Trainwatch, the latest offering from Harvester Games, creator of atmospheric titles like The Cat Lady, merges life simulation, time management, and psychological horror into a singular, unsettling experience. Players step into the shoes of Troy, a heartbroken alcoholic working a dead-end job as a train crossing attendant in a remote, foggy wasteland. The game tasks players with maintaining the crossing according to a strict timetable while also managing Troy's depleting stamina and sanity.
The core gameplay loop involves ensuring the train gates are opened and closed promptly, a task that earns players a score for alacrity. However, this mundane duty is complicated by Troy's deteriorating mental and physical state. Players must replenish his stamina with food or coffee and bolster his sanity by engaging in hopeful actions, such as calling his estranged wife, Agatha. Should either stat fall too low, the game's visuals degrade into a bloodshot haze, hindering Troy's ability to perform essential tasks, from operating the crossing to even opening the fridge. While failure to close the gates might not immediately result in fatalities on this quiet route, pushing luck too far could lead to inevitable consequences.
Adding to the challenge, the game actively obstructs Troy's ability to adhere to his schedule. A colleague's accident forces Troy into a double shift early on, and the surrounding environment beckons with various distractions. These include a boarded-up well, a rusty fishing pool, and an ominously gated-off railway siding. Puzzles involving key codes and objects that require incineration further pull Troy away from his duties. The narrative also introduces a mysterious figure in blue robes who encourages Troy to unlock a "Control Room" and strive to become a "Better Man."
The game's presentation is a key feature, with the desolate landscape viewed from Troy's narrow lookout tower. The interior of the tower is depicted with side-on and elevated cutaway perspectives, creating a dollhouse-like symmetry. However, events or player interactions can trigger jarring shifts in perspective, with the camera tilting alarmingly, evoking the disorienting feel of early survival horror titles.
Trainwatch is described as a "semi-open world," offering more room to explore than the immediate railway might suggest. The misty environment contains trees, buildings, and peculiar spaces that can be investigated, provided players do not miss the urgent ringing of the big red phone. The degree to which the unsettling occurrences are supernatural or a product of Troy's psychological distress remains to be seen, but the narrative seems likely to tie into his drinking problems and failing marriage. Players will encounter eccentric locals, including a passenger at a deserted station awaiting a train that will never arrive. Helping these characters may offer a path toward one of the game's multiple, potentially happier, endings.
The writing, though still early in its development, avoids becoming overly mawkish. The script often consists of stark instructions and eerie observations with highlighted words, a style reminiscent of older video games with limited screen real estate for text. Troy's conversations with Agatha are more extended, but they do not delve into lengthy self-reflection. The game invites players to explore the mysteries of the wasteland and Troy's own psyche, all while keeping the trains running on time.