Derail Valley similar games & best alternatives

Derail Valley - Trailer
Derail Valley - derail-valley_1.avif
Derail Valley - derail-valley_2.avif
Derail Valley - derail-valley_3.avif
Derail Valley - derail-valley_4.avif
Derail Valley - derail-valley_5.avif
Derail Valley - derail-valley_6.avif

Derail Valley

Oculus VR, PC (Microsoft Windows), SteamVR • 2019

Should you play it?

Drive massive trains and build your career in a vast open railway network. For both PC and VR.

What works

  • Immersive and realistic train simulation
  • Open world with sandbox style gameplay
  • Strong progression and licensing system
  • Active developer support with free updates
  • Vr and non-vr modes available

Things to keep in mind

  • Small map and limited number of locomotives
  • Lack of multiplayer or social features
  • Some bugs and glitches reported
  • Slow development pace for major updates
  • World feels empty with no npcs or traffic

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feels the closest overall

  • Captain of Industry

  • Mon Bazou

  • Hmmsim Metro

  • Transport Fever

  • Gold Mining Simulator

  • Diesel Railcar Simulator

More story-driven

Games that feels like Derail Valley but with deeper narrative immersion

  • Pacific Drive

  • Trans-Siberian Railway Simulator

  • Star Trucker

  • Bus World

  • Farmer's Dynasty 2

  • Easy Delivery Co.

Less survival-focused

Games that feels like Derail Valley but with less survival pressure

  • Trainz™ Simulator 12

  • Rolling Line

  • Hydroneer

  • Trainz Railroad Simulator 2019

  • Trainz Railroad Simulator 2022

  • Trainz: A New Era

More leadership-focused

Games that feels like Derail Valley but with more leadership over others

  • Railroad Tycoon 3

  • 18 Wheels of Steel: American Long Haul

  • Railway Empire

  • American Truck Simulator

  • New Cycle

  • Gas Station Simulator

Choose your own criteria ->

Similarity map

How to compare these games

Compare nearby games

Each card is a nearby game on the similarity map, compared with Derail Valley. Swipe sideways to move between games. Titles already listed in What to play next are left out.

  • Cover and title: open that game’s page.
  • What works / keep in mind: the same highlights as the desktop comparison panel.
  • Bars: the main motivational differences versus this game.
How to use the graph

Similarity map

Each dot is a game placed from its motivation profile relative to this page’s game. Direction shows which motivation differs most; distance along that axis shows how large the gap is.

  • Purple star: this page’s game at the centre — everything is relative to it.
  • Direction: each axis is a main motivational difference vs this game (e.g. more / less competitive).
  • Distance on an axis: how large that difference is (ring scales show +/− points).
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot to preview that game in the panel on the right; click to keep that comparison.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom.

How to read the map This is a polar difference map: direction = which motivation differs, and distance = how much (same units as the sidebar deltas).

Swipe to compare nearby games with Derail Valley. These titles are not in What to play next.

Derail Valley: Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Violence, Survival, Fellowship, Intimacy. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Fantasy, Story, Violence.

Last update: 21/08/2026