Trainyard Express for ZX Spectrum Next

Now in ENGLISH and SPANISH (ES).

Ahora en ESPAÑOL (ES) e INGLÉS.

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.

Trainyard was originally designed and developed by Matt Rix (https://trainyard.ca/), and was published in 2010 for iPhone and Android platforms.

The ZX Spectrum Next version has been developed in summer 2022 by David Programa, with permission from the original developer.

Installing on Spectrum Next / N-Go

Download the file trainyard-express.nex, copy it to your SD card, and run it.

For spanish version, download the file with ES in its name.

Para la versión española, descarga el fichero cuyo nombre contenga ES.

How to play

Your job is to draw the tracks so each train reaches the goal station. Apart from track pieces, there are more tile types, each one with a different function.

Trainyard Express includes seven in-game tutorials covering all concepts of the game. You can watch and rewatch them, or skip them if you already know the concepts.

How to control the game

On a Spectrum Next, you can play using any of these control methods:

• Mouse: Plug a PS/2 mouse onto the PS/2 port before turning the computer on. You move the cursor with the mouse, select and draw with the left button, delete with the right button.
• Joystick: Use the joystick to move the cursor, and the fire button to select/draw. If the joystick has a secondary button, it will be used for deleting.
• Keyboard: use the keys Q, A, O, P for moving the cursor; SPACE for select/draw, and 0 (zero) for deleting.

All control methods work simultaneously (you don't need to select method) and you can change from one to another at any time.

Additional keys: ENTER to start / stop trains, I to increase speed, U to decrease speed.

Speed values range  from +5 (very fast) to -6 (paused), with 0 being normal speed.

How your progress is saved

Whenever you attempt a puzzle, your progress is saved when you go back from the game screen (even if you didn't solve the puzzle). When you first solve it, the solution is saved, and from then, only correct solutions are saved. Only one solution is saved.

Your progress is saved on the trainyard-express.user file. Copy the file for bringing your progress to another machine, or delete it for starting anew.

System Requirements

Trainyard Express has been developed and tested using:

• A N-Go (Spectrum Next clone by ManuFerHi) running Firmware v1.31 and Core v3.01.10

The game should work on other versions / firmwares, but only has been tested on the ones mentioned.

Development & Source code

Trainyard Express was developed in two months (well, most of the work was done during three weeks of holidays in august 2022).

The game has been programmed in C using the excellent Z88DK compiler. The key functions were rewritten in assembly for speed and size.

Full source code is available in this GitHub repo.

Thanks & Mentions

• Marta, for beta testing and level transcription.
• Matt Rix, for creating the original Trainyard.
• ManuFerHi for the N-Go, a great Spectrum Next clone.
• The Z88DK team for their wonderful compiler