Trainwatch: Railroad-Crossing Drama Finds a Publisher in 11 bit studios

Trainwatch is a time-management drama about a newly appointed railroad-crossing operator and his drinking problem. Now developer Harvester Games has found a fitting publisher for the game in 11 bit studios.

Well, that was quick: Around 13 months after its initial announcement, Harvester Games (Lorelai, Burnhouse Lane) has found a publisher for its new game, Trainwatch (Steam page).

And 11 bit studios could hardly be a better fit. The Polish developer and publisher has made a name for itself with games that aren't exactly known for keeping things light. You probably know the studio from This War of Mine and Frostpunk, while its publishing arm has handled similarly thoughtful releases such as The Invincible and Children of Morta.

In a press email, 11 bit studios described its deal with Harvester Games as its “smallest” signing to date. That's hardly surprising, considering Trainwatch is the work of a solo developer: Remigiusz “Rem” Michalski.

Michalski himself referred to his “friends at 11 bit studios” in a Steam news post on August 18. Maybe the deal was hammered out over a bottle of vodka—or perhaps not, once you consider what Trainwatch is actually about.

What Trainwatch is about

You play as Troy, a man whose life has gone somewhat off the rails, as he takes a one-month job operating a remote railroad crossing permanently shrouded in fog. Naturally, the fog never lifts—Trainwatch does have one foot firmly planted in horror, after all. Your supposedly simple job is to lower the gates whenever a train comes through.

At the same time, the isolation is meant to give Troy a chance to put the mess of his life back together. Most importantly, that means staying sober (yes, the drinking problem again) and trying to save his strained marriage. His wife, Agatha, is also his main connection to the outside world, making those daily phone calls with her mandatory.

His wife isn't really the problem, though. The area around the crossing is home to other people, strange places and, apparently, some supernatural or occult goings-on. The farther you venture from the tower and into the fog, the more Troy's carefully structured work routine begins to clash with his search for answers.

Lower the gates first, then go fishing

That gives Trainwatch an unusual blend of deliberately monotonous job simulation and psychological horror. Operating the railroad crossing correctly isn't just background flavor. Together with the train schedule, it creates a rigid framework around which exploration, self-care and story decisions all have to fit.

Judging by the reveal trailer further down, Trainwatch puts a lot of emphasis on the mood of Troy's repetitive daily routine and his emotionally barren inner life. So far, the two seem to fit together disturbingly well. That doesn't mean the game should feel tedious, though, because there's more to Troy's day than lowering railroad gates. His schedule also includes:

• Resource management: Troy has Sanity and Stamina stats, among others. Hunger, exhaustion, fear and neglect all take their toll.
• Staying sober: Troy's drinking problem isn't just part of the story—it's something you have to manage every day. Food, sleep, coffee, activities and the way you structure his day can all help keep him from relapsing.
• Relationship management: Missing calls with Agatha makes Troy's situation worse and increases the risk of relapse.
• Prioritization: Troy can't chase every lead while keeping up with all his responsibilities. You'll have to decide which tasks, people and mysteries matter most at any given moment.
• Other activities: Unlocking skills, fishing and making coffee. Oh, and going for a pee. Yes, really. 🙂

Single-player only

Trainwatch sounds like a proper single-player game, and that's exactly what it is. So the “no co-op, no buy” crowd can save some money, while everyone else can look forward to its release next year. The game was originally targeting a 2026 launch window.

For now, 11 bit studios only lists PC as a release platform. That doesn't necessarily rule out console versions of Trainwatch, although the publisher will probably want to see how it performs on PC first. The foggy horror drama is also set to launch exclusively on Steam for the time being. However, since 11 bit studios has released most of its games on GOG as well, a DRM-free version could still follow later.