For some the subway is just a way to get from A to B, for others it’s a fascinating transport system full of technical possibilities. Mini Metro should appeal to the latter as the game turns players into subway planners.

Based on real cities, the game allows you to plan and connect subway lines, build bridges and dig tunnels. As the need for underground transport grows steadily, more stops open and have to be connected to each other.

Players who achieve certain transport volumes receive additional lines, tunnels or trains.

But that's not all there is to it. The virtual passengers are demanding when it comes to routes. For example, they might want to go from a square station to a circle station or a cross station.

Players have to cleverly plan the lines and transfer points so that there are no traffic jams and crowds on the platforms. If a station gets overcrowded you lose the game.

If you reach a certain number of passengers in a city, you unlock other cities, some of which have their own special conditions. In Cairo, for example, the carriages are particularly small while the subway in Tokyo rushes around the map at a rapid pace.

This and the many creative game modes mean that “Mini Metro” has a very high replay value.

The game is available on the Steam platform for PCs, Macs, and Linux for around 10 dollars. It’s also available for iOS devices and Apple TV for those with an Apple Arcade subscription.

 - dpa