Design & Run Train vs Idle Tokyo Train Loop
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Design & Run Train
Design and build custom trains from various parts and templates. Then, drive your creations on tracks, controlling speed, horns, and switches while experiencing realistic station announcements.
- Design and build custom trains
- Control train speed and horns
- Use railroad switches
- Experience realistic station announcements
- Add and remove train wagons
- Craft train parts from brick pieces
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Design & run train games allow you to play and learn everything about train craft and driving. You will learn how to control a train as it goes around a track, activate different horns, control speed, add and remove wagons, use railroad switches, listen to real train station announcements, and train riding around tracks. Design & craft all the parts of the train to ride on railway tracks. You can build unique trains by putting together pieces of colorful bricks like a puzzle. You can select from multiple varieties of classical locomotive templates, which range from old steam train to powerful diesel locomotive to modern high-speed train. Optionally, they can create entirely new designs using various brick styles and train parts. Once a train has been built, you can thus go on the railway and experience exciting train riding adventures.
Idle Tokyo Train Loop
Build a circular railway around Tokyo by extending tracks, adding trains, and improving facilities. Watch your city grow and evolve from day to night in this relaxing simulation game.
- Build a circular railway
- Add and upgrade trains
- Extend tracks and connect stations
- Dynamic day-night cycle
- Relaxing watch-and-play gameplay
- Unlock new train types and routes
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Tokyo Train Loop Build a circular railway that loops around Tokyo ----- Gradually add more trains to the city, extend the tracks, connect the stations, and eventually complete “one great circular loop” around Tokyo. Tokyo Train Loop is a route-building simulation game set in Tokyo, where you can sit back and watch a world of endlessly running trains while nurturing your very own circular railway. ----- Watching trains loop around is deeply satisfying On screen, trains travel quietly—and steadily—through the streets of Tokyo. What begins as a short stretch of track grows longer as you play, eventually developing into a full loop that circles the city. As trains increase, formations grow longer, and the rails finally connect into one continuous circle, feel the satisfaction of completing the loop. This game is designed to make the process of building the loop itself enjoyable. ----- Extend the rails and expand Tokyo Your actions are simple: Add train cars Extend the tracks Improve facilities Create new trains With just these, the city and its railway will naturally grow. No complicated controls or confusing systems. Easy to enjoy with a few taps—or even just by watching. Designed so anyone can play comfortably. ----- A Tokyo that shifts from day to night The city changes with time. Morning, daytime, evening, and night— the light and atmosphere gently evolve as the hours pass. Bright daytime Tokyo Rails glowing in the sunset Trains and city lights shining at night Even simply watching the trains run as the scenery slowly changes can feel surprisingly calming. ----- Play at your own pace, as long as you like In Tokyo Train Loop, there’s no pressure. No rankings to chase, no demanding gameplay, no difficult controls. Perfect for: Players who want to progress little by little Fans of trains and city scenery Anyone who enjoys relaxing, watch-and-play games Whatever your style, the game is built to match your pace. ----- More and more to unlock over time As you progress, Tokyo becomes livelier with: New types of trains Changes in train formations Expanded routes A busier, more vibrant city A city that starts quiet, then slowly fills with trains— watching that transformation is part of the charm. ----- “Completion” isn’t the end Even after the circular loop is complete, the journey continues. You can keep developing the route, add more buildings to create an even more beautiful cityscape, and shape Tokyo into the world you want to see. A city you can keep watching for as long as you like— that’s the Tokyo we aim to build. ----- Tokyo Train Loop is perfect for players who: Love trains and railways Enjoy steady, incremental growth Want short, relaxing play sessions during busy days Are looking for a calming game to watch and unwind If any of that sounds like you, this world is waiting. ----- Complete your own circular railway around Tokyo. Together with trains that never stop, why not grow Tokyo’s city and rail network— slowly, gently, at your own pace? Sound effects provided by https://otologic.jp
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Idle Tokyo Train Loop at 100% against Design & Run Train's 0%. Idle Tokyo Train Loop also leads on rating (4.4 vs 1.8) and update cadence (weekly vs every 47 months). Design & Run Train's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Idle Tokyo Train Loop holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 1.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 23 and 10 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Design & Run Train's written reviews are positive against 100% of Idle Tokyo Train Loop's.
Design & Run Train ships an update every 47 months, Idle Tokyo Train Loop weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Design & Run Train | Idle Tokyo Train Loop |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.8 (23 ratings) | 4.4 (10 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 23 — better | 10 |
| Update frequency | Every 47 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 72 MB | 177 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Farrukh Ahmad | monois Inc. |
Customer experience
Design & Run Train
Idle Tokyo Train Loop
In-app purchases
Design & Run Train
No in-app purchases
Idle Tokyo Train Loop
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Design & Run Train free?
Is Idle Tokyo Train Loop free?
Which has better reviews, Design & Run Train or Idle Tokyo Train Loop?
Do Design & Run Train or Idle Tokyo Train Loop have ads?
Which is updated more often, Design & Run Train or Idle Tokyo Train Loop?
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