Steel Artery: Train City Builder news & patch notes

Hello everyone!

First of all, sorry — the next patch is taking a little longer than expected.

Initially, I wanted to quickly improve performance by moving some calculations to native C++ and release the patch this week, but.. it turns out that doesn't really help, because the bottleneck isn't the calculations themselves — it's the way data is stored and prepared.

Because of that, I've decided to resort to some old-school programming techniques (various hacks, such as packing data into extremely dense index structures instead of traditional objects), and that will take some additional time.

I also want to apologize for not fixing everything that was supposed to be fixed in the previous patch (although at least some issues were resolved).

Right now, my priority is increasing performance enough that even weaker machines can handle 1000+ creatures in real time. That's why I'm focusing on optimization first.

Immediately after that, I'll return to fixing the remaining issues (UI realtime updates, social center render, some logistics issues etc) and working on QoL features.

Thank you for your patience.

And thank you for your trust.

(75% positive reviews is actually amazing and gives me hope that the game will eventually pay for itself and become profitable.)

Wow… seriously, wow. I’m genuinely overwhelmed by the amount of support and warmth in your messages. It became the fuel I needed to continue this difficult journey (instead of coal and dirty water ^_^).

I think I’ve fixed everything that was broken — and even improved a few things. I didn’t have enough time to test all of it super thoroughly, so I still assume there may be issues left. The current update should be compatible with old saves, though as always, something may still go wrong — and if it does, I’ll definitely do my best to fix it once you let me know.

In the comments, please share your impressions of the current build — does it feel better now?

And if you’re too lazy to read the changelog — don’t leave just yet, because at the end I also talk a bit about what’s coming next.

Changelog 1.0.6:

Fixed logistics and made it smarter — smarter task “bundles” are now used. For example, a carrier can now pick up construction resources for several structural blocks at once and service them all within a single task.

Improved optimization by speeding up pathfinding.

Changed the internal game versioning system — future updates are now compatible with old save files.

Buildings now display which resources will be recovered before demolition.

Hovering over storage now shows the amount of resources inside without needing to click on it.

Fixed the incorrect elf icon on the global map.

Added the ability to change the maximum construction height for chassis in the game template settings.

Fixed the inability to remove the last Chassis I.

Frames can now all be selected for demolition — they will patiently wait their turn in the dismantling queue.

Fixed an issue where a creature could disappear if it was outside during an expedition while its workplace was destroyed/frozen. If a creature outside now goes missing, you immediately see it.

Fixed an issue with cached statistics — resource information in the UI should now always display correctly.

Wealthy creatures have become kinder and now quit their jobs immediately instead of occupying workplaces indefinitely.

Removed the hidden “rationality” mechanic for creatures — previously they could choose either the best or second-best option. Now they always choose the best option.

Crashes during game loading were caused by weak GPUs and my own stupidity, because I used PNG textures that became uncompressed when uploaded to the GPU, increasing VRAM usage by 10x or more. Textures are now stored in a more GPU-friendly format.

New buildings are now locked during the tutorial to remove the temptation to rush ahead too early.

Added a “Skip Tutorial” button for players who want to discover the art of being a Mayor on their own.

Fixed route generation issues on large global maps (caused by a small overflow bug).

Also fixed an annoying issue with simulation “drifting” at high game speeds on weaker CPUs. The simulation could accumulate lag debt because it was falling behind, eventually leading to complete paralysis.

Corpses and waste can now be carried directly to the furnace without requiring intermediate storage.

When will the content update arrive, and what will it include?:

I already planned the next major content update. Here’s what to expect:

• hand-drawn cities for all regions connected by railway

• generation of endless side quests

• ability to throw resources outside the train + reputation systems with new factions (these two features may end up connected :D)

• a trading system tied to your reputation, regional needs, and available regions resources

• commercial transportation (I can already picture a gigantic container full of chickens racing through the desert!)

• a small standalone story scenario with some moral message behind it (not fully sure yet, but I’ll try)

With this update, I want to finally fulfill my “debt” regarding trading and proper city visuals, while also adding a new gameplay layer where you can roleplay as a trading caravan focused entirely on business, spending gold on your needs while completely ignoring production chains.

You’ll probably ask: “So when?”

And my answer is: 2–4 months, because drawing the cities is by far the heaviest task in every possible sense, and we’ve already started working on it.

What’s coming in the near future? Several new patches:

While waiting for the city artwork to be completed, the upcoming patches will focus on QoL improvements, UI, improving existing systems, and polishing balance in order to smooth out the experience for new players and recover the game’s approval rating as quickly as possible. I’ll try to release these patches roughly once per week.

The core realization is this: the game currently does not teach players how to actually play well, nor does it provide enough tools to understand and prevent problems. I’ll talk more about this in my next post. There are also several frustrating mechanics that I want to improve. One of them is giving players finer control over overproduction, so you won’t have to deal with tedious building-freezing micromanagement anymore.

Somewhere between these patches, I’ll also organize my backlog of ideas and finally share the roadmap.

And also keep sharing your wishes regarding changes to the current game. I know many of you already wrote about these things in discussions, reviews, Discord and other places, but if you emphasize again in the comments what matters most to you, it will help me better understand the importance of those requests. Huge thanks to everyone who believed in me!

Hello everyone!

Well… this hurt a lot. The game launched with good reviews, and within just a couple of days dropped to 62% positive. Honestly, over these last few days I went through every stage possible — from arguing with players (“my game is good, you just didn’t understand it”) to fully agreeing with the feedback. If a product fails to justify itself on its own, then that’s reality.

I read everything players wrote — every review and every discussion thread. I replied wherever I felt it was appropriate. Sometimes I argued, sometimes I acknowledged problems, sometimes I gave advice and promised fixes. My tone changed over time because, as I kept reading more and more feedback, I gradually came back to my senses and started recognizing where the criticism was fair. So I apologize for the moments where I was too harsh.

Right now, I’m fully focused and ready to continue working on the game.

In the near future, I’ll release a patch that fixes the main technical problems currently breaking the game in certain situations:

• the “broken logistics” system (there are several issues there: strange delivery tasks, poor spatial distribution, refusal to pick resources from the ground, etc.)

• issues with multiple recipes inside production buildings

• inability to remove the last T1 chassis when transitioning to T2 chassis

• incorrect timing for resource updates on the right-side UI panel

After that, I’ll gather my thoughts and publish a roadmap. It won’t just contain new content, but also QoL improvements and maybe even reworks of weaker systems. I’d really like to discuss it with players and figure out together what should come first — new mechanics and content, or focusing on technical improvements.

Please continue sharing feedback and ideas in the Steam discussions. It genuinely matters to me that the game becomes community-driven. In many ways it already was — I just now need to move my focus outside the small Discord bubble.

I also think it’s important to explain myself a little. This is my first game, and I managed to collect basically every stupid mistake possible:

• I didn’t pay enough attention to Steam news posts because I thought nobody really cared about development updates between the playtest, demo, and release (unless they were already in Discord, where I assumed the “core audience” was)

• I personally broke the game shortly before release by trying to improve an already tested logistics system with combined task batching for better cart efficiency — which caused a chain of side effects that broke the game in ways I didn’t foresee

• due to my own stupidity (and partly lack of time), I didn’t give the final release build to testers, because I believed I’d be able to catch all the bugs myself

• it’s obvious now that if the game had launched in Early Access, people probably would’ve forgiven some of these problems and the rating might’ve stayed around 80–85%+, but I got greedy because I didn’t want to lose the Steam release visibility boost of a “full release” (and because EA has a bad reputation that I wanted to avoid)

• I thought the quality of the game and the amount of content would be enough to justify the $15 price tag, but the level of player expectations turned out to be much higher than I imagined. I believed my explanation that this was the “base version of the game” was enough, and that future updates would expand it with new scenarios, stories, and mechanics like trading, combat systems, etc. But I never properly communicated any of that, and honestly I’m still not even sure whether that’s the right direction for the game

• I tried not to overpromise, but under emotional pressure I still made promises I failed to fulfill by release. The biggest one was trading — I promised it during the demo phase and, to my shame, failed to deliver it. And somehow I thought nobody would remember (haha… incredibly naive, like a child pretending they weren’t the one who broke the vase)

• I also think the game was fundamentally mispositioned. I originally wanted it to be seen as a hardcore simulation with philosophical ideas about realism, capitalism, disobedient “subordinates,” chaos, and crowd management. Something inspired by Snowpiercer — a mix of economic simulation and city mayor simulator where the citizens are selfish and difficult. A political satire wrapped inside survival systems. But this wasn’t communicated clearly enough. From the outside, the game looks like a cozy city-builder (probably because of the visual style), while in reality it’s a brutal test of patience, planning, nerves, and adaptability. That mismatch became a major shock for new players who did not expect THAT level of difficulty

• the game’s midgame falls apart. Not only because the difficulty ramps up and previous planning mistakes begin surfacing, but also because the previously mentioned bugs start appearing there too. It becomes a triple hit at once — a pleasant beginning colliding with crushing difficulty spikes and sudden technical problems

And still, I want to end this on a positive note.

I managed to release the game. People found positive things in it. Some genuinely enjoy it. Bugs can be fixed. Systems can be improved. Content can grow. Ratings can recover over time. Updates can happen. And maybe, eventually, I can still turn this into a game I’ll truly be proud of.

I’ll find the strength not to disappoint people again.

Thank you for reading my whining.

Hello everyone,

This is the message I’ve been waiting a long time to write.

Steel Artery: Train City Builder is now available on Steam.

What started as an idea for a moving city builder eventually became Steelpolis: a living train-city filled with autonomous citizens, production chains, logistical headaches, social tension, and the kind of emergent chaos that only happens when thousands of independent agents are all trying to live their own lives at once.

For those of you who have followed development, shared feedback, wishlisted the game, or simply kept an eye on this strange train project over the years, thank you. Reaching launch is something I couldn’t have done without that support.

And for those just discovering Steel Artery today, welcome aboard.

If you’ve been waiting to jump in, now’s the time.

And one important request:

If you play Steel Artery and enjoy your time with it, please consider leaving a Steam review.

Reviews make a huge difference for indie games. They help other players figure out whether the game is something they’d enjoy, and they also help Steam understand that the game should be shown to more people. Early reviews especially can have a real impact.

If Steel Artery turns out to be your kind of game, your words genuinely help.

Thank you again for being here.

See you aboard, SoulAge23

Hello everyone,

We’re almost there.

In just 2 days, Steel Artery: Train City Builder officially launches.

After spending so long building this world, it’s strange and exciting to be this close to release. Soon, Steelpolis will no longer just be something I’ve been working on behind the scenes. It’ll be in your hands.

Thousands of autonomous citizens. A moving city you design wagon by wagon. Economic chaos, logistics puzzles, social tension, expansion, survival.

Very soon, your stories begin.

Boarding Schedule

North America 🕗 8:00 AM PST 🕙 10:00 AM CST 🕚 11:00 AM EST

Europe 🕔 17:00 CEST

📅 May 15, 2026

If you’ve been waiting to jump in, now’s the time to set your reminder.

The train leaves in 48 hours.

See you aboard, SoulAge23

Hello everyone!

I’m really excited to finally say this - Steel Artery is launching on May 15, 2026.

 ⏰ Global Launch Times:

• 8:00 AM PST

• 10:00 AM CST

• 11:00 AM EST

• 17:00 CEST

Price: $14.99 with 10% discount during the initial release sale.

This has been a passion project for quite some time, and seeing it reach this point honestly feels surreal. I appreciate everyone who’s followed along, shared feedback, or just shown interest in the game along the way.

If you’d like to support the launch, adding it to your wishlist makes a huge difference. I can’t wait for you to experience it.

Thank you again for all the support.

• Increased quest completion time.

• Added a timer with active missions in the top-left corner of the screen.

• Fixed a crash related to accepting a quest in the Japanese localization.

Hello everyone!

I am excited to share that the Steel Artery demo is now live and ready to play. The game is participating in the Steam Demo Festival, but I decided to start things a little earlier so you can jump in right away and not wait until the official launch, which will take place on February 23rd.

We have also prepared a brand-new trailer to celebrate the demo launch, so make sure to check it out:

This demo gives you your first opportunity to step into the role of mayor of Steelpolis and build your very first moving city on rails.

What’s Included in the Demo

• Around 2 hours of gameplay covering the tutorial and the first region

• 2 playable races: Humans and Orcs, each with their own needs and culture

• Over 20 unique buildings to construct and manage

• Core mechanics including wagon-based expansion, economy management, logistics planning, and citizen autonomy

• Big Map to explore

• Research tree

• Atmospheric steampunk fantasy world presented in detailed pixel art

You will expand wagon by wagon, balance income and expenses, and design layouts that keep your citizens productive and satisfied. Since citizens act on their own, their choices directly shape how stable or chaotic your city becomes.

I am really looking forward to your feedback.

Play the demo, watch the new trailer, and if you enjoy your time in Steelpolis, please consider wishlisting Steel Artery to support development if you still didn't do it.

Thank you for your support!

SoulAge23

Steel Artery Open Playtest Ending Soon!

As the Steel Artery Open Playtest approaches its final stop, I want to start by saying a sincere thank you to everyone who has already played, is currently playing, and has taken the time to share feedback. This playtest was originally planned to run for two weeks, but with the holidays keeping many of you busy and a lot of requests for more time, it was extended it so more players could jump in and experience the current build.

The playtest will officially come to an end this Friday at 10:00 AM CST. Until then, players can continue building and expanding sections of the train, managing production, resources, and population growth, and experimenting with early systems, progression, and the foundations of the game’s world and mechanics.

The feedback gathered during this playtest has been incredibly valuable. From balance notes and bug reports to broader design thoughts, your input is already helping guide improvements and future development. I truly appreciate the time and effort so many of you have put into sharing your experiences.

I'd also love to hear your thoughts, feedback gathered during this playtest will directly help guide improvements and future development.

👉 The playtest ends Friday at 10:00 AM  don’t miss your chance to jump aboard.

Thank you to everyone who’s already participated and shared feedback. Your support has been invaluable.

Hello everyone!

The Steel Artery Open Playtest is now live, and I’d like to invite everyone to jump in, play the game, and share their feedback.

This is the first time Steel Artery is available to the public, and I’m really excited to finally let players experience it. I hope you’ll enjoy exploring the systems, experimenting with the train-city, and seeing what the game is becoming.

How to Join the Playtest

Getting access is very easy:

• Go to the Steel Artery Steam page

• Press the “Request Access” button

• You should receive access immediately

Once access is granted, you can start downloading the game and playing right away.

⏳ The playtest will last for two weeks, so make sure to join while it’s available.

Feedback Is Extremely Important

Since this is an open playtest, your feedback means a lot to me. I want to hear what you enjoy, what feels unclear, and what you think could be improved. Your input will directly help guide the future development of Steel Artery.

You can leave feedback via:

• Steam Discussions

• Feedback Form

• Discord, where I’ll be actively reading and collecting feedback

Thank you so much for your support and for taking part in this important step for Steel Artery.

I truly hope you enjoy the playtest, and I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Hello everyone!

I’m excited to share some big news - Steel Artery’s first Open Playtest will take place on Monday, December 15 at 10 AM CST!

Here are the times for other regions:

• 8 AM PST

• 11 AM EST

• 17:00 (5 PM) CEST

This will be the very first opportunity for everyone to jump into Steel Artery, explore its systems, and experience the newest updates. I’m thrilled to finally open the gates, so be sure to mark your calendars!

How to Join the Playtest

Joining is quick and easy:

• Visit the Steel Artery Steam page and click “Request Access.”

• If you do this before December 15, you’ll be added to the playtest list and receive a notification the moment the Playtest becomes available.

• If you click Request Access on Monday, you should receive access immediately once the playtest goes live.

The playtest is planned to run for two weeks, giving everyone plenty of time to explore and share feedback.

Your Feedback Matters

Since this is the very first public test, your thoughts and impressions are incredibly valuable. I want to hear your voices, what you enjoy, what feels unclear, and what could be improved. Your feedback will directly help shape the future direction of Steel Artery.

You can share feedback through:

• Steam Discussions, or

• Discord, where I'll be actively gathering ideas

What’s Included in the Playtest

• Tutorial - A guided introduction that teaches the core mechanics of Steel Artery, including how to build and manage your train and how your agents interact with the systems around them.

• Several Hours of Gameplay - Enough content to explore early progression, experiment with layouts, and get a strong sense of how your mobile city grows and functions.

• Building System - Construct and arrange structures directly within the train itself, shaping the layout of your traveling city and providing spaces for your agents to live, work, and thrive.

• Tech Tree - Unlock new buildings, upgrades, and technologies to expand your capabilities and customize how your train-city evolves over time.

• Living Agents - A population with needs, behaviors, and jobs that bring the train-city to life.

• Playable Races: Humans & Orcs - Experience variants of agents from both races and see how different populations take on tasks and roles within your mobile settlement.

• Train Movement & Region Travel - An early implementation of the system that allows your train to journey through different regions, complete with animations, sound, and transition logic that connects travel to gameplay.

Thank you so much for being part of this first big step for Steel Artery. I truly appreciate your support, and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts when the playtest opens on December 15!

Hi everyone,

I’m excited to share the very first official trailer for Steel Artery: Train City Builder! 🎉

And even bigger news! I’ve officially partnered with Crytivo. With their support, I’ll be working toward bringing Steel Artery to release and making this vision of a living train-city as ambitious as it can be.

Steel Artery is a unique steampunk fantasy builder where every wagon becomes part of your moving city. Thousands of autonomous citizens live their own lives aboard your train as you balance logistics, manage resources, and explore new lands to keep the Empire alive.

This is just the beginning, and I’ll be sharing more updates as development continues. For now, I’d love for you to check out the trailer and share your thoughts!

⭐ Don’t forget to wishlist Steel Artery—it really helps a solo developer like me a lot!

Join Discord

All aboard,

SoulAge23

Hey everyone!