Choose Trainz™ Simulator 12
Choose Trainz™ Simulator 12 if you want the Steam Leaderboards side of the pairing. Trainz™ Simulator 12 launched in 2011.
Trainz™ Simulator 12 vs Trainz: A New Era
Trainz™ Simulator 12 and Trainz: A New Era both land in Simulation 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 are Simulation games on Steam. Trainz™ Simulator 12 (2011) is 4 years older than Trainz: A New Era (2015). Trainz: A New Era scores higher on Steam reviews (80% positive) than Trainz™ Simulator 12 (77.4% 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 Trainz: A New Era
Choose Trainz: A New Era if you want the Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 80% positive across 1,679 reviews.
Both Trainz™ Simulator 12 and Trainz: A New Era sit in Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player, 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
 Trainz™ Simulator 12 |  Trainz: A New Era | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2015 |
| Genres | Simulation | Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | Price unknown | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 77.4% positive (880 reviews) | 80% positive (1,679 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Multi-player, Co-op |
| Developers | N3V Games | N3V Games |
Side by side
- Both are Simulation games on Steam.
- Trainz™ Simulator 12 (2011) is 4 years older than Trainz: A New Era (2015).
- Trainz: A New Era scores higher on Steam reviews (80% positive) than Trainz™ Simulator 12 (77.4% positive).
- Trainz: A New Era has co-op; Trainz™ Simulator 12 does not.
- Trainz: A New Era is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Trainz™ Simulator 12 has no Deck rating yet.
Trainz™ Simulator 12 vs Trainz: A New Era — FAQ
- Which is better, Trainz™ Simulator 12 or Trainz: A New Era?
- On Steam reviews Trainz: A New Era scores higher (80% positive) than Trainz™ Simulator 12 (77.4% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Trainz: A New Era is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Trainz™ Simulator 12 or Trainz: A New Era first?
- If you want chronology, Trainz™ Simulator 12 (2011) came out before Trainz: A New Era (2015). 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 Trainz™ Simulator 12 and Trainz: A New Era similar?
- They overlap on Simulation 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.