Subway Builder: A realistic subway simulation game

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Scope, Cities & “Realism”

  • Initial release is limited to US cities, driven by reliance on US Census and other federal datasets (commuters, home/work, students, flight data).
  • Several people outside the US lose interest on seeing only American cities; some would buy only once major non‑US cities (e.g., London, Berlin, European capitals) are included.
  • Others note it’d be interesting precisely because US cities differ in density and transit from European/Asian ones, and want density/building-cost tradeoffs modeled.
  • Multiple comments joke that “realistic” should mean political constraints: NIMBYs, corruption, lawsuits, endless permitting, underfunded legacy systems, and stalled projects.

Data & Simulation Approach

  • Demand modeling uses real-world commuting patterns and open map data; this is a key point of interest vs simpler “shape-based” or abstract sims.
  • Some see this census-driven approach as a major advantage over games like NIMBY Rails.
  • Others suggest user-imported datasets to unlock international cities.

Technology & Platforms

  • Implemented in TypeScript/JavaScript with Electron; uses 3D map tiles and custom transparency tricks.
  • Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux; requires online tiles, prompting some requests for offline/OSM-based tile support.

Comparisons to Other Transit Games

  • Heavy cross-talk with Mini Metro and Mini Motorways: people share strategies, frustrations, and praise, and contrast those as abstract, fast, “inevitable failure” arcade games.
  • Subway Builder is perceived as aiming for the opposite: slow, detailed, “sweaty simulator” focused on realism.
  • Mention of other niche titles (Rail Route, NIMBY Rails, OpenTTD) anchors expectations for depth and price.

Pricing, Distribution & Marketing

  • $30 direct and planned $40 on Steam are widely seen as high, especially without a demo and with minimal official video/screenshots.
  • Some argue niche enthusiasts may pay; others compare unfavorably to deeply polished or mod-rich titles (e.g., Factorio, RimWorld) at lower prices.
  • Staggered Steam launch and higher Steam price are criticized as inconvenient and short-sighted; some will wait for Steam reviews or sales.

Gameplay, UX & Quality Impressions

  • Early Linux player reports “beta-quality”: laggy map rendering, awkward controls, modal UI, nonfunctional undo, and confusing tutorial markers.
  • Nonetheless, several commenters say they expect to “lose a weekend” to it and want more serious infrastructure sims in general.