Station to Station Game Review – A Tranquil Railway Building Puzzler with Mesmerizing Voxel Art and Balanced Challenge

As I initially delved into the world of Station to Station, I was under the impression that I’d be immersing myself in a typical train simulation, something reminiscent of the A-Train franchise, possibly coupled with a touch of city building. However, the reality I encountered was quite different and pleasantly surprising.

Station to Station isn’t your conventional train sim. Instead, it takes on the guise of a puzzle game, entwined with elements commonly found in simulation-style games. The gameplay revolves around resource and money management, employing these factors to unlock new possibilities within the game.

The concept is deceptively straightforward: some of the structures on your map represent industries that produce resources. Your task is to create connections between these industries and other buildings that require these resources. Ultimately, these connections should link up to various cities, allowing you to reap the rewards and, in the process, turn a profit.

A Charming Puzzler with Unexpected Appeal Station to Station

Station to Station simplifies the complex world of rail management to a fundamental principle: connect everything according to its needs and capabilities, and you emerge victorious. In its most basic form, this is the essence of the game. While it may not dive as deep into the intricacies of rail management as some might anticipate, I couldn’t help but fall in love with its ingenious levels and captivating aesthetic.

The game’s unexpected departure from my initial expectations only added to my enjoyment. Even if I had known precisely what to expect before diving into Station to Station, I’m confident that I would have found it just as charming and enthralling. Its visuals, pacing, atmosphere, and challenging puzzles resonate with me on a profound gaming level, making it an experience I thoroughly relish.

Station to Station is a Tranquil and Minimalist Railway Building Game

Station to Station markets itself as a serene and minimalist game that centers around constructing railway connections, and this description hits the mark. The game consists of six distinct worlds, each containing five or six levels.

The levels come in various sizes, drawing thematic inspiration from their respective worlds. For instance, the Sunforge Sands and Golden Dunes worlds immerse you in the challenges of laying tracks in a desert environment, while Eveningstar Valley and Greendale evoke a voxel-infused American western vibe. These thematic elements, however, don’t significantly impact the core puzzles, aside from a few bonus tasks I’ll delve into shortly.

It’s worth noting that there’s a missed opportunity in the game’s design regarding the environmental differences between these worlds. While some elements do come into play, like having to pay to remove forests in some levels or accounting for varying cliff heights in others, more substantial environmental variations could have added depth to the gameplay and strategy.

Mesmerizing Voxel Art in Station to Station

Station to Station boasts some of the most breathtaking voxel art you’re likely to encounter since the days of 3D Dot Game Heroes on the PS3 (and it’s worth mentioning because that game is fantastic). The captivating 3D pixelated aesthetic permeates every facet of the game’s worlds, from soaring flocks of birds to ambling horses and dromedaries. 

These endearing, chunky creatures exude a certain charm, but it doesn’t stop there. Each city, town, and industry within the game is meticulously crafted with its own set of voxelated models that are nothing short of captivating. They are visually striking to the point where you might find yourself wishing to have your ashes scattered within the enchanting realms of Station to Station. 

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However, the logistics of achieving that unusual wish are left to be determined by future innovators and adventurers.

Illuminating Voxel Magic and Serene Beauty in Station to Station

The endearing voxel models in Station to Station are already a delight, but it’s the lighting that elevates the game’s charm to new heights. Sun-kissed rivers and glistening lakes create a radiant, perpetual golden-hour ambiance in many of the levels. 

As you construct your railway network, the landscape gradually comes to life with color. Each connected industry sends out a vibrant, golden ring of prosperity across the map. It’s an enchanting transformation. Even when none of the resources are connected, each level maintains its inherent beauty. However, as you expand the map, it blossoms into a welcoming, colorful world that seems entirely indifferent to whether or not you’re watching.

The trains navigate their tracks and make their stops, birds gracefully traverse the skies, and other animals wander serenely. It’s almost tempting to simply float around the map, zooming in and out to admire the intricacies of the tiny buildings or observe a seagull tracing lazy figure-eights above it all. The game’s captivating visual design and the serene life it breathes into its landscapes create an enticing world that could be engaging even without the compelling rail management challenge layered atop these miniature realms.

Puzzle-Like Gameplay and Artistic Harmony

I could honestly spend the entirety of this review praising the visual elegance of Station to Station, but that’s because it seamlessly aligns with its gameplay style. The game’s puzzle-like stages feel akin to a board game magically brought to life.

The concept is elegantly straightforward: each level commences with a handful of buildings scattered across your map. Your task is to connect these structures so that every resource is efficiently linked to the building or city that requires it. For instance, let’s take the second level set in the Golden Dunes. It introduces you to a paper mill, a logging camp, and water towers. The paper mill needs logs and water to produce paper. To make this work, you’ll need to connect these structures by placing a train station at each and then linking those stations with a railway. The city itself requires water, among other things. Thus, running a track from this network of interconnected stations delivers the hydration the growing city craves.

Station to Station encourages you to forge connections between resources in non-traditional ways, thanks to a stacking mechanic. It’s a clever twist that urges you to think creatively. For instance, if your city needs tools, you’d set up the connections almost in reverse order. Tools require a tool factory, which, in turn, necessitates steel, obtained from coal and iron ore. You’d link the coal and ore to the tool factory, connect the steel mill to the city, and run a freight line to the city to see the bonuses accumulate. Resources flow seamlessly from one step in the process to another, and money flows into your coffers. The satisfaction derived from this process is akin to hitting the jackpot at a casino, watching chips spill forth. Although this level of optimization isn’t obligatory, striving to achieve Station to Station’s cash-based bonus objectives at the end of each level adds a layer of fun and challenge.

Completing a level with a generous stash of cash isn’t the sole bonus goal. Each map presents a Star goal to tackle, such as achieving a stack worth $1200, for instance. The main narrative, let’s call it that, took me roughly eight hours to complete. Now, I’ve turned my attention to revisiting the levels with greater precision to attain these bonus goals. While I’m unsure if there’s a special reward beyond a few additional achievements, the sheer joy of revisiting the levels and embracing these extra challenges is motivation enough.

Station to Station’s Balanced Challenge and Versatile Card System

Station to Station is a game that won’t have you frustratedly banging your head against the wall with its difficulty, but it excels in balancing the need for thoughtful planning with quick, on-the-fly decision-making.

At the outset of each level, you don’t start with all your buildings in place. They become accessible only after you’ve met a specific monetary goal, which varies for each stage. This dynamic can lead to intriguing challenges. You might initially devise a perfect rail route between resources and the city, only to realize that you now need to navigate an existing rail line with a costlier bridge to connect two newly unlocked map features. On occasion, I found myself near the end of a level, needing to restart due to running out of money for constructing new rail lines. Surprisingly, these unexpected setbacks didn’t provoke frustration. In fact, they kindled a sense of anticipation, as they offered the chance to replay the delightful level with the advantage of hindsight.

Station to Station also introduces a light card system that offers one-time advantages to utilize. These cards are earned as you accumulate money and can be played before finalizing a new railway. They provide benefits like Cheap Rails, which reduces the cost of new rails, or Heavy Freight trains that yield 50% more money on the specified route. The Heavy Freight modifier is particularly satisfying when you have a substantial stack of resources, amplifying the casino-like payout system. This added layer of options is simple in execution but provides a welcome extra dimension to gameplay.

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Additionally, the game offers a custom game option right from the start, rendering Station to Station virtually endlessly replayable. You can select the level size, biome, cliff heights, industries, and difficulty to tailor your experience. You can even randomize the biome and industry selections, ensuring that every new game feels entirely fresh. Personally, I favor the largest map size for the added challenge and the potential for colossal stacks. The custom maps can be even more enjoyable than the prebuilt levels due to the element of chaos when you introduce randomization to the mix.

The Verdict

Station to Station is a cozy and delightful railway planner that strikes a perfect balance between clear goals, flexible gameplay, and just the right level of challenge. It doesn’t strive to be more than a fun and relaxing experience, and the ability to randomize levels and tweak their difficulty adds a welcome layer of variety to each playthrough.

What stands out most is its captivating voxel-based graphics, which add a touch of visual magic. The soothing music complements the gameplay wonderfully, creating an atmosphere of tranquility and charm. Even failing a level doesn’t induce frustration; it’s merely an invitation to embark on another delightful journey through the blocky countryside, with the promise of improvement.

Station to Station’s greatest strength lies in its simplicity, and it remains faithful to its core gameplay premise. Truthfully, it doesn’t need to venture far from that foundation. This game encapsulates the essence of a relaxing, enjoyable experience, making it a compelling choice for those seeking a cozy and charming railway planning adventure.

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