A great minimalistic management game
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The premise is pretty simple: we have to build roads to connect different parts of the cities (houses to shopping malls/train stations) as the city grows constantly. As the city expands, the task becomes increasingly complex. The longer you play a map, the harder it is to adapt preliminary ideas and to ensure that the city won't be buried in traffic jams and angry drivers.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3145938881
Mini Motorways provides a unique experience of a diverse range of maps inspired by cities around the world. The cities have some significant landmarks whether it is the Central Park from New York, or the river Wisła in Warsaw.
The game is a perfect example of a game which is “easy to start but hard to master” and Mini Motorways is not forgiving. Once you are unable to control the city traffic and the cars are not able to reach one of the destinations in time - you are simply lost. No way back, no way to unwind or to start from a safe point. The only thing you can do is to dry your tears and start over again. However, the idea is the same and the more you are into a city map, the more it looks like any other map from the provided range of the maps in the game. What I mean is that you start on a small-sized map and you definitely see more significantly some city “vibe” but as the city becomes bigger the uniqueness is not felt anymore, and the range of diverse cities just blends together.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3145938672
The game is also simply delightful when it comes to how aesthetically pleasing it is. The audio is relaxing, and when a car reaches its destination there is a really sweet “pop” sound, and in the bigger city these “pops” do happen more often which just makes the game for me!
The visuals are sweet, all the cities have their own color scheme and design is very simple and it doesn’t make it boring.
The game is pretty endless: Mini Motorways looks like a tiny game at first glance, but it has a lot of ways to attract you playing it over and over again due to Daily/Weekly quests (there are also achievements for them in Steam). The developers keep supporting the game by fixing bugs and releasing new maps of the cities without additional paid DLS which is a rarity these days.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3145938812
However, one of the downsides is that it is impossible to have more than 1 saved game. For example, it is impossible to keep playing some “endless map” and to complete a daily quest or any other challenge simultaneously. However, I’m silently glad as I would have become even a stronger addict to this game than I’m now.
Overall, Mini Motorways is a pleasant experience which offers a captivating challenge for puzzle enthusiasts and casual gamers as well. Its simple yet challenging gameplay and charming atmosphere make it an absolute must-play for anyone seeking a game that is both rewarding and relaxing.