Unrailed 2: Back on Track

Swiss indie studio Indoor Astronaut continues its journey with Unrailed 2: Back on Track, but this time with a different publisher. Like its predecessor, this cooperative multiplayer roguelike is all about chaotic teamwork.

The idea behind Unrailed is as simple as it is ingenious. In this co-operative railroad construction game, players build the tracks for a train that is already on the move. To do this, players must work as a team to find resources in different biomes and overcome challenges while the train is moving. Depending on the biome and the resources to be gathered, this can be quite hectic and chaotic, especially as team members need to coordinate their actions. For example, spiders lay traps in Boxcar Bayou and large sandworms lurk in Cargo Canyon, and each of the five biomes in the current Early Access version has a boss at the end. Up to four players can play in this endless mode. Bots can also be added as players, but the game is designed to be played with humans.

Unrailed 2: Back on Track encourages players to work together at all times - firstly to avoid derailments within levels and between levels (path map). Players decide which upgrades are most important to keep the train moving forward, and when to risk a more dangerous route for a greater reward - including permanent character upgrades with gameplay-modifying abilities, as well as new train engines, wagons and extensions to unlock.

The game can be played locally or online. Teams with a competitive edge can take on a rival team in 4v4 Versus mode, and also compete for top online leaderboards. This mode pits two teams against each other to ensure their train arrives as early as possible. The Terrain Conductor, also known as the Editor, is a new addition. While the other levels in the game are procedurally generated, the Terrain Conductor can be used to create custom levels and share them with the community. This allows for the creation of custom challenges. Using an ID system, other players' maps can also be accessed.

"We plan to add new biomes, wagons, player abilities and even game modes, adding a ton of replayability over time. More importantly however, we want to add what you think would take Unrailed 2 to the next level via community feedback. (...) We will increase the price of Unrailed 2: Back on Track after Early Access as it releases as a V1.0 product. This is to reflect the value of the additional content and the more refined experience players will get." - Indoor Astronaut über den Early Access Fahrplan

Like its predecessor, the game was developed by Indoor Astronaut. This is a small indie studio based in Zurich, Switzerland, made up of ETH graduates with the aim of making co-op games more cooperative. Unrailed! came out of Early Access in September 2020 and picked up speed, at the time with the support of German publisher Daedalic Entertainment. For its second game, the small indie team opted for a publishing deal with Kepler Ghost, a subsidiary of video game publisher Kepler Interactive. "We provide true AA & AAA publishing expertise that helps studios build their own brand while retaining true control of marketing. (...) For fully funded projects that want expert marketing and publishing tools, we offer all the support of a AA/AAA publisher at just 15% base revenue share," says Kepler Ghost.

Unrailed 2: Back on Track has been released in Early Access on 07 November 2024 for PC (€19.99). The team has been working towards Early Access since an Open Beta weekend in September, followed by a preview period and a demo at the Steam Next Fest in October. Indoor Astronaut estimates that the Early Access period will last about a year. This is similar to its predecessor, but depends on the feedback from players.

Conclusion

A straightforward continuation of the cooperative multiplayer mayhem, building heavily on its predecessor but adding more variety and options.

Features

• Focuses on teamwork, chaos and communication
• Can be played with bots
• Level Eeditor