Steam may be celebrating the railway experience with its Train Fest, but let’s remember how rubbish the typical train trip is with some Train Sim World DLC
Steam is running a Train Fest promotional event through 27 July featuring discounts on railway-themed games including Train Sim World 6, Victoria 3, and Thomas & Friends: Wonders of Sodor. A PC Gamer feature accompanies the sale by examining the paradox of using train simulation games as a form of escapism, exploring why virtual train experiences appeal to players despite our familiarity with actual rail travel.
The article highlights the practical frustrations that characterise train travel in the United Kingdom: frequent delays, overcrowding, and high prices. Train Sim World offers an alternative by allowing players to experience trains in a carefully controlled environment, including the perspective of a passenger rather than just a driver. By exploring the Great Western Express expansion—which recreates a route the author travels regularly in real life—the piece demonstrates how simulation games permit enjoyment of the aesthetic and sensory aspects of train travel whilst eliminating the genuine discomforts encountered during actual journeys.
- Steam's Train Fest runs through 27 July with discounted railway games including Train Sim World 6
- PC Gamer article contrasts the poor experience of real UK train travel with the appeal of train simulation games