Lokomoto is a cozy animal crossing by train

Back at Gamescom this summer, I saw an early version of Locomoto from Green Tile Digital. It's a game that asks a simple question: What would Animal Crossing look like on a train? The answer is a cozy, sleepy world full of characters (and cargo) who need to get from A to B.

Your train is your domain and you can decorate it however you want. Cozy games are a competitive market, which is in direct contrast to their cool vibes. So will Lokomoto have enough to stand out?

Wire train – or not

The locomotive is on the light simulation side. With its many buttons and levers and the manual, this Train Simulator Classic isn't so much an encyclopedia needed to start the engine. In Lokomoto, you pull the lever, the train moves, and then your main task is to take care of your passengers. I can see what the developers were trying to do here – stay away from the train management aspect for a cozy climactic feel – but I'd still like to see the mechanics go a little deeper. You can shovel coal into the engine, but that's it.

Instead, you're more of a train conductor than a driver, chatting with your passengers about their day, finding out local gossip and completing tasks for them. They speak in Animal Crossing gibberish, as is customary in this type of game. As you upgrade your train, you can purchase new cosmetics and utility items, such as a coffee machine or a place to hold snacks for your passengers.

Note: I caught a glimpse of some trains later in the game, and it reminded me a lot of the freedom you take when designing the interior of your Animal Crossing home.

along the track

Locomoto- Talk to a character on the train.

Since the game is about running a train, the exploration is fairly linear. The train can only stick to the rails. However, you are free to roam the villages, farms, fields and other places. Each location is unique and they all seem worth visiting – if only to meet new villagers to get quests. Overall, the art style is quite simple, but the character designs are enough to bring to life the various citizens who live along the train line. The game also has some light crafting elements, but you may need to visit workshops around the map before you can improve your station on your wagon.

Lokomoto is one of those games where there is always something else to do. If the passenger does not board, he delivers the cargo from one station to another. If it doesn't deliver, it will upgrade your wagon with fancy new seats or new windows. The last train game I played was Choo Choo Charles, and it was a completely different experience – mostly because of the giant spider death train that chases you around the map.

There is definitely room in the market for a cozy train simulator. And while there are plenty of animals like Crossing, as far as I know, there's never been one where a train has been thrown. I'm intrigued to see how much has been added to the game before release, especially with how big the map is and how many cosmetic items you can craft or find for your train. Will the game be good enough to compete with the sometimes weird appeal of Animal Crossing? It's hard to say before I've played it myself, but maybe just a nice, cozy train game is enough to sell itself.