I was really excited to get Islands&Trains since my son and I enjoy playing Tiny Glade and Train Valley, and this game seemed perfect for him. Unfortunately, the controls and building mode are quite awkward and complex. For instance, you can't simply swap train tracks with certain elements; instead, you have to switch modes, remove the existing tracks, and then place a different type of track that serves the same purpose but looks slightly different. I also expected some automation for the trains, such as stopping at stations or making sounds before entering a tunnel, similar to the Lego Duplo train set with smart bricks. Placing large objects could be improved by allowing players to set them down while the ground underneath builds automatically. Currently, placing the ground is cumbersome since you must constantly adjust the camera angle to fill gaps created by your current view. Additionally, you can't flip some elements, which complicates building; for example, while one set of tracks can be rotated, you can't mirror or flip them, limiting their usability to just two of the four orientations you might need.
Looking at other games, it would be beneficial to streamline interactions and standardise controls, such as using the middle mouse button for rotating the camera and toggling building modes with the mouse instead of the keyboard.

Those are all things that can be quite easily altered and iterated over so I'm looking toward those aspects to improve - then I'll be happy to recommend it.

trains cant drive backwards so deadends dont work and youre limited to one train, track doesnt have ballast so it always looks wrong to me, train camera mode should be like a first person camera. after an hour or so i found myself wondering if there was something more to the game i was missing. liked the art style though just cant really recommend it as is. some more ideas. some basic level of automation. lights that stop trains so you can have a train pull into a station or stop before a switch. have a reverse for the loco. maybe be able to uncouple wagons in a siding even so you can pick up another loadout.

if you add coaches to a train over the X track piece the cant cross the track and remain stuck in place.

I think the game looks great and has the ability to make very nice dioramas. But honestly I was bouncing off the build tools hard.

First, some observations that might not be obvious at a glance (Not necessarily good or bad)
- It is NOT a free-form rail builder where you drag out rails. Every curve, ramp, and bridge is a ploppable piece you place on the grid. You will not be laying out rails under or over each other unless you place specific blocks that include a crossing.
- You build a singular train which you can control and ride around your map. Which is fun, but know this is not trying to be a complex train set simulator.


My main issue:
The build controls feel extremely picky. Not sure how to explain it but it often feels like it is designed to meet the literal rules of item placement, but rarely matches what a player is actually wanting?

Some of this is probably just mismatched expectations, but my first impressions were repeatedly hitting things like:
"Why can't I just place objects over this bush/stump/rock"
"Why can't I allow terrain to just match the thing i'm placing instead of complaining the terrain doesn't match exactly"
"Oops, I wish I had an undo button"
"I wish i could quickly swap back from bulldoze to the thing i was trying to build"
"Why can't I just build this curve/junction/crossing on existing rail instead of having to bulldoze it"
"I wish i could quickly pipette/clone things already on the map"
"Oh I can't build anything below this bridge, or place rail on this stone platform" (Though that one's intrinsic to how the tiles work I guess)


I still give it a positive review since you can still make neat things with it if you're patient. It's inexpensive and obviously a passion project. I'll probably give it more time later.
But for me there's a ton of room for quality-of-life stuff to make it less frustrating to interact with.