{{Short description|2020 co-op construction video game}} {{Infobox video game | genre = Action | title = Unrailed! | image = File:Unrailed_steam_artwork.jpg | developer = Indoor Astronaut | publisher = Daedalic Entertainment | engine = MonoGame | platforms = {{ubl|Linux|macOS|Windows|Nintendo Switch|PlayStation 4|Xbox One}} | released = September 23, 2020<br/>'''Xbox One'''<br/>October 27, 2020 | modes = {{cslist|Single-player|multiplayer}} }} '''Unrailed!''' is a cooperative construction game developed by Swiss video game developer Indoor Astronaut, and published by Daedalic Entertainment. In China, the game is published by Bilibili.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite book |last=Suvilay |first=Bounthavy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dsd8EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA64 |title=Jeux Vidéo Indépendants de l'Artisanat au Blockbuster : Pixel Art – VR/AR – Party Games – Roguelike |date=2022 |publisher=Bragelonne |isbn=979-10-281-1377-3 |location=Paris |pages=6, 12, 64–65, 75–76, 110–111, 120, 205, 215, 217 |language=fr |access-date=15 January 2023}}</ref>
The game initially entered early access on September 9, 2019, and was officially released on September 23, 2020 for Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, and on October 27, 2020 for Xbox One.
A sequel, ''Unrailed 2: Back on Track'', was announced on November 30, 2023, and released into early access on November 7, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-07 |title=Unrailed 2 is OUT NOW in Early Access! – Indoor Astronaut – developing Unrailed! |url=https://indoorastronaut.ch/unrailed-2-is-out-now-in-early-access/ |access-date=2024-11-20 |language=en-US}}</ref> The full game is set to release for Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PlayStation 5 on June 11, 2026.<ref>{{cite web |last=Romano |first=Sal |title=Unrailed! 2: Back on Track launches June 11 |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2026/05/unrailed-2-back-on-track-launches-june-11 |website=Gematsu |date=May 21, 2026 |access-date=May 21, 2026}}</ref>
== Gameplay == In ''Unrailed!'', up to four players cooperate to create a railroad to keep a train from derailing en route to its destination.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stockdale|first=Henry|title=Mini Review: Unrailed! - Take To The Tracks With Friends If At All Possible|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/unrailed|access-date=2023-05-20|date=2020-09-07|website=Nintendo Life}}</ref> The game has five game modes: endless, versus, fast, sandbox, and time, which offer different objectives and challenges for players. Both local and online multiplayer is supported.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Delgado|first=Manu|title=Análisis de Unrailed!, un cooperativo muy chu-chu-chuli|url=https://vandal.elespanol.com/analisis/pc/unrailed/72384#p-13|access-date=2023-05-20|date=2020-09-28|website=Vandal|publisher=El Español|language=es}}</ref>
To lay down rails for the train, the players must extract resources from the environment. Wood and iron are obtained by chopping down trees and from blocks of stone.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stipkovits|first=Christian|title="Unrailed!" ist ein richtig gutes Couch-Coop Game|url=https://fm4.orf.at/stories/3007430/|access-date=2023-05-20|date=2020-09-24|website=FM4|language=de}}</ref> The game incorporates roguelike elements with procedurally generated terrain, resource management, and limited saves.<ref name="auto1"/> Other obstacles include wildlife like cows and llamas that block the train's path, and non-player characters which are able to remove parts of the track from the main path.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Orona|first=Alex|title=Unrailed (Switch) Review|url=http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/55152/unrailed-switch-review|access-date=2023-05-20|date=2020-10-07|website=Nintendo World Report}}</ref> Each time the train arrives at a station, it can be upgraded with various improvements by buying them with bolts earned while playing. Upgrades enable exploration of new biomes and help the players extract materials more quickly.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hogarty|first=Steve|title=Premature Evaluation: Unrailed|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/unrailed-early-access-review|access-date=2023-05-20|date=2019-09-10|website=Rock Paper Shotgun}}</ref> == Development == ''Unrailed!'' was originally developed for a student project during the Game Programming Lab 2018 at ETH Zurich.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Game Programming Laboratory |url=https://gtc.inf.ethz.ch/education/game-programming-laboratory.html |access-date=2023-01-17 |website=gtc.inf.ethz.ch |language=en}}</ref> At the end of the semester, the prototype received positive feedback from the jury and players at the final presentation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomas Wolf, Hendrik Baatz, Valentin Scherer, Thomas Lang, Lukas Rahmann |date=29 May 2018 |title=Derailed! (Rapport final au Game Programming Lab) |url=https://ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/special-interest/infk/game-technology-center-dam/GameLab/StudentsReports/2018-Team4-Derailed.pdf |access-date=10 September 2022 |website=Game Programming Lab, Game Technology Center, ETHZ |language=en }}</ref> The project was selected to join the SwissGames delegation at Gamescom 2018 in Cologne.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Flammarion |first=Ines |date=2018-06-19 |title=Gamescom 2018 - SwissGames delegation announced |url=https://swissgames.ch/2018/06/19/gamescom-2018-swissgames-delegation-announced/ |access-date=2023-01-17 |website=SWISSGAMES |language=en-US}}</ref>
Indoor Astronaut received support from the Ludicious Business Accelerator as well as Pro Helvetia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ludicious Business Accelerator – Indoor Astronaut – developing Unrailed! |date=16 October 2018 |url=https://indoorastronaut.ch/ludicious-business-accelerator/ |access-date=2023-01-17 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Flammarion |first=Ines |date=2018-12-20 |title=Promoting Interactive Media |url=https://prohelvetia.ch/en/2018/12/call-promoting-interactive-media/ |access-date=2023-01-17 |website=Pro Helvetia |language=en-GB |archive-date=2023-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117010531/https://prohelvetia.ch/en/2018/12/call-promoting-interactive-media/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Pro Helvetia played a crucial role by allowing the development team to go to the Game Connection 2018 in Paris, where they met their future publisher, Daedalic Entertainment, who financed the rest of the development of ''Unrailed!'', and took care of its promotion and distribution.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Unrailed! - Post Mortem {{!}} Lukas Rahmann & Thomas Wolf {{!}} Indoor Astronaut | website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXdNYkB90hk |access-date=2023-01-17 |language=}}</ref>
Originally planned for release in early access during summer 2019, the release was postponed after the developers met Chinese publisher Bilibili during GDC 2019 in San Francisco, with whom they signed a contract for the distribution of the game in China. This pushed the release date to September 2019.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web |title=Unrailed! - Post Mortem {{!}} Lukas Rahmann & Thomas Wolf {{!}} Indoor Astronaut | website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXdNYkB90hk |access-date=2023-01-17 |language=fr-FR}}</ref>
The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 ports of the game were developed by the company Sickhead Games. However, the Nintendo Switch port was developed internally at Indoor Astronaut, because they wished to have more control over the quality of the game.<ref name="auto">{{Cite book |last=Bounthavy Suvilay |title=Jeux Vidéo Indépendants de l'Artisanat au Blockbuster : Pixel Art – VR/AR – Party Games – Roguelike |date=2022 |publisher=Bragelonne |isbn=979-10-281-1377-3 |location=Paris |pages=6, 12, 64–65, 75–76, 110–111, 120, 205, 215, 217 |language=fr }}</ref>
== Reception == {{Video game reviews |MC=(PC) 77/100<ref name="metacritic PC"/><br>(NS) 69/100<ref name="metacritic NS"/> |OC=61% recommend<ref name="opencritic"/> }} ''Unrailed!'' received "generally favorable" reviews from critics for the Windows version of the game, while the Switch version received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.<ref name="metacritic PC">{{Cite web|title=Unrailed! for PC|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/unrailed/critic-reviews/?platform=pc|access-date=2023-05-20 |website=Metacritic|language=en}}</ref><ref name="metacritic NS">{{Cite web |title=Unrailed! for Switch|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/unrailed/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch|access-date=2023-05-20|website=Metacritic|language=en}}</ref> Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received strong approval, being recommended by 61% of critics.<ref name="opencritic">{{cite web|url=https://opencritic.com/game/9483/unrailed-|title=''Unrailed!''|publisher=OpenCritic|access-date=May 26, 2026}}</ref>
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=== Awards === ''Unrailed!'' received multiple awards:
* Swiss Game Awards - Audience Choice Award (2020)<ref>{{cite web |title=«Nimbatus», «Transport Fever 2» and «Unrailed!» win at the Swiss Game Awards 2020 during the «Ludicious & SGDA Game Awards Night» |url=https://www.sgda.ch/nimbatus-transport-fever-2-and-unrailed-win-at-the-swiss-game-awards-2020-during-the-ludicious-sgda-game-awards-night/ |website=SGDA.ch |publisher=Swiss Game Developers Association |access-date=19 March 2025}}</ref> * Tapiei Game Show - Best Innovation Award (2020)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020 |title=Indie Games Awards Winners {{!}} Taipei Game Show (archive du 31.10.2020) |url=https://tgs.tca.org.tw/indie_award_winners.php?b=2b_e |access-date=2023-01-17 |website=Taipei Game Show |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031160903/https://tgs.tca.org.tw/indie_award_winners.php?b=2b_e |archive-date=2020-10-31 |language=en}}</ref> * Nomination for the Deutscher Computerspielpreis (2020)<ref>{{Cite web |title=German Computer Games Award 2020 |url=https://gtc.inf.ethz.ch/news-events/2020/03/deutscher-computerspielpreis-2020.html |access-date=2023-01-17 |website=gtc.inf.ethz.ch |date=27 March 2020 |language=en}} </ref> * TOMMI Children Software Award, 3rd place (2019)<ref>{{cite web |title=German Children's Software Prize TOMMI awarded |url=https://www.klicksafe.eu/en/news/deutscher-kindersoftwarepreis-tommi-verliehen |website=Klicksafe.eu |access-date=19 March 2025 |date=22 October 2019}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * [https://unrailed-game.com/ Official website]
Category:Video games developed in Switzerland Category:Early access video games Category:2020 video games Category:Windows games Category:PlayStation 4 games Category:Nintendo Switch games Category:Xbox One games Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games Category:Video games using procedural generation