Train Empire vs Sid Meier’s Railroads!
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Train Empire
Build and manage a sprawling train empire across different historical eras. Pick up and drop off passengers and cargo to earn credits, unlock new engines and cars, and progress through challenging levels. Experience unique soundtracks and detailed map scenes as you master the rails.
- Manage train empire across four historical eras
- Pick up and drop off passengers and cargo
- Unlock new engines and train cars
- 21 engines, 25 freight cars, 20 passenger cars
- Unique soundtracks for each era
- 20 illustrated map scenes
- Game Center integration with leaderboards
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From the makers of Build A Train (downloaded by millions of train lovers worldwide) comes an epic adventure: Train Empire! Master the rails and grow your train empire across time periods: 1850-1900, 1900-1950, 1950-2000 and 2000-2050. Your mission is to pick up and drop off passengers and cargo. Complete your mission on each level and you'll earn credits to unlock faster, stronger engines or new train cars with added capacity for cargo or passengers. But be quick! You'll have to guide your train wisely to deliver everything you need to unlock new levels. Features include: • 21 engines, 25 freight cars and 20 passenger cars • Four eras of train fun, each with unique soundtracks • 20 illustrated map scenes • zoom mode that moves the scene with your train • night mode at the end of each level • tutorial mode on the first level of the game to assist beginners • Game Center integration with leaderboards and achievements All aboard!
Sid Meier’s Railroads!
Become a railroad tycoon by building and managing intricate railway networks. Optimize routes, transport goods and passengers, and grow your profits through shrewd business decisions and innovation. Compete with historical figures to become the greatest rail baron.
- Lay tracks and design routes
- Transport freight and passengers
- Acquire patents and trade stocks
- Build or buy industries
- Compete with historical figures
- Collect 40 famous trains
- Train Table Mode for creative building
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Become history’s greatest rail baron in Sid Meier’s Railroads!, a classic of the tycoon genre now available for iPhone and iPad. In this captivating mix of model train set and railway management simulator, lay tracks and optimise routes to establish lucrative networks of cities and industries, transporting passengers, raw materials and goods across continents. Grow profits through efficiency, innovation, and shrewd business decisions as you acquire valuable patents, trade stocks, and build or buy industries. Compete with world leaders and industrial titans to achieve the ultimate goal — becoming the greatest railroad tycoon of the age! === TRY BEFORE YOU BUY Lay the foundations of your railroad empire during the Gold Rush, then unlock the full game for more maps, trains, and 16 charming scenarios spanning the golden age of rail. CREATE AN EMPIRE OF THE RAILS Carefully lay tracks and design routes to transport freight and passengers, refining and improving operations until your railroad runs like clockwork. STEAM ACROSS 16 CHALLENGING SCENARIOS Test your entrepreneurial mettle in a mix of historical and fictional scenarios, each with a distinctive map and unique objectives. Establish the first passenger line in 1830s Great Britain, stitch together the American West during the Gold Rush, or help Santa with the Christmas rush at the North Pole! COMPETE WITH HISTORY’S BEST Take on world leaders and captains of industry. Grow your business by acquiring industries and railroad-revolutionising patents, or play the stock market and buy out the competition. BRING 40 FAMOUS TRAINS TO LIFE Play with historically important engines from early steam locomotives like Stephenson’s Planet, to the high-speed French TGV, and many iterations and innovations in between. BUILD THE MODEL RAILROAD OF YOUR DREAMS Take the pressure off in Train Table Mode. No competition, time limits, or financial constraints — just all you need to create a railroad that’s as fun to watch as it is satisfying to build. === We recommend playing Sid Meier's Railroads! on iOS 15.5 or later. You need 1.7GB of free space on your device, though we recommend at least double this to avoid initial installation issues. Supported iPhones: • iPhone 6S / 6S Plus and later • Any iPhone SE • iPod Touch (7th generation, 2019) Supported iPads: • iPad mini (5th generation, 2019) and later • iPad Air (3rd generation, 2019) and later • iPad (5th generation, 2017) and later • Any iPad Pro • If you require assistance, please contact our support team at support@feralinteractive.com © 2006-2024 Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Originally developed by Firaxis Games. Sid Meier’s Railroads!, Firaxis Games, 2K, Take-Two Interactive Software and their respective logos are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Developed for and published on iOS by Feral Interactive. iOS and the iOS logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Feral and the Feral logo are trademarks of Feral Interactive Ltd. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Sid Meier’s Railroads! at Free against Train Empire's $1.99. Sid Meier’s Railroads! also leads on update cadence (every 5 months vs every 60 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). Train Empire's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.5). On ads and device support 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
Sid Meier’s Railroads! is free to download; Train Empire costs $1.99 up front. Sid Meier’s Railroads! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Train Empire asks for nothing beyond the download.
Sid Meier’s Railroads! holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sid Meier’s Railroads! has 1.3K ratings behind it against 59, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Train Empire's written reviews are positive against 59% of Sid Meier’s Railroads!'s.
Train Empire ships an update every 60 months, Sid Meier’s Railroads! every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Train Empire | Sid Meier’s Railroads! |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.3 (59 ratings) | 4.7 (1.3K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | 59.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 59 | 1.3K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 60 months | Every 5 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 15.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 33 MB | 1.6 GB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Playtend Apps LLP | Feral Interactive Ltd |
Customer experience
Train Empire
Sid Meier’s Railroads!
Bugs and requests
Train Empire
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Sid Meier’s Railroads!
Reported bugs
3 issues- Disappearing tracks
- Routing issues and inability to connect stations
- Map freezing and becoming unresponsive
Requested features
5 requests- Larger maps
- More scenarios and campaigns
- Multiplayer mode
- Ability to buy/sell shares
- More train and engine variety
In-app purchases
Train Empire
No in-app purchases
Sid Meier’s Railroads!
- Full Game Unlock$12.99
Questions
Is Train Empire free?
Is Sid Meier’s Railroads! free?
Which has better reviews, Train Empire or Sid Meier’s Railroads!?
Do Train Empire or Sid Meier’s Railroads! have ads?
Which is updated more often, Train Empire or Sid Meier’s Railroads!?
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