Speed Rivals - Model Trains — patch notes and updates
Stored observation / content update:
Dated developer announcements recorded from Steam. Open the source for the complete update.
| Update | Date | Excerpt / source |
|---|---|---|
| Speed Rivals - Model Trains is OUT NOW! | 2026-10-28 | 🚂 Speed Rivals - Model Trains is OUT NOW!The wait is finally over!After months of development, playtesting, and improvements shaped by community feedback, Speed Rivals - Model Trains is officially available on Steam!This is our second game at BabelGames, a tiny indie studio made up of just two developers. We wanted to create a miniature railway experience where building your own world is just as fun as driving trains through it.And today, we're excited to finally share it with you!🛤️ Build Your Own Railway WorldsDesign your dream railway layouts using our track editor. Create slopes, curves, junctions, and crossings, then bring everything t |
| Chill Co-op Afternoon | Speed Rivals - Model Trains | 2026-10-24 | All aboard for a chill co-op afternoon with Speed Rivals - Model Trains! 🚂Join us as we team up to build tracks, complete deliveries, explore the sandbox, and enjoy some miniature railway fun together.No rush, no pressure, just good vibes, teamwork, and trains rolling through our little world.Grab a drink, get comfy, and enjoy the ride with us! 🚂 |
| Devlog #17 — Direct Gamepad Controls, Thanks to Next Fest Feedback | 2026-10-21 | Hi everyone,One of the best things about participating in Steam Next Fest is getting feedback from people actually playing the game.During the demo, one player suggested something very specific:When using a gamepad, why navigate through the train control panel when the most important actions could be mapped directly to the controller?It made sense.So we changed it.Direct Gamepad ModeYou can now press the Select button to activate a new direct gamepad mode.Instead of navigating through the control panel, the main train actions are immediately mapped to the controller.Current controls:Left StickUp / Down: forward and reverse speedLeft / Right: |
| Speed Rivals: Model Trains | Steam Next Fest Gameplay Showcase | 2026-10-20 | 🚂 Welcome to Speed Rivals: Model Trains!Join us during Steam Next Fest and discover our miniature railway game, where creativity meets exciting train gameplay!What can you expect from this showcase?Build Your Own Railway: Design custom tracks with curves, elevations, crossings, and switches.Drive Miniature Trains: Take control of your locomotives and transport different types of cargo.Complete Delivery Challenges: Race against the clock to deliver goods and earn rewards.Create Your Own Worlds: Customize your layouts with buildings, landscapes, and decorations.Share Your Creations: Explore and share custom railway layouts through Steam Worksh |
| Devlog #16 — Desert Layouts & Production Chains | 2026-10-10 | Hi everyone,Today we want to show a new scenario for Speed Rivals: Model Trains, this time with a warmer, more desert-inspired visual style.But the biggest addition is not only the environment.We have now integrated a full wagon production chain that will appear in some of the later levels of the game.From Empty Wagons to a Unique ResultIn these more advanced missions, the objective becomes more complex.You start by collecting empty wagons.Then you need to transport them to pick up raw materials.Those materials must be taken to the correct processing building.And after completing the full chain, you obtain a unique wagon as the final result.T |
| Final Demo Update + New Trailer — Ready for Steam Next Fest! 🚂 | 2026-10-02 | 🚂 The Final Demo Update Is Here — Ready for Steam Next Fest!We’ve just released a major update to the Speed Rivals: Model Trains Demo, bringing it much closer to the final experience we want players to discover during Steam Next Fest this October!Over the past few weeks, we’ve been working through your feedback, polishing the core mechanics, improving the overall experience, and adding more of the systems that will define the full game.This is by far the most complete version of the demo we’ve released so far, and it’s the build we’ll be taking into Steam Next Fest. 🎮 A much more complete demoIf you played one of our previous builds or join |
| Devlog #15 — Movable Controls & Service Trains | 2026-09-25 | Hi everyone,Today we want to show two new additions to Speed Rivals: Model Trains.The first is a small quality-of-life improvement:You can now move the train control panel anywhere on the screen.This gives players more freedom to place the controls where they feel most comfortable, especially when playing with different screen sizes or camera setups.Service TrainsThe bigger addition is a new gameplay system: service trains.If a service building is placed in the layout, service trains can start appearing automatically.These trains move around the railway network on their own and interact with wagons they find along the way.When a service train |
| Devlog #14 — The Train Control Panel | 2026-09-18 | Devlog #14 — The Train Control PanelHi everyone,Today we want to show one of the most important interfaces in Speed Rivals: Model Trains:the train control panel.We have designed it so it can be used comfortably with both mouse and gamepad, without turning train control into something overly complicated.The idea is to keep the controls readable, direct and fast enough for missions, while still giving the player the feeling of actually operating the train.Driving the TrainFrom the panel, the player can control the basic movement of the locomotive:Move forward. Move backward. Stop the train. Turn the train on or off.It is a simple system, but th |
| Playtest Sign-Ups Are Open — Build Layouts, Drive Trains & Try Early Co-op! | 2026-09-18 | Our next playtest is almost here! 🚂 Hi everyone! It’s time to get more of you on the rails! You can now request access to the Speed Rivals: Model Trains playtest directly from our Steam store page. This playtest brings together several parts of the game we’ve been working on: building your own model railway layouts, exploring on foot and boarding trains, learning to handle deliveries, and sharing a railway with other players. We want you to get hands-on with these systems, experiment with them, and help us understand what feels good, what needs explaining better, and what still needs work. 📅 How access will work We’ll be opening the playtes |
| Devlog #13 — Rail Finishes, Bridges and Track Details | 2026-09-11 | Hi everyone,Today we want to show another step forward in the railway editor.Until now, most of the focus has been on placing and connecting rails.Now we are starting to improve how those rails actually look inside the layout. Watch the Editor TestIn this video we show these new rail finishes, elevated supports, the stopper and the track switch indicator inside the editor. Different Rail FinishesWe have added different rail configurations so tracks do not always look like they are simply floating over open ground.Right now we are testing several options:Open rails over terrain.Concrete block sections.Concrete columns that extend down to groun |
| Devlog #12 — First Tutorial Test | 2026-09-04 | Devlog #12 — First Tutorial TestHi everyone,Today we want to show one of the first tests of the tutorial for Speed Rivals: Model Trains.The goal of this tutorial is simple: introduce Jeff, the train driver, and teach the basic actions the player will need before starting real missions.Meet JeffJeff is not locked inside the train.You can move him around the map, get off the train and interact with the railway layout from outside the locomotive.This is important because Jeff will be connected to several gameplay systems, not only train driving.Jeff’s Pocket VehicleThe tutorial also introduces Jeff’s small manual rail vehicle.It is a funny littl |
| Devlog #11 — First Co-op Tests | 2026-08-28 | Devlog #11 — First Co-op TestsHi everyone,Today we want to show one of the first tests of co-op gameplay in Speed Rivals: Model Trains.Until now, most of the updates have focused on the editor, rail placement, missions, Jeff and Steam Workshop support.But the game was always designed around the idea that model railway layouts are more fun when they can be shared.Playing TogetherIn this first co-op test, we are checking how it feels to have more than one player inside the same layout.The goal is simple: players should be able to coordinate, move around the map and complete train missions together.This is still an early test, but it already hel |
| Devlog #10 — First Steam Workshop Tests | 2026-08-21 | Devlog #10 — First Steam Workshop TestsHi everyone,Today we want to show an early test of something very important for Speed Rivals: Model Trains:Steam Workshop support.One of the main goals of the game is that players will be able to create their own model railway layouts.Until now, most of our devlogs have focused on the editor itself: rail pieces, snapping, placement rules and the systems needed to build a layout.Now we are starting to test the next step:sharing those layouts.First Workshop Layout Test Early Steam Workshop test with our first layout entry.We have started testing how layouts appear inside the Steam Workshop page.The first t |
| Devlog #9 — Programming Jeff, Our Train Driver | 2026-08-13 | Devlog #9 — Programming Jeff, Our Train DriverHi everyone,Today we want to show something different from the railway editor.We have started programming Jeff, the main character of Speed Rivals: Model Trains.Jeff is the train driver. Most of the time, he will be riding on top of the locomotives while the player controls the train.But Jeff is not just a visual detail.He can also get off the train, move around the layout and interact with systems that will become important for gameplay.Character Controller TestThis first version of Jeff’s controller is focused on movement feel.We are testing how responsive he feels, how he moves around the layou |
| Demo Update After Train Fest — New Trailer and Upcoming Editor Playtest | 2026-07-29 | Demo Update After Train FestHi everyone,Train Fest was a very important week for Speed Rivals: Model Trains.We released a very early version of the demo so players could try the first version of the main gameplay loop: completing missions by picking up wagons and delivering them to the correct destination as fast as possible.Since that first version, the demo has changed quite a lot.We have continued improving the gameplay flow, the feel of the train, the mission structure and the way the game presents what the player needs to do.New Updated TrailerWe have also published a new updated trailer showing the current state of the game:This trailer |
| Speed Rivals: Model Trains – Demo Gameplay | 2026-07-25 | All aboard for the first mission of Speed Rivals: Model Trains!Experience the demo from start to finish in an uninterrupted gameplay showcase. Take control of the locomotive, navigate the railway, switch tracks, manage your speed, and complete the mission before time runs out.Just pure train-driving action.Play the free demo and wishlist Speed Rivals: Model Trains on Steam! |
| Devlog #8 — From Rail Building to First Playable Demo | 2026-07-19 | Devlog #8 — From Rail Building to First Playable DemoHi everyone,In the last devlogs, we showed how the editor is evolving: rail pieces, snapping, placement validation and a more stable building flow.Now we are moving from “can we build tracks?” to a more important question:Can we already test the main gameplay loop?Train Fest DemoWe are happy to announce that Speed Rivals: Model Trains will participate in Train Fest.During the event week, we plan to release an early version of the demo so players can test the first playable version of the core mechanic.This will not be the final demo.It is an initial build focused on testing the basic gamepl |
| Devlog #7 — Smarter Snapping and Placement Rules | 2026-07-08 | Devlog #7 — Smarter Rail PlacementHi everyone,In the last devlog, we showed how the editor is moving toward a piece-based layout system.This time, we focused on making rail placement clearer before confirming a piece.Smarter Snap FeedbackWhen a rail piece is in preview, the editor now checks nearby connection points and shows which snap option will be used.This makes building easier to understand: the player can see where the rail wants to connect before placing it.Invalid Placement WarningsThe editor also starts preventing invalid placement.If a rail would go below the floor or create a bad placement, the preview turns red and the piece cann |
| Devlog #6 — Building with Layout Pieces | 2026-06-27 | Hi everyone,In the last devlog, we focused on real-time rail editing.This time, we want to show a smaller but very important part of the editor: how rail pieces start becoming part of a real railway network.When building a model railway, placing tracks is only half of the problem. The editor also needs to understand how pieces connect, which direction they follow and whether the result makes sense as a track.Designing Rail ConnectionsEach rail piece has two natural ends: A and B.This gives every piece a clear internal direction, even if the player is building from either side.The goal is not to force every layout into a single line. We want t |
| Devlog #5 — Building Rails in Real Time | 2026-06-22 | Devlog #5 — Building Rails in Real TimeHi everyone,The railway editor has taken a big step forward.Rails can now be previewed, edited and updated in real time using a cleaner spline-based system.A cleaner systemWe tested several ways of generating rail pieces, including separate logic for straight rails, curves and more advanced shapes.That worked for early testing, but it was becoming too complex.So we simplified the RailEditor into one unified spline-based system.This makes the editor easier to expand and gives us a better foundation for future rail pieces.Preview and editingThe preview system is now becoming central to the editor.Before pl |
| Devlog #4 — Building the Railway Editor | 2026-06-01 | A/B connectorsAnother important part of this first beta is the connector system.Each rail piece has two main connection points:Point APoint BThese connectors allow the editor to understand where a rail starts and ends. They are also the foundation for future snapping, route detection and railway network validation.Right now, the connectors are mostly visual and technical, but they are already helping us detect whether two rail ends are close enough and correctly aligned to be considered compatible.This may sound like a small detail, but it is a key part of making the editor feel good. In a railway builder, it is not enough for two pieces to b |
| Devlog #3 — The Long Game | 2026-05-23 | Devlog #3 — The Long Game Honest update first: we're not going to make June Next Fest. We looked at the build, looked at the calendar, and the math doesn't work. Shipping something half-done at a festival that only comes around twice a year isn't the move. The target for the first public demo is now Steam Train Fest — July 20th. Eight weeks. Real deadline. The Library Until now every menu we built was internal to the player — settings, customizer. This week we shifted to something different: menus that present content. Room browser. Layout gallery for local saves and Steam Workshop. Season progression with locked levels and medal states. Glob |
| Devlog #2 — The Menus Are the Product | 2026-05-11 | Week 2 — The Menus Are the Product Two weeks in. The visual direction is locked, the main menu is running. Time to go deeper. This week was about a question we've been asking since Slot Racing: what if the UI system itself was a reusable product, not just scaffolding? A Settings Menu Built as a System SR_SettingsMenuWindow generates from a structured inspector definition. You author the main menu, submenus, buttons and selectors — the system builds the hierarchy at runtime. Change the structure? It rebuilds. No manual editing. No hardcoded strings. The inspector got its own pass: colored blocks by depth, collapsible sections, parent–child rel |
| Model Trains Dev Diary #1 — Starting from scratch | 2026-05-05 | If you played Speed Rivals: Slot Racing, you already know us. Two brothers, one coder, one everything else. Small studio, big ideas, questionable deadlines. Model Trains is the next game in the Speed Rivals franchise. Same creative DNA — build, share, compete — but this time it's railways. No racing. No lap times. Just you, a diorama, and a train that actually has to get somewhere. We made a decision early on: no copy-pasting from Slot Racing. We're building new architecture designed specifically around rail networks. Week one was almost no gameplay — just Unity 6, a clean project, and a lot of shader iterations until the train looked right. |