Sid Meier’s Railroads!

2006 Firaxis Games Strategy

Windows 11With a fix

MacNot confirmed

LinuxGold

Steam DeckPlayable

Gamicality score

Metacritic 774

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 691

How it’s combined

Playability today

3.5

Runs today3/5

Design today3.5/5

Steam user reviews

Mostly Positive

71%

3,251 reviews1

Get it on Steam

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does Sid Meier’s Railroads! run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11With a fix

Runs with a fix. See the steps below.1

Mac (Apple Silicon)Not confirmed

A Mac version is sold. Not yet confirmed on Apple Silicon.1

LinuxGold

Through Proton. ProtonDB: Gold, runs perfectly after tweaks.3

Steam DeckPlayable

Playable, as rated by Valve. May need some setup.1

Played Sid Meier’s Railroads! lately?

One click, no account, so the next player knows. How we check where it runs

How to get Sid Meier’s Railroads! running today

Apply the 3GB enabler from SMRSIMPLE to lift the executable's memory limit, which causes crashes on larger maps as described on PCGamingWiki.

Synopsis

A streamlined railroad business game in which you lay track between cities and industries, buy locomotives and route cargo to where it is in demand. Scenarios set in the United States and Europe give you goals to meet by a set year while rival barons compete to buy you out.

Developer: Firaxis Games
Released: 2006
Genre: Strategy
Where to get it: Steam

Reception

Critics found it approachable and addictive, with a PC Metascore of 77 from 31 reviews, though some judged the small scenarios and simple economics too light for an instant classic and one noted the interface does not explain routing failures. Players today still call it one of the friendliest train management games, but many of the most helpful Steam reviews warn that it crashes on larger networks until a memory fix is applied.

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

3/5

Sold or given away today by an official source
Needs fan patches to run well on Windows 11
?Not confirmed yetSingle-player works without an internet connection
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
Some content no longer works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
Online multiplayer ran on GameSpy and no longer works, leaving LAN play, scenarios and sandbox (PCGamingWiki).
Supports modern resolutions and widescreen
Widescreen and 4K resolutions are supported, though the interface does not scale (PCGamingWiki).
No full controller support and no remappable controls
There is no controller support (PCGamingWiki).
Steam Deck Verified or Playable
No intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
Known game-breaking bugs in the current version
A hard-coded memory limit makes the game crash on larger maps, an issue still listed on PCGamingWiki and raised in the top Steam reviews (PCGamingWiki).

Design today

3.5/5

Controls feel awkward on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
Track is laid by clicking and dragging, but there is no undo, so misplaced track has to be selected and deleted one section at a time. Source: steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.
Menus, text or interface are hard to read on today's screens
Widescreen and 4K resolutions work, but the interface does not scale and becomes extremely small at 4K, and a launch review noted it does not say why a train cannot reach a station. Source: pcgamingwiki.com, metacritic.com.
Saving is fair: free saves or frequent checkpoints, little lost progress
Manual saves are free and the game also keeps autosaves, though one player found a crash could recur at the same point after reloading. Source: steamcommunity.com.
It teaches itself: no guide needed to make progress
A short tutorial covers the basics, and the interface is simple enough that newcomers pick up the rest through the scenarios. Source: steamcommunity.com.
Pacing holds up: little grind, filler or forced backtracking
Scenarios chain time-limited goals across about a century, and sandbox maps let players set anything from tight competition to relaxed track laying. Source: gamingtarget.com.
Camera and movement never fight the player
The camera scrolls and zooms like a standard strategy game and works fine, though it cannot pull back far enough to show the whole map. Source: gamingtarget.com.