Choose Rail Route
Choose Rail Route if you want a Simulation game with Multi-player, Steam Leaderboards, and Online Co-op. On Steam, it's the newer release (2024) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 1,057 Steam reviews back the pick.
Rail Route vs City Maker
Rail Route and City Maker both land in Strategy, Indie, Casual on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Strategy, Indie, Casual on Steam. City Maker (2021) is 3 years older than Rail Route (2024). Rail Route scores higher on Steam reviews (86.2% positive) than City Maker (75% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose City Maker
Choose City Maker if it's currently about 96% cheaper on the Steam Store. City Maker launched in 2021.
Both Rail Route and City Maker sit in Strategy, Indie, and Casual on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Rail Route |  City Maker | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024 | 2021 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual | Strategy, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 24.99 USD | 0.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86.2% positive (1,057 reviews) | 75% positive (16 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Bitrich.info | Emerick Gibson |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie, Casual on Steam.
- City Maker (2021) is 3 years older than Rail Route (2024).
- Rail Route scores higher on Steam reviews (86.2% positive) than City Maker (75% positive).
- City Maker is currently ~96% cheaper on Steam than Rail Route (0.99 USD vs. 24.99 USD).
- Rail Route has co-op; City Maker does not.
- Rail Route is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; City Maker has no Deck rating yet.
Rail Route vs City Maker — FAQ
- Should I play Rail Route or City Maker first?
- If you want chronology, City Maker (2021) came out before Rail Route (2024). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Rail Route and City Maker similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie, Casual on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does City Maker have multiplayer like Rail Route?
- No. Rail Route supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, LAN Co-op), while City Maker is listed as single-player only.
- Does Rail Route run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Rail Route is rated Deck Verified by Valve. City Maker doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.