App Store Editors’ Notes

Train of thought.

Just paid 8 bucks to purchase full game + added content (the Attic). Don’t think I’ve EVER paid that much for ANY apple game, cuz I’m stingy, but this had my brain “on the right track”. Don’t know about later levels, but the first was truly stimulating, so I took a chance on this brain “trainer”. Addendum: the devs were kind enough to contact me with a courteous response. Could’ve been AI generated, but still a nice touch. 😊

Has potential but….

The game starts out pretty fun but then at round 29 gets extremely difficult - so much so that I punched out. It would be great if it had a more gradual transition toward difficulty. Also, the tap and drag of track components is a little inconsistent (doesn’t pick up tracks half the time) and the draw of track components gets it about half right (puts a straight track where you intend a curve, etc. Most of the games have an element where either the blue train or the red train has to get there first. The way the signals are displayed on top of the little buildings telling you which one needs to get there first is very ambiguous. Sometimes you end up building both tracks just to find out you got the wrong train there first because you didn’t understand from the indicators, which one was supposed to land first. Also, when I’m in the click and drop mode and try to go back to draw mode, the game seems to stick on the eraser and won’t let me tap on the pencil so I end up having to do the whole game through click and drop. Overall, not super satisfying. Feels a lot like work!

Great, but has an ads issue...

The first chapter was nice, had a somewhat good introduction on how the games work. However, when I got to the next chapter, every level I wanted to get had me watch a 60 to 105 second ad, usually on the higher end. It's ridiculous. I probably would've played through it all if there was less ads, and the fact that by reading the reviews saying there used to be less ads is absurd. Sad to say I missed out on that. Addition: Usually when I use a hint it gives me hints to tracks I have already placed correctly, making me use all 4 hints and thus all 4 ads.

Ad OVERLOAD

I don’t pay for games on my phone. Period. I know that this comes with ad requirements, and I’m fine with that. However, being required to watch a 30+ second ad before every single level is excessive. It was enough that I did it 3 times and deleted the game. Takes you out of the fun when you have to pause every single level. I understand you need to make money and ads are the alternative to paying, but there is a limit and this setup far surpasses what I’m willing to participate in. You got greedy so now you’ll get no views on your ads from me when more sporadic ad placements would have yielded you great numbers.

Update brought horrible ads strategy

Previously, the first 2 chapters were playable and you had to pay to access other chapters, which is a fair freemium strategy. Since the latest update, you get access to only the first chapter and have to pay to access the other chapters. More limited freemium strategy. The alternative is to watch an ad before playing any of the 30 levels or 5 mastery levels of the other 6 chapters—EVEN IF YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY PLAYED THE LEVEL. So if you want to play chapter 2 level 1 for the first time, you have to watch an ad. Want to play it again, here’s another ad for you. Want a third go? You guessed it: watch an ad. That’s ridiculous so I deleted the app.

Fun game but colorblind options are limiting

I really enjoy this game, however, I have reached a roadblock as I am unable to tell train colors apart. I have tried all three colorblind options and unfortunately all blur the colors a bit too much to my eyes. Would greatly appreciate an option to customize the colors ourselves, or even have shapes (red = square, yellow = circle, and so on). Of the levels I CAN play, they are great fun. A perfect blend of relaxing and challenging. Would love to give a five star and purchase the “full game” + DLC, hopefully one day!

5 stars for idea, 3 for execution

I really like this game. It scratches the Trainyard or Cosmic Express itch. The controls are buggy as f though. When laying track, you sometimes have to hit the selected track piece several times before it registers. The other option to lay track (just drawing it on, as opposed to selecting from the array and dragging into place) is not good. It pretty much is only useful for straight runs only. And you can't switch track laying methods mid-level. Devs I like the game! Fix the track laying bugginess and lag and I'll update the review!

Game is fun…BUT…

You have to pay for the full version. Which I either missed it stating so in the description or they didn’t state at all. Not sure which. You get the first 30-35 levels for free. Which, in all honesty, doesn’t take very long to go through. Leaving the end user dissatisfied to find out they have to pay to unlock the entire game. We download “free games” because we don’t want to pay for them. Seems pretty simple and straightforward. Then slimey developers come in and list a game as free, but they really aren’t.

It's not all about Disney or Studio Ghibli. Or length. Some of the most inventive animation can be found in short films.

Time Out Sun Sep 28 2025

Working with the architect Tom Kundig, a creative director had a crazy idea: Wouldn't it be cool if you could put your work space on a...

The New York Times Sat Nov 02 2024

If you imagine the Old West, you likely picture cowboys, railway towns, and, well, the railroad itself. And all of that still exists in...

Travel + Leisure Fri Aug 02 2024

Teeny Tiny Trains, a rail-connecting puzzle from Short Circuit Studio gets an official launch on both Android and iOS.

GamingonPhone Thu Sep 18 2025

Find out what we thought of Short Circuit Studios' newest game, Teeny Tiny Trains.

Pocket Gamer Thu Sep 25 2025

teeny tiny trains is a new puzzle game from short circuit studios.

Pocket Gamer Thu Sep 18 2025

In GamingonPhone's Monthly Mobile Gaming News Roundup for March 2024, we delve into the industry's noteworthy highlights from the month.

GamingonPhone Thu Sep 25 2025