Train Life: A Railway Simulator

When it gets good

Share of positive reviews by how many hours the reviewer had played when writing the review.

before it gets good opening up fully opened up

Based on all 1,724 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 296 reviews: 9.9h for positive, 7.3h for negative. Almost every game is rated lower in the first 2–3 hours: that window includes refunds and quick first impressions. What matters is how deep the dip is and how fast the game recovers.

Where players quit

Share of players who started the game and reached each story milestone. 100% is the most common achievement (33.1% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.

Story milestones aren't labeled yet; all achievements are listed below.

All achievements (40)

• Sunday Driver Drive from a station in one city to a station in a different city without being fined (this must be done in a career or scenario) 100%
• Ding! Level up once in a career 90%
• New Wheels Purchase a new locomotive in a career 67%
• Lazy Sunday Hire an Employee Driver in a career 61%
• Engineer's License Complete all tutorial scenarios 54%
• Speed Demon Complete a cargo contract with a time bonus of greater than 1.5x (this must be done in a career) 54%
• Massive Load Complete a cargo contract of more than 8 wagons in a career or scenario 54%
• First Upgrade Buy and equip a new locomotive part 53%
• Junior Level up to Junior rank 52%
• Pocket Change Earn a total of one million in cash in a single career 41%
• Kitted Out Fully upgrade a locomotive with new parts 39%
• Mid-level Level up to the Mid-level rank 32%
• Senior Level up to the Senior rank 20%
• City Regular Upgrade a city to level 2 15%
• Principal Level up to the Principal rank 12%
• Luxury Goods Deliver at least 1 wagon of a Tier 3 good in a career 11%
• Above the Limit Complete a non-tutorial scenario faster than the estimated time 10%
• The Whale Earn at least 15000 XP from a single contract or delivery 8.5%
• Master Level up to the Master rank 7.3%
• Commuter Deliver a total of 3000 units of passengers and postage in a single career as a company 6.6%
• Locomotive Magnate Earn a total of ten million in cash in a single career 6.6%
• Play Smarter, Not Harder Deliver to a city that has an active delivery bonus for what you're delivering (this must be done in a career) 6.3%
• A Fine Addition Own a total of 25 non-default locomotive parts 6.0%
• Steadfast Complete all Towing scenarios 5.7%
• Railway Aficionado Reach level 30 5.1%
• Urban Planner Upgrade a city to level 3 5.1%
• Train Gang Have 10 Employee Drivers hired and on a task at once in a career 4.2%
• Puzzle Master Complete all Shunting scenarios 2.7%
• Show Me the Goods Deliver a total of 1500 cargo wagons in a single career as a company 2.7%
• Renowned Tourist Unlock all stations in a single career 2.1%
• Vice President Level an Employee Driver to level 25 in a career 2.1%
• The A-Team Have 3 Employees at level 25 in a single career 1.5%
• Unstoppable Complete all Extreme Cargo scenarios 1.5%
• Center of Attention Level up all cities in the central region to level 3 in a single career 1.2%
• Slavic Power Level up all cities in the Eastern region to level 3 in a single career 1.2%
• Southern Hospitality Level up all cities in the Southern region to level 3 in a single career 1.2%
• The King in the North Level up all cities in the Northern region to level 3 in a single career 1.2%
• The Wild West Level up all cities in the Western region to level 3 in a single career 1.2%
• World Domination Level up all cities to level 3 in a single career 1.2%
• Early Bird Complete all non-tutorial scenarios faster than the estimated time 0.9%