Dead Man's Crossing Demo

You can have tons of fun with a relatively simple game, even if it’s actually just a watered down version of a more complex genre. As such, simulators can take up a lot of your time, despite the fact that most of them are not as complicated as the classic SimCity. The formula works the same way in other genres, especially now that indie developers have such an easy time putting their ideas into practice.

Dead Man's Crossing is a very intriguing adventure game with neat gameplay mechanics and quite the interesting story to tie it all up. In short, you are in charge of a train and the passengers on it, not to mention the fact that you have to help their spirits gain eternal peace. On top of that, you have to make the same route over and over again until you manage to please everyone.

The background story is not very complex, but at least it helps you get in the proper mood. As such, the train you conduct derailed a few years ago and everyone died, which is why it’s full of ghosts. Even you are a ghost, given the fact that you are the original conductor anyway. Each character in the train has some kind of personal drama that keeps them from resting in peace, which is why you are helping them in the first place.

The map is a couple of kilometers long, and there’s even an alternative route at one point. You can stop and admire the scenery whenever you want, but it’s also mandatory to make some stops in order to either help various characters that need something from that particular area, or to pick up items for other puzzles. Since the train cannot go backward, your only solution is to restart the trip from the beginning.

The pixel graphics are superb most of the time, especially when it comes to the landscapes and the general mood created by the clever mixture of colors. The characters are not as expressive as they could have been, but at least they are all pretty different and unique. In fact, the visual component is quite satisfactory, especially if you value atmosphere above looks.

All things considered, Dead Man's Crossing is really up to something here, especially when it comes to gameplay mechanics and the way you interact with the game world. On the other hand, it needs to be tad longer to really draw you in.