Station Manager Review (Nintendo Switch)

Review code used, with many thanks to Kairosoft!

Welcome to one of Kairosoft’s brilliant titles on the Switch! As a long time fan of Kairosoft games, I’m so happy to get to write about them too.

As with all Kairosoft games, you get a nice tutorial from your assistant, explaining and showing how to build, manage and set up research. You start with a small stack of gold(cash) and get given some of the premium currency, coins.

All Aboard

Starting with the first map available, naming it Hylia Stop, I jumped straight in. Welcoming me was a small station, one rail and train, and a couple of facilities. The assistant will push you to build more facilities, environment items and stores. Showing you how to open the build menu, select your item and then placing it onto any lit up square on your station.

Eventually, you’ll be able to extend your station, adding another large square on either end of the first. This doubles your original space, allowing you to place even more items to make your customers happy. Soon enough, you’ll be introduced to research, opening the area for even more expansion. Research new facilities, trains and even put money back into the town and reap the rewards in the long run.

Pixelated Heaven

Now, I never have an issue with graphics, as long as they look good in the style that’s been used. Station Manager uses it’s pixelation perfectly, zoom in and you’ll see each pixel far too big and blurry, but zoom out and it’s a beautiful selection of pixels made into people, shops, trains! This is the style used for every single one of Kairosoft’s games and it’s certainly grown on me and grabbed it’s own place in my heart. But, it’s not for everyone, which is understandable.

Musically, Station Manager continues on Kairosoft’s algorithm, which is sweet, adorable, mellow music. Guitars and gentle drum beats keep the music in time, to a relaxed pace, which helps the atmosphere of your station.

Don’t Skip the Fare

There is so much to explore in this game, even though it feels rather small when you first open it. Each customer has a favourite season, and if you target them during their season, it can really pay off! Seasonal advantages include, but aren’t limited to, faster movement speed, easier to keep happy and more likely to spend.

Continuing down this route will be a good thing, but remember to change up your routes as you find new ones, they generally have more expensive ticket prices, as well as being able to attract new customers. Once a customer reaches certain levels, special things happen, such as giving you a present at level 2, or settling into your town, or even offering to become a researcher.

Station Manager also offers replayability with it’s different stations to be able to start with, and while you play through once, you’ll learn and change how you might play for the next station.