“Desperate to play this game,” fellow writer Mark Bowers posted in The Punished Backlog’s Discord along with a social media video of criss-crossing subway lines on a dark map.
I blinked. Was he doing a bit? “What am I looking at?” I wrote back. “Is this an actual game or the Boston MTA transit app or what?”
No, Mark explained, it was an upcoming solo indie dev project called Subway Builders, scheduled to release on October 9.
I had never heard of it before. Now, I feel like it’s almost all I hear about. If you like trains, urban planning, passion projects, and just passion, period, then you’ll enjoy this list.
Without further ado, here is every tweet and enthusiastic hope that Mark has shared about Subway Builder:
According to the solo developer Colin Miller, Subway Builder will feature “real-world passenger simulation, realistic construction challenges, in-depth analysis, and delays and disruptions.”
Mark is very excited, and I’m sure we’ll hear more from him soon.
A public beta of Subway Builder releases on October 9 for PC, Mac, and Linux via subwaybuilder.com (MSRP: $29.99). The game will also hit Steam at a later date (MSRP: $39.99).
Amanda Tien (she/her or they) loves video games where she can pet dogs, punch bad guys, make friends, and have a good cry. She started writing for the site in 2020, and became an editor in 2022. She enjoys writing about mystery games, indies, and strong femme protagonists.
Her work has also been published in Unwinnable Monthly (click here to read her cover feature on Nancy Drew games), Salt Hill Journal, Poets.org, Litro Magazine, Public Books, and more. She was the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Columbia University's Culinarian Magazine, and served for two years as the Managing Editor of Aster(ix) Literary Journal.
She recently graduated with a MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in Creative Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. Her writing, art, graphic design, and marketing work can be viewed at www.amandatien.com.
She does not post a lot on social, but you can find her on X and on Instagram.
Mark is a contributor to The Punished Backlog, often promising articles and occasionally delivering when he actually commits to it. Mark games mainly on his PS5 and his Switch, and some of his favorite games include God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and his all time favorite, Red Dead Redemption 2. When not gaming, Mark is an avid fan of all Boston sports teams and his Villanova Wildcats. He also loves hiking, skiing, and traveling across the U.S.
