Games Genie
Unrailed! cover art

Unrailed!

Best if you want frantic cooperative resource management that tests your team's ability to communicate and divide labor under relentless, escalating pressure.

Released
September 23, 2020
Metacritic
73
View reviews
Genre
CASUAL
User Rating
3.6

Why We Recommend This Game

Unrailed! distills cooperative gaming to a single, brilliant loop: gather resources, craft tracks, and keep a runaway train from plowing into oblivion. Every player juggles simple verbs—chop trees, mine rocks, haul materials to the crafter, lay rails, refill the water tank—but the magic is in the orchestration. With only one axe, one pickaxe, and one bucket to share, you're forced into spontaneous role assignments and constant negotiation. Someone scouts ahead for obstacles, another crafts at the wagon, two more shuttle resources or extend the track. When it clicks, you feel like a precision machine; when it doesn't, you're shouting over each other as your train barrels into a cliff. The genius lies in how difficulty escalates organically. Each biome—desert, snow, space—introduces terrain quirks (lava flows, water gaps, asteroids) while the train gradually accelerates. Early minutes feel manageable, almost meditative. Ten minutes in, you're triaging: do we mine stone for track or chop wood to cool the engine? Do we grab that upgrade station or push for the next checkpoint? The procedural generation ensures no two runs feel identical, and the wagon upgrade system (atomic engines, extended crafters, dynamite carts) lets you tailor strategies between stations. Sessions are beautifully digestible: most runs last 15–30 minutes, with natural pauses at each station to breathe, upgrade, and regroup. This makes it perfect for quick couch sessions or iterative online play where you're chasing longer distances. The learning curve is gentle—controls are two-button simple—but mastery demands reading your teammates, predicting resource bottlenecks, and adapting on the fly. Versus mode flips the script into competitive track-building, though the cooperative endless mode is the real star. Replayability is high thanks to variable seeds, multiple difficulty tiers, and the satisfying grind of pushing deeper into biomes. Cosmetic unlocks are thin, but the intrinsic joy of refining team coordination keeps runs fresh. The voxel aesthetic is clean and readable, ensuring you never lose track of what needs doing. Whether you're playing locally on one screen or online with friends, Unrailed! rewards tight teamwork more than reflex—a rare gem for groups who thrive on logistical puzzles wrapped in cheerful chaos.

Best For

  • Teams who love resource management and on-the-fly role specialization
  • Players seeking replayable co-op that rewards communication over raw skill
  • Groups looking for short, intense sessions with natural stopping points

Not For

  • Solo players—single-player exists but the AI can't match human coordination
  • Teams who struggle with high-pressure multitasking or voice communication
  • Players wanting deep progression systems or narrative hooks

Multiplayer & Game Modes

4 local • 4 online

Unrailed! does not support crossplay, supports up to 4 players online.

Features

Crossplay(No Crossplay)
Online Multiplayer
Local Multiplayer
Drop In/Out

Play Modes

Single PlayerMultiplayerCo-opPvPOnline MultiplayerLocal Couch Co-opShared Screen

Player Count

Local
1-4
Online
1-4
Team Sizes
Co-op up to 4; Versus (teams up to 4)

Additional Details

Supports 1–4 players. Local play is shared-screen (no split-screen). Online supports up to 4 players. Steam store lists Online Co-op (4) and Shared/Split Screen Co-op (4) plus PvP. PCGamingWiki does not list LAN support. Co-op modes include Endless/Quick; competitive mode is Versus. Console online play may require the platform’s online subscription (e.g., PS Plus / Nintendo Switch Online / Xbox subscription), depending on platform policies.

Edition and Platform Information

Important details about which version to buy and where to play.

Platform Recommendations

Switch version maintains stable performance in both handheld and docked modes. Local couch co-op works seamlessly on one screen, and online multiplayer is reliable across platforms. PC offers smoother frame rates and quicker load times, but the Switch's portability suits the pick-up-and-play session structure perfectly.

Accessibility Features

Simple two-button controls (interact and pick up/drop) make inputs accessible. Strong color contrast distinguishes resources (wood is brown, stone is gray, tracks are orange). No text-heavy tutorials—icons and visual feedback guide learning. Communication is the real barrier: voice chat or very clear gestures help immensely, especially as speed increases.

Screenshots

Click any screenshot to view in full size

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this game answered by our team.

How hard is it?

Starts gentle, but difficulty ramps as your train speeds up and biomes introduce hazards. Success depends more on team coordination than individual skill—expect a learning curve in reading each other, not mastering controls.

How long does a run take?

Most runs last 15–30 minutes with natural breaks at stations between biomes. You can pause, upgrade, and reset quickly, making it ideal for short sessions or marathon attempts at distance records.

Is it good solo?

Technically playable solo with bot helpers, but the AI can't match human adaptability. The game truly shines with 2–4 players who can communicate and divide tasks fluidly.

Is voice chat required?

Not required, but highly recommended. Quick callouts ("I'll mine," "Need wood at crafter") prevent overlapping roles and wasted effort. Local play works with gestures; online benefits hugely from voice.

Does it have replay value?

Yes—procedural worlds, multiple biomes, difficulty settings, and wagon upgrade combos ensure variety. The intrinsic satisfaction of beating your distance record and refining team strategies drives long-term play.