1
Squirrel's Pick Squirrel's PickThe best game on this page. If you only try one, try this.
FlightCity BuilderDriving
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$29.99 ~73.5 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 83.3% of 11k
The Squirrel's verdictSame core loop as Mashinky: lay track, connect towns, and grow a transport economy from scratch. Transport Fever is a finished 2016 release rather than early access, so it has a complete campaign structure and a full mod scene, but its world is static — no new factories or resource depletion over time.
Not for you if you want Mashinky's token-based progression system or a world where the economy keeps evolving after you build.
2
TrainsEconomyHistorical
$29.99 ~52.5 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 82.8% of 10k
The Squirrel's verdictRailway Empire suits players who want a finished, structured campaign over an open sandbox. Its scenario-based missions give defined goals and completion states, with a Very Positive rating across a 2018 release that received consistent DLC support. Track-laying is more fiddly than Mashinky's grid system, and cities do not redistribute resources between each other automatically, which reviewers flag as a mechanical frustration.
Not for you if you want freeform sandbox construction without scripted objectives, or you need cities to balance resources automatically across your network.
3
TrainsAutomationResource Management
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$29.99 ~34.2 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 85% of 1k
The Squirrel's verdictRAILGRADE is closer to a puzzle game than a tycoon sim: each level has fixed starting conditions, specific objectives, and timers scored on completion speed. Resources feed into production chains on isolated maps rather than an evolving open world. Reviewers repeatedly warn that its tags misrepresent it as a sandbox or strategy game. Players who want structured, repeatable challenges around track layout will find more here than those looking for network-building.
Not for you if you want an open sandbox, no timers, or the ability to keep expanding after a goal is reached.
4
Closest Match Closest MatchThe most similar game to the anchor, by what players say. Budget Pick Budget PickThe best game here for the least money.
TransportationTrainsEconomy
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$24.99 ~32 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 78.5% of 2k
The Squirrel's verdictVoxel Tycoon shares Mashinky's core loop: build rail and truck networks connecting extraction sites to manufacturers, chasing resource tiers instead of just cash. It swaps 2D grid for a voxel-based world sold as infinite. Reviews report FPS drops once factories and regions scale up, and development has slowed since its 2021 release.
Not for you if you need large-scale networks to stay smooth or expect features like level crossings and an overview map to actually ship.
5
TrainsHistoricalTransportation
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$35.99 ~28.6 hr median co-op complexity: moderate 73.5% of 1k
The Squirrel's verdictBoth are track-building transport games about hauling resources between stations, but Railroad Corporation swaps Mashinky's open sandbox and tech-tree progression for a scripted campaign with bonds, labor management, and fixed maps. Trains here run on AI pathfinding with no signal system, so junction control is far weaker than Mashinky's manual dispatching. Suits players who want economic layers and a defined campaign over freeform network design.
Not for you if you need direct signal control at junctions or want procedurally varied maps instead of the same fixed layouts every playthrough.
6
Railroad Corporation 2
PC
TrainsEconomyHistorical
$39.99 ~32 hr median co-op complexity: moderate 71.6% of 384
The Squirrel's verdictRailroad Corporation 2 adds signals, train priority, and co-op to the transport management formula, features that give players direct control over junction flow that the first game lacked. A campaign is included. Reviewers describe the visuals as scaled-down and toyish, note there is no ride-along view, and flag multiplayer balance as uneven. At 32 median hours, it sits close to others in the genre.
Not for you if you want an in-cab or ride-along view, or expect multiplayer to be balanced and bug-free.
7
TrainsCity BuilderTransportation
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$29.99 ~24.4 hr median no co-op complexity: heavy 68.1% of 1k
The Squirrel's verdictSweet Transit wraps train logistics inside a city-building system where couriers and road infrastructure must feed goods to stations before trains can move them — a systemic layer Mashinky does not have. It reached a full 1.0 release in 2024. Reviews consistently flag unintuitive mechanics and inadequate tutorials as the main barriers; the median player logs around 24 hours. Best suited to players who want urban growth tightly coupled to their rail network.
Not for you if you want mechanics and the UI explained clearly from the start, or your main interest is trains rather than the city logistics surrounding them.
8
TrainsEconomyCity Builder
$19.99 ~33.6 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 64.5% of 4k
The Squirrel's verdictCity growth is where Train Fever separates itself from Mashinky: towns expand and contract based on how well your network serves them, creating a feedback loop most transport tycoons skip. The token-based tech progression Mashinky uses is absent here. Reviews consistently flag broken late-game cargo balancing, unpolished menus, and bugs that were never addressed after the 2014 release. The median player puts in around 34 hours before stopping.
Not for you if you want stable pathing, polished menus, or a game that received meaningful post-launch fixes.