Islands & Trains Is the Chill City Builder You’ve Been Waiting For

If you’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed by the complexity of city builders like Cities: Skylines or SimCity, then Islands and Trains might just be your next favorite escape. Officially released on May 29, this charming and peaceful building game skips the spreadsheets and stress for something much simpler, and honestly, much more relaxing.

Developed by the indie team at FrameLineNetwork, Islands and Trains isn’t trying to simulate every little detail of urban life. Instead, it gives you a bunch of adorable little islands, some colorful train tracks, and the freedom to just… build. There’s no pressure to optimize traffic flow or balance a city budget. You just lay tracks, design your islands how you want, and enjoy the vibes.

|It’s City Building, But Calmer

At its core, Islands and Trains is about creativity and chill. You can connect islands with your trains, set up small towns, forests, harbors, and just watch your tiny world come to life. There’s no “fail state” or stress involved, it’s more like a digital toy box for grown-ups who still love trains (and who doesn’t, really?).

The visuals are cute and clean, with a cozy, almost model-train-set feel. It’s not photorealistic, but it doesn’t need to be. The pastel color palette and smooth animations just make everything feel soft and comforting.

|Perfect for Short Sessions or Long Chill Evenings

Because the gameplay isn’t demanding, it’s great for both short 15-minute sessions and those long, zen gaming nights where you just want to zone out and build something nice. You can pop in, lay a few tracks, tweak your little island, and come back later with fresh ideas. It’s the kind of game that never makes you feel guilty for stepping away, or for getting totally lost in it for hours.

|Not Just a Train Game

While trains are the main way you connect everything, it’s not just about railroads. You’re also placing houses, stations, trees, even animals and boats. It’s like building a playable postcard. And even though the game just launched, the devs are already teasing more updates and content coming soon.

Islands and Trains might not replace Cities: Skylines for hardcore sim fans, but for anyone looking to unwind and flex their creative muscles without the usual stress of city builders, it’s kind of perfect. It’s not about winning or beating a level, it’s just about building something that makes you smile.

You can find Islands and Trains right now on Steam, and with its full release finally here, there’s no better time to hop aboard. Islands and Trains is out now on Steam, with a 10% launch discount meaning you’ll pay $6.29 / £5.30 if you buy it by Thursday June 12, or $6.99 / £4.89 thereafter. You can get it here.

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