Derail Valley

Open-world train simulator with hands-on freight hauling and physics

Altfuture · Released Jan 25, 2019 · Early Access

Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive; 97% of 9,808
Recent reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive; 96% of 135 in 30 days
Playing now: 242; right now
Steam Deck: Playable
Last update: 2 months ago; Jul 20, 2026

What is Derail Valley?

A first-person, open-world train simulator for standard PC play or VR. You walk around a rail network, operate steam and diesel locomotives, set switches, couple cars, and haul procedurally generated freight between industries. Career mode uses delivery income and licenses for progression, while sandbox mode removes the focus on money and consequences.

For you if...

+you want hands-on train operation with detailed physics
+you prefer self-directed freight jobs in an open world
+you like career progression through licenses and new locomotives

Not for you if...

−you want fast-paced action or a story-driven campaign
−you prefer simple driving without coupling or brake procedures
−you need multiplayer or cooperative train crews

What players say

97% of 9,808 reviews are positive · 96% of 135 in the last 30 days

Players praise the locomotive physics, hands-on controls, and freedom to choose freight work. Recent complaints focus on long gaps between updates and limited developer communication; several players also report crashes, tutorial bugs, or poor VR performance. Some find the career economy grindy and the jobs repetitive.

Screenshots and trailer

Derail Valley system requirements

As published by the developer.

Minimum

OS: Windows 64-bit
Processor: Intel i5-7400 or equivalent
Graphics: Nvidia GTX 650 (VR: GTX 970)
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Storage: 6 GB available space

PC version details

DRM, required accounts, controller support and Steam features.

DRM: None declared on Steam
Controller: Keyboard and mouse
Platforms: Windows
Steam features: Cloud saves, Family Sharing, VR

Steam Deck: Playable

Sometimes shows mouse, keyboard or non-Deck controller icons
Some in-game text is small and may be hard to read
All functionality is accessible with the default controller configuration
Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck
External controllers are not supported for the primary player

Multiplayer and co-op

Single-player

Languages

Text only: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain, Dutch, Finnish, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese - Brazil, Russian, Spanish - Latin America, Swedish, Traditional Chinese, Ukrainian.