Subway Builder

Subway Builder is Colin's game — I'm one of the devs on it. The mission, as I see it: hyperstitioning public transit into every American city. It's like Ender's Game for transit — using realistic data to let train-people SHOW their elected leaders what is and is not possible, via realistic simulations.

The game itself: a transit simulation (an Electron build) — design train types with realistic acceleration, capacity, and cost parameters, lay networks over real-world geography, and analyze the demand you create. It launched on Steam in July 2026. My corner of it: code contributions, Steam release infrastructure, and spin-offs like subway-builder-mods and a Pico-8 demake.

It's also a success story for Room 302 Studio — Colin grew from a studio member to having the studio support his effort, and I wanna do that for more people and their dream apps and games.

Subway Builder construction mode — laying track in an isometric city

A subway network laid over real geography

Train-type editor with full simulation parameters

A 3D transit map — blue rail lines and teal stations across a metropolitan area

A Manhattan line running in simulation — stations and real-time train arrivals

Elevated parallel tracks from Vernon Ave to Bleecker St — $538M of imaginary money

Generating train service across the NYC network

The construction panel — track and station options with live cost estimates

Achievements: 2 of 9 unlocked — Track Builder and First Station

The transit-operations event log — the simulation keeps receipts