Railway Empire is a 2018 railroad and business sim from Kalypso Media. Players take control of a Railroad Baron and are tasked by investors into creating a profitable company, connecting cities and rural businesses. The game spans from the 1830s to 1930s and the campaign and scenarios take place in the United States. Several DLCs have been introduced, adding maps set in Latin America, Canada, Japan, and Europe.
Trains can be made from dozens of unlockable locomotives, most if not all based on real life models. Each one has it's own pros and cons.
This game contains examples of:
- Bling of War: Jonathan Johnson is decked out in a general's uniform bedecked with epaulets, medals, and gold trim.
- Cattle Baron: It is possible to become one by purchasing ranches, this is especially profitable if you own in any slaughterhouses.
- Cigar Chomper: Don Lorenzo's character portrait has him enjoying a large stogie.
- Cool Train: The later locomotives are quite eyecatching and there's even unlockable techs that attract more passengers by making trains prettier.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: It is possible to play this way and your rivals almost certainly will.
- Dawn of the Wild West: Early scenarios are set during this period, the player plays a part in turning frontier settlements into prosperous cities.
- Gameplay Story Segregation: Depending on the scenario it is not uncommon to have certain cities to be much bigger or smaller than they were in real life. The Great Britain scenario begins with stations in Manchester and Leeds, as a result they end up much bigger than London (though that's likely to change once you expand to London.
- Honest Corporate Executive: If you don't hire any underworld workers than you will be this.
- Meiji Restoration: The Japan DLC takes place during this era and focuses on how trains helped modernize and industrialize Japan.
- Rail Enthusiast: One unlockable tech attracts these, increasing your passenger profits.
- Southern Belle: Though not explictly stated to be Southern, von Pomp certainly invokes this trope.
- Steam Never Dies: Electric and diesel trains do appear in many scenarios, but it's still possible for steam ones to coexist if you don't bother upgrading.
- The Capital of Brazil Is Buenos Aires: Brazil appears in the South America maps, but there's no indication it's any different from it's neighbors other than (accurately) featuring the most of the Amazon.
- Twilight of the Old West: Some later scenarios focus on this, with emphasis on oil taking the place of cattle as the main industry in the region.
