The Miscellaneous PC & vidya Games Thread

[celedhring]

Yeah, I've been looking for a modern Railroad Tycoon experience for ages but nothing seems to quite scratch that itch. I haven't tried Railway Empire 2, but I had similar issues as you with the original.

[Norgy]

I don't think there have been made many railroad games, and the genre has taken more off into diverse territory with airlines, factories and whatnot.

Speaking of trains, I am pondering whether to sink some time into Last Train Home about those Czech soldiers stuck in the Bolshevik territory during the Russian Civil War. The reviews are very good. Anyone with experience of the game?

[Crazy_Ivan80]

I don't think there have been made many railroad games, and the genre has taken more off into diverse territory with airlines, factories and whatnot.

Speaking of trains, I am pondering whether to sink some time into Last Train Home about those Czech soldiers stuck in the Bolshevik territory during the Russian Civil War. The reviews are very good. Anyone with experience of the game?

Didn't play it enough to really say much, but what I played was interesting enough. Need to pick that one up again.

[crazy canuck]

Oh, good reminder. I was meaning to try that.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Added bonus: you get to eliminate red russian scum

[crazy canuck]

You had me at Russian

[Syt]

I tried Transport Fever 2 (which I also picked up ages ago on a sale).

I don't know. The maps feel pretty small scale. And it also seems to literally only be about transport, i.e. not owning businesses or similar.

There seems to have have been an Industry Giant 4, but it appears it was in early access and then kicked out the door before being fully developed. Though I guess there's always Industry Giant 2. Or Open Transport Tycoon Deluxe.

[Sheilbh]

Yeah I love a railway/transport game but haven't seen one that really appeals in a while.

[Norgy]

I see Steam has "Power Wash Simulator" on sale...
That sounds like the game you play during winter if you are deeply into using your power washer, but simply can't because the water freezes. 

There is also a detective game fest. Which is rather under-whelming. Then again, my tastes are probably not like the average Steam user's, with me being an old man.

[Syt]

Looking around for decent business games I came across this:

https://www.capitalismlab.com/

Capitalism Lab – The World's #1 Business Simulation Game
Capitalism Lab is the successor to the award-winning Capitalism 2, packed with new features that offer an exciting journey into the world of big business.

Capitalism Lab has continuously pushed the limits of business simulators with innovative new features, further cementing its reputation as the best business simulation game ever created.

I mean ... the graphics sure haven't been updated.









And in Paradox fashion they have a bunch of DLC.

With Subsidiary DLC, you can expand your business to new heights! Create multiple subsidiary companies with AI CEOs at the helm and get them listed on a stock exchange. Or take existing firms and assets from the parent company and spin them off as a public entity via an IPO while making big money along the way!

Become an entrepreneurial mayor with City Economic Simulation DLC! Put your urban planning skills to work as you build new cities from scratch, form your own political party and shape public policy, while simultaneously growing your business empire!

Digital Age DLC offers you an exciting opportunity to build a tech startup at the dawn of the digital age and lead it from its infancy through revolutionary growth to become a tech powerhouse that joins the ranks of tech titans such as Microsoft and Google.

Plus mods:

Real World Mod is the most popular mod for Capitalism Lab, with over 600 products and 900 customized product images, plus lots of new logos and portraits. It is the essential mod that we recommend to all Capitalism Lab players.

The Future World Mod transports players to a realm of technological marvels, featuring over 170 new products like self-driving cars, advanced robotics, and AI-powered innovations. Unlock these cutting-edge advancements through research and dominate the industries of tomorrow in this visionary expansion.

Capitalism World Mod uses the mod system in a truly creative way, adding an amazing array of new industries to the game, including airlines, entertainment, hospital services, and public utilities. And the best part? You can even assemble your own electric cars and rockets – just imagine it: build your very own mini versions of Tesla and SpaceX!

V11.0 release video:

Headline changes:

New Product Type – Electric Cars

[...]

New Scenario "Electric Car Pioneer"

[...]

More New Product Types: Treadmill, Coffee Machine, and Table

[...]

Two New Scenarios:

The market for home furnishings and appliances is booming. People are investing more than ever in creating comfortable and stylish living spaces. You see an opportunity to build an empire, starting with a focus on high-quality furniture. As your business grows, expand into home appliances, offering customers a one-stop shop for all their home comfort needs. Can you navigate the competitive landscape and become the leading provider of home comforts?

You dream of building a luxury goods dynasty, a name synonymous with exquisite jewelry, timepieces, cosmetics, and leather goods. Your challenge lies not just in crafting exceptional products, but in cultivating a brand that embodies exclusivity, heritage, and timeless appeal. Can you capture the hearts and minds of the discerning elite and establish your brand as the ultimate symbol of luxury?

Significant AI Improvements

Smarter Resource Allocation:
The AI is now more efficient at allocating resources for inventing new products, paving the way for tougher competition in innovation.

✅ Strategic Training Budgets:
AI companies are smarter in setting training budgets, leading to better workforce management and improved operational performance.

✅ Aggressive Expansion (on Very High AI Aggressiveness):
Competitor AI (excluding subsidiary AI) will open retail stores and factories with greater urgency, intensifying the competition.

✅ Improved Mayoral Campaigns:
The AI now sets smarter budgets for mayoral elections, making the political landscape even more strategic.

✅ Enhanced Media and Internet Companies:
Media and internet companies now have smarter AI for setting advertising prices and optimizing content development budgets, ensuring a more competitive media market.

✅ Stable R&D Operations:
R&D centers managed by the AI now operate more reliably, minimizing disruptions caused by closures and reopenings.

✅ Balanced Product Class Focus:
AI companies now focus more evenly on product classes, ensuring no market niche is left untouched and competition is more evenly spread across industries.


New Product Research List: Unlocking the Future of Your Manufacturing Empire

[...]

Understanding Demand Shifts in Manufacturer Guide

[...]

New Options to Control Subsidiary CEO Actions

[...]

New Tech Icons for Digital Age DLC

[...]

New Seaport Settings

[...]

Interface Improvement: Showing Products from All Floors

[...]

Streamlined Supply Chain Insights: Pinned Windows and Freight Cost Breakdown

[...]

New Firm Images

[...]

New Images for Functional Units

New Resolution Modes
This version now includes support for high resolution modes: 2560×1600 and 3440×1440.

Interface Improvements:

[...]

Though they seem to use AI art now?

I might give this a try over the weekend if bored enough.

At the very least it seems to have a somewhat active forum, and a post-release 12.0 (the changes above are 11.0) beta patch was posted 29th Dec 2025, so there seems to be active development. EDIT: changes for V12 are listed here: https://www.capitalismlab.com/version120/ though the version is still in beta.




Side tangent: Regardless of whether this is a good game or not (and I expect it to be either super jank or catering to some hardcore community members), with the majority of game releases almost exclusively happening on Steam or similar platforms, it sucks trying to find these weird niche indie efforts that do their own thing off the beaten paths (though dealing with their online stores is often a hassle) for small passionate communities. Be it greydogsoftware and their Wrestling business sims, these guys or the guys at 270sims and their US election games, or the guy from Rule the Waves or the Dwarf Fortress guys before they went to Steam. Usually passion projects or stuff they were working on for so long they see no point in going to more mainstream platforms.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Do they also have a crony-capitalism and oligarch dlc?