The developers at DMM GAMES pose a question: “Have you ever been stuck in a train or subway station, and thought to yourself—I could have done better?” Honestly, I can’t really say I have. The question has never occurred to me. But it has now, thanks to STATIONflow.
STATIONflow is a game developed and published by DMM GAMES, which has you control the flow of thousands of passengers in a station. It is really that simple. You build corridors, stairs, ensure that exits and intersections are clearly labelled for passengers to easily find. As the game progresses, you begin to attend to passengers needs, such as the need for a snack or a coffee. As every day begins, you race against the clock to build items and set up the station to flow smoothly during the day. This is necessary because when it becomes rush hour, the station gets CRAZY! I swear I felt the stress coming through the screen as I saw the little passengers scurry about and get frustrated with the layout of my station. If this stresses you out too much—don’t worry! The clock can be paused, or even sped up multiple times for more of a challenge or to speed through construction.
There is a huge amount of strategy at play here. I feel like I certainly lacked the mental skills needed for a game like this, because I was honestly at a loss for what to do to make my station run better. Honestly, this game is DIFFICULT. You really need to think through every corridor, every stairway and intersection, be able to figure out which way is most efficient for everybody. I feel like architects or people really good at managing things would find this game to be extremely fun. Even I, who wasn’t good at this game at all, was very sucked in by the gameplay.
In addition to needing to manage the passengers and their needs, STATIONflow has a money managing aspect as well. Everything you build costs money; however, you do make money off people using the station every day and any vending machines you may have laying around. Watch your finances though as you can’t just build without abandon! If you become bankrupt, then it is game over for you!
STATIONflow runs fantastically. At first glance, the game looks incredibly complicated, but through a very in-depth tutorial I was able to have full grasp of the game. The graphics are simple, but sharp and clean. What stands out to me for a mile is the incredible soundtrack! It is like a low fi electronic beat, and I seriously love it. The only downside is that it’s only that one song—I want more of this fantastic music!
I would recommend STATIONflow to honestly anybody. If you are new to strategy games, while this is definitely a more difficult one, the in-depth tutorial really helps you grow accustomed to how games like this work. If you are a seasoned veteran, then the addicting gameplay is sure to pull you in during this tremulous quarantine season.
8/10
Check Out the STATIONFlow Launch Trailer:
STATIONflow is available for PC via Steam.
Steam Review
I am a senior studying History at the University of Michigan. I've been playing video games since I was very young and around age 16 I had become entirely obsessed with the medium. I hope to one day work in the industry in any way I can.
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