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 Railroad Simulator 2019
Trainz™ Simulator 12 and Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019 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 8 years older than Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019 (2019). Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019 scores higher on Steam reviews (81.4% 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 Railroad Simulator 2019
Choose Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019 if you want the Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 81.4% positive across 1,529 reviews.
Both Trainz™ Simulator 12 and Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019 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 Railroad Simulator 2019 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2019 |
| Genres | Simulation | Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | Price unknown | 7.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 77.4% positive (880 reviews) | 81.4% positive (1,529 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 8 years older than Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019 (2019).
- Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019 scores higher on Steam reviews (81.4% positive) than Trainz™ Simulator 12 (77.4% positive).
- Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019 has co-op; Trainz™ Simulator 12 does not.
- Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019 is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Trainz™ Simulator 12 has no Deck rating yet.
Trainz™ Simulator 12 vs Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019 — FAQ
- Which is better, Trainz™ Simulator 12 or Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019?
- On Steam reviews Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019 scores higher (81.4% positive) than Trainz™ Simulator 12 (77.4% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019 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 Railroad Simulator 2019 first?
- If you want chronology, Trainz™ Simulator 12 (2011) came out before Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019 (2019). 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 Railroad Simulator 2019 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.