Discover the Art of Building a Bucolic Railway: A Guide to Finding Your Flow State with Station to Station

Some of the top games this year are marked by their intricate complexity. Baldur’s Gate 3 boasts complex menus and a multitude of narrative and combat options. Similarly, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom provides players with a myriad of ways to solve puzzles through the use of Zonai Devices. Although these games are some of my favorites, they have also sparked in me a desire for simplicity – for games with simpler mechanics and more relaxed gameplay, such as Dorfromantik and Unpacking.

Fortunately, the railway builder sim Station to Station perfectly captures that simplicity. The game taps into the satisfying tactile experience of placing railways and presents it in a stunning voxel art style. The rules are straightforward: Construct stations and lay tracks between outposts, each with unique goods. Making successful connections earns you money, which can then be used to expand your railway network. Longer tracks and bridges between difficult terrain are more costly.

Unlike other relaxed strategy sim games that tend to escalate complexity, Station to Station remains true to its minimalist promise. Essential outposts don’t need to be connected sequentially, as long as they are part of the same train loop. While you can add complexity by aiming for “stack bonuses,” I’ve mostly preferred a smoother, simpler experience.

In Station to Station, I often find myself zoomed in on the trains as they traverse the tracks. The voxel-style art allows you to appreciate the minute details, from the tiny houses in a city hub to the intricately designed trees. The sound design adds to the overall calming experience, with each track laid down accompanied by a satisfying sound, and successful connections celebrated with a pleasant jingle of coins.

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