Last updated on January 17th, 2026 at 04:10 am
Trainyard Express – Education Game Review
Trainyard Express is a Education/Board/Puzzle game from Matt Rix, first launched in 30th September 2010.
It’s rated 4+ and currently has 8,887+ ratings on the App Store.
What Makes Trainyard Express Stand Out
New iOS 11 update coming soon! :)
"The best puzzle game on the App Store."
What's the difference between Trainyard and Express? In the full game there are more than 100 more puzzles, and you can even MAKE YOUR OWN PUZZLES.
The full game also has splitter pieces, which are AWESOME.
Trainyard Express Features:
- Innovative and challenging puzzle mechanic
- Smooth difficulty curve
- Over 60 fantastic puzzles
- NO ADS
- Hundreds of ways to solve each puzzle
- Easily share your unique solutions on Trainyard.ca
- Looks GREAT on the iPad
- Game Center
- Engineered for low battery usage
- Colour-blind mode
- A year in the making
- Developed in my spare time(support indie games!)
Stuck on a puzzle? There are over 1.2 MILLION player submitted solutions at http://trainyard.ca/solutions
Trainyard Express is a puzzle solving game unlike any that you've ever played. It's easy to learn but very tough to master. Your job is simple: get each train to a goal station. Red trains go to red stations, blue trains go to blue stations, etc. You control the trains by drawing track for them to follow. There isn't a time limit or even a score; the only thing you need to do is figure out a solution for each puzzle.
The first few puzzles are almost too easy, but as the difficulty increases you'll be thankful that you were able to practice the fundamentals of drawing track. As the game progresses, you'll have to use basic colour theory to combine trains of different colours, use timing to merge, and use every inch of your brain in your quest to beat the game.
Find out more at http://www.trainyard.ca
Developed by Matt Rix ([email protected])
Proudly made in Canada.
Known issues (minor):
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If some provinces can't be unlocked even after you've solved all the available puzzles, that's a bug: Go to options, switch to player 2 then back to player 1 to fix it.
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Sometimes, the sounds stop working. Close the app using the multitasking bar to get sounds back.
Trainyard Express makes use of these excellent libraries:
- Cocos2D-iPhone by Ricardo Quesada
- XAuthTwitterEngine by Aral Balkan
- Twitter+OAuth code by Ben Gottlieb
- MGTwitterEngine by Matt Gemmell
- ASIHTTPRequest by All-Seeing Interactive
- SFHFKeychainUtils by Buzz Andersen
- TouchXML by Jonathan Wight
- FMDB by Flying Meat Inc.
This Education game offers engaging gameplay and regular updates for mobile players.
Player Feedback
As a newer release, Trainyard Express is building its player community. Early feedback suggests .
Recent Updates & Development
Latest Update: 1st September 2011
Recent improvements include:
- Achievements
- Game Center
- Universal (works on iPad)
- New puzzles
- Hundreds of other bug fixes and improvements
Download & Availability
Trainyard Express is available through the official App Store for iOS devices.
Get Trainyard Express on App Store
Requirements: Requires iPhone 5s / iPad Air / iPad Air (Cellular) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina, Cellular) / iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus / iPad Air 2 / iPad Air 2 (Cellular) / iPad Mini 3 or later.
Compatible with iPhone and iPad devices.
Player Experience Highlights
Community Insight:
Please update this app to work pm the latest iOS.
NEED THIS UPDATED we CANT LIVE WITHOUT IT.
Update or put us out of our misery.
This is one of our all-time favorite challenging games. We wish the author would update it so that it can be used on the current phones. We missed this.
Our fav puzzle game let us play agaiiin.
This was the best puzzle game we have play on our phone, we will it was updated for today current IOS.
Why this app disappeared!? Best game ever.
We seriously use to love this game so much it was probably one of the first games we ever played on an iPhone & im seriously so sad its no longer compatible with our newer phones its been a few years since saying it would be updated soon.. :,( still praying for a miracle though.
Please update it so we can play again.
We know its been a while but this game is too good to let die, please bring this up to date with current iOS & thank you for all the great memories.
Best puzzle game we have ever played.
The title says it all. We went back to look for this game as it was one we really enjoyed playing and we finished it in 2011, but we are not able to download it as the developer hasnt updated it for the latest iOS. Please update this fantastic game.
We remember playing this game on our iPod touch years ago. It was our favorite game. We still check regularly to see if it has been updated. We really hope an update is in the works.
The purpose of this review is to express our appreciation to Matt Rix for designing this game. Trainyard and Trainyard Express are the best logic puzzle solving games we have ever played. Game design is extraordinarily elegant and functional. It is not a memory hog or data collector. Solutions depend upon reasoning, not chance. Multiple solutions can be correct. Increasing game complexity is explained as it is introduced. And it is fun! Note to any other review readers: we have this game on a very old ipad. If you are fortunate enough to have an operable ipad with an old OS (3 through 8 are best; you can still manage to play with workarounds on OS 9 and 10), then download and enjoy.
We never write a review but this needs to be heard this was one of the best games we have ever played and thats saying something because we have played over 1000 games and this comes nothing near it because its so much better you need need need need need to update this read the reviews with everybody elses reviews because this game is absolutely amazing.
Matt, Its been many years. Only a handful of game apps have come close to Trainyard. Please update it. Its time.
So, we know this most likely wont be seen, but we have to say this. We grew up with this game. We played it almost everyday while we were in the hospital. We spent our whole childhood there. We would like to go back to those days, and play this game. But it isnt updated to be able to work with the type of phone we have. If we get lucky, we can find one of our older phones, but please, if this gets seen, please update it.
This game was so much fun. We will surely buy an update or sequel to this now that Im back using an iPhone.
We love how unique this game is. We really like that there is no score, nor a right or wrong way to solve each puzzle. It allows the player to be creative while playing. It keeps our problem solving skills sharp! ;) 10 years later, we find ourselves thinking of this app! We hope you see this update and decide to update the app! We want to play it again! Thanks.
This is our favorite mobile puzzle game of all time. Simple premise with fun challenging puzzles. Id still be playing this game weekly if it were updated to work with the current iOS. Id buy this game again if the dev brought it back. If you have an older iOS device, definitely download this one.
This was a great game. Its a shame it no longer works with newer iOS. Please update it.
Please can you update it to IOS 11? We loved playing this game on our old iPod, but now that thats gone we cant play it.
We played trainyard on our moms iPad when we were very little like kindergarten little. We played the trainyard game and loved it. When we were older we bought trainyard express on our mini iPad. One day our iPad was on the couch and we had to use the restroom, we come back and our brother accidentally knocked it off the couch. It cracked and didnt work as well. But we still could do trainyard express. One day it stops working for good. This past X-Mas we got a iPad on the IOS 11 and tried to get the game via iCloud, but it says it is not compatible. Im very sad as we loved this game as it reminds us of when life was easy and calming. If this game is made to be compatible for IOS 11 we would be very happy. This is a great game and we rate it 5 stars if we had to do it on a ten point scale we would mark it at 9.97/10.00 for entertainment and fun. We also think it will be good for little kids who play on their parents devices since it encourages problem solving and mixing colors. And for kids who love trains like we did when we were little and we still like trains today. We personally think this game is one of the best games Ive ever played.
Please, please put this game compatible for iOS 11. This was a game part of our childhood, and we really wanna play it again, so please put it compatible for iOS 11.
We're waiting to upgrade to iOS 11 until this comes out. :-) we've not purchased it yet, but will the moment it's available.
Very addictive but extremely fun games.
Genius design for simple to complex fun. Enjoyed for 7 years and will miss it immensely. Thanks Matt Rix! Update possible.
We really enjoy the various complexities of this train traffic game from its merges, collisions, and crossovers to it painting and combining colors. This game is a neat little traffic puzzle game that requires some forethought and planning. We just wish they would fix the blank ad that you can't get rid of after you solve each puzzle – forcing you to restart the application. Would be a hell of a game then.
This is a must have app. We love logic and mind puzzles that is challenging and fun to do. This is definitely one of them. We hope the guy who invented this will invent a lot more puzzle apps. After we finish all sixty puzzles we will definitely get the ninety-nine cent version.
We used to play this all the time when we were a kid. It was fun back then, and it's just as fun now. We would recommend this game to everyone.
Really fun. Not updated to current iOS though.
We love this game so much and we wish there were more levels, worth your time to buy it.
Very impressive for a single person's work. Our dad developed his own app and we know how much time and effort it takes. We just completed the game after downloading it yesterday which is saying something because anyone who's played this game in the last-however-long knows that there's a very irritating glitch where the game freezes every time you complete a level-(please fix!). Filled with complex and engaging puzzles, our boyfriend can't figure out how we do it or how it works at all. Thank you for this game, please fix the glitch.
Excellent game, as others have said: just the right level of challenge without getting terminally frustrated. Our only concern is running out of levels. We just got this and we feel like we're almost through it all. We will definitely get the paid version when we're done with this, but we still don't know if that will be enough levels. Loving this game.
Love it. Trainyard is our favorite app Get it our favorite thinking puzzle app! Not speed-related. We stopped playing this game for a few years, but recently went back to it. Then we remembered why we stopped. There is a bug where the game freezes when a game is solved. When we checked the info in iTunes we discovered there is a fix for that! Go to credits and click Rate It. No need to actually rate it, tho. Now it's working again and we can enjoy playing.
We love this game. Not only do we love trains, but we love puzzles and this game combines our two loves. The game is challenging too. Kudos to the developers.
We loved it so much we beat it In 3 days.
Well thought out game that starts off with easy puzzles and slowly introduces you to increasingly more difficult levels. If you like logic games, this game will challenge you to think abstractly and predict outcomes. The ability to slow down the game and speed up, allows the player time to analyze and rework their plan until succeeding. The goal of the game is to get the train(s) from point A to point B. In order to accomplish this, you must lay the railroad track in between the two points. The next level of difficulty involves multiple colored trains where each train must go to the color correct station. Eventually you will need to cross tracks to mix colors and even merge trains to make sure the trains arrive at the same time at the correct colored station. Ultimately is a fun game that makes you think and can be played anytime without having to commit any length of time.
A logic puzzle to pass the time and keep the mind active.
We hardly ever come here just to write a review but this game is really really cool. Super entertaining and smart. It freezes every time we solve a puzzle on the iPad pro tho… So we always have to close the game and reopen it.
Fun game….can not go wrong with trains.
It's great and the ios 3 requirement means that we can pick up our iPhone 1 or our iPod touch 1 and play like we're on our iPhone 6s.
This game is unique and fun and has trains, it's our favorite iPod app yet.
This the most fun app we've ever used. Highly recommend it.
Lots of solutions to each level. It's a simple concept, all of the difficulty is in the execution.
This is a great game with fun and rewarding puzzle mechanics. Definitely worth downloading.
Nice, unhurried puzzles to test your brain without lots of flashiness. Relaxing fun. Good for both young and old, with well-written tutorials explaining how things work.
Awesome logic game! Our whole family is hooked.
Such a great game. Will always love this one.
It's fun and fitness for the mind.
User feedback from Apple App Store
App Details
- Version: 1.66
- Size: 7.72 MB
- iOS: 3.0 or later
- Languages: EN
- Content Advisory:
- Developer: Matt Rix
Last updated: 1st September 2011 | Genre: Education, Board | Developer: Matt Rix