Railbound

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Railbound is a cozy 2022 puzzle game from Polish indie studio Afterburn. You guide a train and its carriages by placing rails on a grid, using simple tap-and-drag controls.

Gameplay
- Each level shows an isometric 2D grid with tracks and up to four train cars that must follow the order of the locomotive.
- You have a limited set of rail pieces and can place straight, curved, or branched tracks to connect the cars to the locomotive.
- Levels are grouped into worlds. Each world introduces a new mechanic (like tunnels or numbered stations) and later worlds combine these ideas.
- There are more than 150 levels, plus optional bonus puzzles.

Development and release
- Development began in November 2021.
- Released on September 6, 2022 for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows.
- Nintendo Switch version released December 1, 2022 (published by 7Levels).
- Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S versions released May 31, 2023.

Reception and awards
- Railbound received generally favorable reviews for its charming art style, soothing soundtrack, and intuitive play.
- Some reviewers noted rising difficulty and debated the role of bonus levels.
- Won the Apple Design Award 2023 for interaction and Best Mobile Game at the Central & Eastern European Game Awards.

Sales
- By July 2023, it sold about 50,000 copies on Steam, surpassing its break-even point of around 30,000.

Post-release updates
- 2.0 update (February 3, 2023) added over 30 new puzzles and a semaphores mechanic.
- 3.0 update added two more sets of levels and a two-locomotives mechanic.