

Offers excellent PC & VR exprience.
The content isn't much, and the development is slow, but everything is well-planned to enrich gameplay.

Locos aren't many, but they offer unique driving experiences.
The map is small, yet the routes are challenging.
Graphics and details are not the best, but the dev does optimization.
Gargets add life to the game despite not being "Real" in a simulator game, which is a genius idea.

Better than TSW.
The game is limited to a smaller developing scale, but the dev crafted it with heart, releasing quality FREE updates, rather than no-brain copying real-life locos to make FIVE cash grab games and hunderds of $ worth of DLCs.

If you like Trains and also would love to drive them , get this Game.
Easy as that.
Derail Valley is easiely one of, if not the best Train driving Game out there.

You can play entirely arcady.
You can play Semi Realistic.
Or you can go Hardcore Simulation with Virtual Reality and RailDrive Controller.

There are so many Options, you can adjust pretty much everything from being unable to switch between from first to third Person, up to if your Brakes Heat up and get less useful, forcing you to a full stop to let them cool down up to going to full God Mode, Trains being unable to Derail and not consuming anything.
You can adjust everything to your liking.

But thats not all.
The Game offers you Trains that you can rent, but also Trains that you can own and customize. Installing Computers that assist you in driving ect.
The Game offers Mod Support.

And most importantly, it all just works. In my entire Playtime i didnt encounter any Bug. And the Systems and Features work so well in this Game, its crazy how well thought out everything is.
And you know what? The Devs are also very active in the Steam Forums, and i assume on all their other Social Media.
Not only are they open for Critics, but they also look around in the Forums for the next cool Features they can implement, as in, someone has a cool Idea why not implement it into the Game.
They also are very helpful in the Forum and respond very actively when Players sturggle with something and need help. They also casually participate in random Discussions.

Overall, the Game is just a little Man-Cave. A cozy little Game that doesnt punish you for having Fun, but instead encourages it and supports you in having Fun.
Game is great.
Community is great.
Dev is great.
Trains are great.
Pretty much endless replayability if you like driving relaxed around.
This is no different to Euro Truck Simulator. Well. Minus the Trucks and with more Trains.
Get this Game instead of any other "Train Simulator" Game, not only is this Game less expensive, alltho its not Cheap, but it offers more Content. Sure.. no Original Vehicles or Tracks. But i rather have Fun, beautiful and well thought out Fantasy Tracks and Vehicles than having badly made real stuff thats way too overpriced.
Did i mention that all Vehicles are fully interactable? From controlling them themself and being able to Pull, Push and click every Lever and Button in the Locos themself, up tp manually coupling Vehicles together and creating Trains that go from 10 meters up to multiple Kilometers. Its entirely up to you how you put together your Train and which Route you use.
Theres nothing not to like about the Game. <3

Really fun game that has a variety of ways to play, between super casual and ultra hardcore. Easy to get lost in the game for hours.

Derail Valley has fast become one of my favourite games of all time. The developers have nailed every aspect, and it's an absolute joy to play. The VR integration is superb and I can easily spend hours immersed in the truly glorious world they've created. If you have even a passing interest in trains and/or puzzles, this game is for you... 10/10.

Does this train sim have real locations? Well, no.

Does it have real world engines? Also, no.

But it is better for it. By not being trying to go 100% faithful route Derail Valley achieves something that that 100% replication sims fail to achieve. That honest to god "just one more run" feeling.

The trains are realistic enough as they are inspired by, but not 1:1 direct copies of real world engines. Each is has a niche to fill in the game for either an in-game reason or for just coolness factor. Each of the stations has a purpose, generating jobs based on the products that location creates or consumes. The end result is a great sandbox where the player decides what trains to build, what runs to make, what engines to use.

Do you want to be the shunting master in the harbor, unloading and loading trains? You can!

Do you want to slap together a super long train with drops in 3 other stations and delver them all in one run? You can!

Do you want to load a train from one station, take it to another, unload it, then take the empties back to the original station? You can!

This random, sand box nature of the game is what makes it far more compelling that the true-to-life sims that came before it. All packaged with a very satisfying tactile interface that has just the right mix having to interact with things in game vs. having real-world bindings for certain interactions.

How compelling did I find it? I've clocked ~40 hours in 6 days since I purchased it. There are many, many games in my library that don't get 40 hours at all, let alone in less than a week.

If you love train sims, or hauling sims in general, give this one a chance!

I don't often post reviews. When I do they're generally sarcastic or otherwise not very serious.

This is a bit different. Let me be clear that I've never had an interest in trains - but Derail Valley scratches a sim itch I didn't realize I had. The realism is impressive, And Honestly, I just enjoy the chill nature of it.

Played the game for an hour.
Got half way to my destination.
Was going too fast round a corner and de-railed my train.
had to rebuild train and try to continue.
engine didn't start.
restart game.
10/10 love it.

a bit of a rough start but once you get the hang of it it is a very enjoyable game only down side is i wish it had achiements avalible on steam

Found this game from youtuber Squirrel.

After 10 hours i finally figured out you need to turn on the air valves to the cars in order for the brakes to work. That helped not derailing downhill over and over. fun game.

I love this game. Its the best first person simulation. The free style play allows you to learn and play while making money and occasionally making mistakes. Starting the game you have insurance that covers most operating costs so you don't take serious risks until you have some experience. Even making a $2 million dollar mistake late game is not the end as you can always work your way out of debt, the program even seems to generate more high paying jobs when you are buried in debt.
It also generates larger/heavier jobs when you show up with a larger locomotive.

Still being actively updated but after 118 hours i still want to play it frequiently

I've never had this much fun exploring in a train sim. The vistas this team has created, alongside the rich soundscape of the machines scraping along the iron is soothing and gorgeous. I get excited to do certain runs, either because I know the route and love the views, or it's fresh track to explore.

The weather is gorgeous, with clouds, fog, rain, and storms rolling in across your trips from the distance. I sometimes get a rush trying to finish a shunting job so I can haul my freight out and make it in time to see the sunset on the other side of a nearby mountain.

Combined with the embodied joy turning all the knobs, switches, levers, hooks, wheels, buttons, hoses, and even radio antenna, this game is such a cozy joy. The new additions of engine restoration, ownership, and customization adds a perfect end-game to chase after as well, making every delivery feel satisfying not only in its own right, but in service of building your own cozy space.

I would have written this review earlier, but i was too busy second-guessing the track speed limit after getting distracted by a weather pattern on the horizon.

I might be playing this game a little too much recently. But that s because how greatly balanced it is. The devs actually managed to find the inbetween of all things that matter in a game. For instance Derail valley has the right amount of grinding because stuff are expensive in game, but it doesn t go too far like some games (AKA: Warthunder). You don t have to spend your entire life trying to get a new vehicle, but you will have to sit like three hours to gather some money for licenses. And then we have graphics. It s not the NASA computer type stuff but it still is really nice. It s one of those games, where you just feel like, sitting down and enjoying the view (which you obviusly can t do cause you re driving a train and if you let down your guards for ONE SECOND you end up in the river flowing next to the 90 degree turn in the railway). It has great attention to detail, I personaly really like, all the maps and documents the game provides you with. It really gives you the feeling, that you re actually in the job. It has multiple fictional brands, detailed document system, and even a vehicle catalog, where you can find all data from the trains you re operating. And lastly I want to write a little about the physic. They are great. Honestly. Like when I put my little map next to a lever, and pulled that lever, it pushed the map. IT PUSHED THE MAP AWAY. I expected it to pass through, but no, it simply pushed it. Like it d do in real life. And also trains behave realisticly, and the sound effects are really good too. You can actually hear when your train jumps off the rails or bumps into something. Well that s enough I suppose, overall I think this is an amazing game, which you can spend hours on, it s definetly worth the money, and if you like trains, challenges and loud sounds, you should definetly give it a try.

Buy game after watching squirrel on youtube
Play game in PC mode first
Play for 3 hours, love every second
Think "shit i may be austistic"
Launch in VR mode
Holy shit this is a horror game WTF
Go back to PC mode and continue to nerd out over trains

Very good, new rail games enjoyer. Very intuitive. Works great without vr too.

I'd love a way of seeing inclines on the map and a somewhat more vibrant world.

Having played some more i still like it, however it feels like its nighttime 80% of the time and even with a flashlight i cant see anything.

---{ Graphics }---
☐ You forget what reality is
☐ Beautiful
☑ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS

---{ Gameplay }---
☐ Very good
☑ Good
☐ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't

---{ Audio }---
☐ Eargasm
☐ Very good
☑ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf

---{ Audience }---
☐ Kids
☑ Teens
☑ Adults
☐ Grandma

---{ PC Requirements }---
☐ Check if you can run paint
☐ Potato
☑ Decent
☐ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer

---{ Game Size }---
☐ Floppy Disk
☐ Old Fashioned
☑ Workable
☐ Big
☐ Will eat 15% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data

---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☐ Easy
☑ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls

---{ Grind }---
☐ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☐ Isn't necessary to progress
☑ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding

---{ Story }---
☑ No Story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☐ Lovely
☐ It'll replace your life

---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☐ Short
☐ Average
☑ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond

---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☑ Worth the price
☐ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money

---{ Bugs }---
☐ Never heard of
☑ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs

---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☑ 8
☐ 9
☐ 10

---{ Author }---
☑ https://vojtastruhar.github.io/steam-review-template

So far it's a great game! Runs well both in VR and desktop mode, I haven't faced any bugs. Fun game play loop and challenges. The game has came a long way from the first release (in a good way)! Over all well rounded game, if your a fan of trains/railways I would recommend you give it a try!

Probably one of the more realistic train sims I've played. I really enjoy it, it's kind of a cozy game for me. You have to plan your routes, do the math on how much your train can haul and pick jobs/engines accordingly.

You can edit the settings to make them more realistic or arcade-y if you don't like certain aspects.

I'd recommend giving it a try. You can most definitely figure out if you like it or not in the 2 hour window steam gives you for a refund.

So worth it. Its not often a game engages, immerses me and makes me use my brain solving problems. This one does. I am keeping it.

Grate train game worth the money and time just need's it own build in multiplayer so you don't have to you's 3rd party tools to play with friends other then that 9/10.

Bought this game because I stumbled upon Squirrels videos. Best decision I've made in a long time. Great game.

I could spend an unhealthy amount of time in this game in VR.

I enjoy driving the trains. Restoring demonstrator locomotives for the museum is rad. Everything is pretty intuitive and easy to figure out, except the DM3.

Things have more depth to them than I expected. A small detail was using the zippo lighter to light the EOT lantern and hang it from the caboose coupler.

I have several different colored light bars in one of my personal locomotives, hooked up to an alternating switch, giving me a rave light show in my train. There are cassette tapes for the in-game boombox that allow you to create custom mixes.

Very fun game. It's good - not the most beautiful thing I've played in VR, but it's very fun, consistent, and accessible.

I realize this may seem fake being posted on April 1, but I finally came to the realization that I should hype this game up given how much time I've spent in it since purchasing.

Very fun game with nice graphics (if your machine is capable) and good simulation if you like trains. Also the modding community is very active so you can customise the game to your liking. The roadmap for the game also promises nice new upcomming features.

I know i only have 10 hours, but i really like this game over train simulator. I'm left to my own devices, i can watch my shows while riding the rails, enjoy the view of the world as it passes by, look away for too long and derail a bridge bend and fall into the water.
I am very much a proponent of games having coop (4-player max) and i feel this would be fun to have with others, running multiple lines at the same time, arguing over who is going to have right of way at the junction, roleplaying as station managers and running shunters and other stuff around the yards and worlds would be fun.
especially when you overestimate your engine able to pull a long load and have to ask for help getting up the hill from the bay station.

I highly recommend if you want something to micromanage while hearing the faint "clickty-clack" of the tracks as you manage your speed, engine, and making sure you aren't panicing into buffers as you approach a station too fast to change the switches in the fog.

This is a great game. The progression feels rewarding and makes you want to continue to discover more. The trains feel well balanced. overall it's just a fun wholesome game with lots to keep you busy. One minute things are slow and calm and the next you're trying to figured out what you need to do to keep things on the rails.

Best Train Simulator by far. I can highly recommend it to all with and without VR Headset.

This is a very engaging train sim and is relatively bug free (so far) for Early Access. You can get as involved as you want, from just simple (and not so simple) shunting / switching in the yards to long haul multi locos with hazardous military cargoes. Some of the graphics of the buildings are a little simplistic, but the landscapes are really nicely done. Been having a great time learning routes and loco procedures.

its a simulator thats got the perfect amount of jank to it, real enough to be believible but unrealistic enough to be fun

This game is an example of what Ive dreamed modern gaming to be: realistic physics, gameplay that makes you think, and tons of content when you purchase. This is an exception to a very unfortunate rule. If you have found this game and you have a brain: you will buy it, and you will love it. Mistakes will happen in this game, but if you can embrace and learn from them, you will become a pretty amazing train engineer. I love this game.

Been playing DV at a friends place because my computer is to laggy, however I've been enjoying it, I also have found all the "Demonstrators" and I restored just the DH4 (for now).

So, this game is so realistic (in VR), after playing for a while, it almost feels like a second job. I go to work in the morning, do my day job, come home, eat, then start my second job in Derail Valley either shunting rail cars or making rail deliveries. Yikes!
Amazing game - VR implementation is quite good too, which is rare with so many VR games.

The game is excellent, please Optimize it. It takes a lot of RAM.

Very nice and realistic but i have too much earwax.

I thoroughly recommend this Train Simulator, to any that either likes train simulators or wants to branch out into the world of rail and locomotives (Steam, Diesel Electrics, Diesel Mechanical, Diesel Hydraulic, or (EV) Electric. There are 3 playable modes Easy (relaxed), Standard (more involved financially) and Realistic ( more financial than standard). All have differing delivery time bonuses as per playable mode. Shunting jobs ,Freight Delivery jobs, Military Jobs, and Logistical collection or Logistical delivery jobs. All jobs go to or involve working in various industry locations. There are cities, Iron Mines, Coal Mines, Steel Mill, Sawmill, Forestry industries, Manufacturing and town facilities, Oil Fields, Oil Refinery, Food town and factories, Goods town and factories, Farm, Harbour (Docks), and a Coal Power Plant. All the above industries will have a selection of jobs to be taken as mentioned above. As you progress you will need to gain certain Licences for the Locomotives that are in the game (free to drive after purchasing the required License in-game). Also licenses to transport certain items and their types. You also need to refuel and repair the locomotives you drive around in. The Loco's do take damage and can be costly to repair if you damage or derail them. There are also Locomotives that you can find, collect, restore for your personal fleet. The icing on the cake is the Locomotives that you find and restore, and the sheer fact that the Open Simulated environment is so stunningly beautiful work of art both graphically and picturesque. All in one very elaborate map. Not to mention all the Locomotives can be modded with gadgets for (QOL) Quality of Life effects or game-play.
10/10 for the creators, Developers, and all you drivers, (without which there would be no game).

Great game, I've played it in both VR and regular keyboard. It's a very great game if you just want to see a bunch of stuff and collect a bunch of Trains. I put 265 Hours into the game and I'm still playing it even as I write this lol.

most train sim games have you sitting in a bolt for bolt recreation of a vast variety of locomotives, and then you get to go up and down a single corridor of track. but they may have dozens of different corridors, none of which interconnect. all of which cost a $3.50 DLC, but you feel like the whole game is compartmentalized nonsense. this is an open world train sim... sure the trains look like a generic open sourced copy of soviet bloc europe, as well as the "cities" with their soviet bloc housing, but ignore that and have a fun time!! i DO wish there were knuckle couplers, and more train variety, and a "home base roundhouse" where all your trains hang out and you can base your operations from but it isnt stopping me from playing too much lol

Derail Valley is an exceptionally engaging game. It feels like a Train Sim World or Train Simulator that has been adjusted to be a better game than a documentation of real-life locomotives and routes. Instead, it brings the model railroading feel into those experiences. Rather than arbitrary scenarios, the career system provides a steady selection of train jobs from hauling to shunting to maintenance actions, and lets the need to do those things to advance in the career mode and unlock new and interesting trains emergently provide the "scenarios" that other games just drop you into. The customization options also make locomotives feel distinct both in appearance and functionality.

The practical upshot is that this very much is the game I had been dreaming about for years without realizing it. The generic locomotives and roadnames and the exaggerated grades serve more to emphasize the challenges inherent in railroad operations, rather than detract as one might expect. Continuing to push my boundaries in tonnage hauled, locomotives used, and routes run keeps the game interesting.

This is an awesome game with amazing updates and support from the team. I can only recommend this one!

This game tickles my brain like no other game. I love this game and hope to see more content added. It's a great horror game without even being a horror game. It gets creepy at night when you are hauling alone, it makes you wish the train doors had locks. Just your weak headlight and lantern and shadows for miles on a dark and stormy night. Anyway... the game is amazing and I'm going to spend a lot more time playing it. It's worth the 40 bucks and more if they added DLC like a extra map or more trains.

How this game is still in early access? Game is amazing. great graphics. can't wait to addons or expansions. maybye economy?

A really nice train simulator where you can try out operating a train and transporting and coupling train cars.

A very detailed simulator for those who want a more realistic experience. Devs have kept updates coming and keep making vast improvements. You can also tailor your experience to be more "arcadey" with flying cameras and UI controls for the more casual player. There are still some miscellaneous visual bugs and polygon errors in terrain, but overall a nice game to look at.

March 2025

• I bought almost everything in 110 hours, but the game is endless, you can invent customized locomotives, but it takes a while to save up money.
  
  
• The game requires interest in learning how to orient yourself, there are indexes, station maps that are not north-facing, confusing detours and yards (whether you are going to enter from the right or left, whether you are going to enter there and then leave in reverse, will there be other cars in the designated parking space?... things like that). It's good to watch videos on YT to learn, there is no other way and have friends to ask if possible, but the game is really cool as you learn.
  
  
• I liked the system of using the locomotives randomly scattered around the map and paying fees, if one of them breaks down during the trip, just teleport using the F button (without fast travel) and pay the fee and the locomotive will be new.
  
  
• The jobs pay very little even though you receive the bonus for delivery time and as you accept more than one job it becomes harder to plan. To accept more than one job, each type of locomotive, special loads, you need to buy a license for everything, so it takes a while to get it.
  
  
• The game is relatively small compared to classic train simulators, but it's a game without many rules, with very practical tools, and you can do crazy things. For example, use several different locomotives on the same load, control them one by one or, when possible, connect them via cable or wireless, installing parts that you buy in stores.
  
  
• There's also a museum, because on the map there are abandoned locomotives off the tracks (which become yours) that you need to rerail and transport to the museum, order parts, search for parts, install, refurbish and refuel. A single locomotive costs about 200k.
  
  
• But you'll have to research most of the step-by-step instructions. The game even explains them and is well translated, but I had to watch YT videos to be sure of what to do.
  
  
[*] There are some cool details, such as repairing, fueling the locomotive but forgetting to pay... You'll simply have to redo the service if you left in a hurry.

Steam Locomotives

1 Just for fun, avoid using it. There's a tutorial but accidents will still happen (it makes sounds, fire temp, water, steam, power, cocks, at first it's quite disappointing and it's quite normal), then you watch YT and get the tip from Cocks, boiler water, power in the reverser. I find the fueling boring, you can use another locomotive attached to make it easier or use the steam locomotive with the brakes practically all engaged to align the water and coal supply.

2 Steam locomotives to refurbish, I recommend getting the parts, installing, sandblasting, painting the outside inside, repairing parts and oil, then putting it to fill with water and paying, but filling the boiler takes time and you'll need to fill more water later so it will take a while until it runs out of water, then add coal. A detail about the locomotive with coal and water wagons that also need to be refurbished and are expensive, and when rerailing it you have to put it in a place where it can be properly attached and towed to the museum. Tip: always have named saves.

My Advices

1 I recommend buying it when you have time to learn (check out the game before buying), really dedicate yourself, this game demands it. Be aware that the game is not very big, but after you earn a lot of money, you will certainly want to ride the train one weekend or another, it is very nostalgic.

2 Try to obey everything so as not to have accidents, correct your mistakes. I recommend that you choose a route to save money, I used SM to GF and vice versa a lot in the beginning, then FF to HB and vice versa, HB to MB with military cargo. That was my strategy to save money. I sometimes went HB-MF...

I believe that the game has potential, it is well developed and they really love improving what we already have. There are signs of more things to come like passenger cargo, garage history, an improved house, I hope they can pull it off.