gamescom 2017 - TransRoad USA Preview

If Euro Truck Simulator 2 is any indication, people just love trucks. If you’re among those people and also happen to like strategy games, boy, do I have the game for you.

TransRoad USA is a new management simulation game by Deck13 Hamburg, and during gamescom 2017, I had the opportunity to check out this title about building your own truck hauling business.

Starting out as the owner of a logistics company in one of 37 real American cities, the game allows the player to build their own truck company. Leading the business from a small regional firm to a giant national behemoth, TransRoad USA puts you in charge of every aspect of management -- buy trucks, hire drivers, find contracts, and choose routes, all in order to keep your clients happy and your bottom line on the green.

Besides money, you also must nurture your reputation. Delivering hauls in time and keeping good relationships with your clients gives you more contract options and opportunities, including special requests that bring in a lot of money and recognition. The execution of those contracts depends both on your logistical capabilities and the available type of trucks and trailers in your fleet, requiring a good degree of strategy during the expansion and consolidation of your economical ventures.

Offering a realistic map of the USA, TransRoad USA also features a complex simulated economy. Crisis in the automotive sector, economical KPIs, and fluctuating market prices are all in the game, and connecting key industries with their suppliers is a great way to reap huge rewards. The deep financial system promises to keep the game dynamic and make your investments really matter.

I did not get a chance to check out the audio design, but the game’s graphics look rather interesting. The map of the US is fully zoomable -- you can go from a nigh orbital overview all the way down to a close-up of specific trucks moving through random freeways. Truck models are realistic yet charming, and the slick interface makes a good job of presenting the relevant information. It’s indie, but it’s a good indie.

Without playing the game and seeing only a vertical slice of it, I can’t go into how TransRoad USA actually plays. What I saw of it left me very interested, however, and if you wanna check it out, TransRoad USA can be found on Steam right now.