''The Train Game'' is a

simulation A simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time. Simulations require the use of Conceptual model, models; the model represents the key characteristics or behaviors of the selected system or proc ...

video game originally published by

Microsphere Microparticles are particles between 0.1 and 100 μm in size. Commercially available microparticles are available in a wide variety of materials, including ceramics, glass, polymers, and metals. Microparticles encountered in daily life includ ...

for the

ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer. Referred to during development as t ...

in 1983.

Gameplay

The player assumes the role of a chief operations manager at a railway. Two different track layouts are included, A and B, each viewed from overhead on a single screen. Trains must be kept running by operating

switches In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of ...

to avoid derailment. To score points, trains must stop at stations to pick up passengers. The player selects a level of play, which determines the number of trains running, and for every 25 passengers picked up, the sub-level increases by one. If passengers are kept waiting too long, they become angry and do not increase the player's score. Up to three trains may be running on the network, and passengers are colour-coded indicating which train they wish to board. Each switch is designated a letter of the alphabet, corresponding to the keyboard key the player must press to switch it. Track A has 25 points, and track B has 19. While the player may pause the action to consider which points to switch, doing so decreases the score. Occasionally,

goods train Rail freight transport is the use of railroads and trains to transport cargo as opposed to human passengers. A freight train, cargo train, or goods train is a group of freight cars (US) or goods wagons (International Union of Railways) hauled ...

s will enter the network, and must be directed back the way they came.

Reception

''The Train Game'' was critically well received. ''

Sinclair User ''Sinclair User'' was a magazine dedicated to the Sinclair Research range of home computers, most specifically the ZX Spectrum (while also occasionally covering arcade games). Initially published by ECC Publications, and later EMAP, it was publi ...

'' described it as original, well-thought-out and full of action. ''

ZX Computing ZX may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Kamen Rider ZX (pronounced "Zed-Cross"), the tenth fictional superhero in the "Kamen Rider" franchise * ''Mega Man ZX'', a video game for the Nintendo DS * ''ZX Tunes'', remastered soundtracks of the "Meg ...

'' considered the game to be an excellent example of what the

16K 16K resolution is a display resolution with approximately 16,000 pixels horizontally. The most commonly discussed 16K resolution is , which doubles the pixel count of 8K UHD in each dimension, for a total of four times as many pixels. This resolu ...

Spectrum is capable of, requiring skill and practice to navigate even one train. It was suggested that a training track with eight switches should have been included. ''

CRASH Crash or CRASH may refer to: Common meanings * Collision, an impact between two or more objects * Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond * Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating * Couch su ...

'' observed that ''The Train Game'' was "simple in idea, but sophisticated in its details", with the player required to rapidly check the switches each train is approaching, while also considering the needs of the waiting passengers. The graphics were highlighted as "cute and to the point", and overall a review score of 75% was awarded. Criticisms of the game included repetitive sound effects and the indistinct letters used for switch designation. In 1991, ''The Train Game'' was ranked at number 95 in ''

Your Sinclair ''Your Sinclair'', or ''YS'' as it was commonly abbreviated, was a commercially published and printed British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum. It was in circulation between 1984 and 1993. History The ...

s Official Top 100, which highlighted the game's balanced difficulty curve and tendency to put the player under pressure. The list's compiler, Stuart Campbell, later championed the game for its requirement of "complex spatial awareness, fast reactions and multiple forward planning", comparing it with '' Typing of the Dead'' (1999).

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Train Game, The 1983 video games Puzzle video games Railroad business simulation video games Video games developed in the United Kingdom ZX Spectrum games ZX Spectrum-only games