Conduct This!

In ‘Conduct This!’, players take on the role of a railway dispatcher, managing busy train systems across dynamic tracks to prevent collisions and ensure timely deliveries. This fast-paced puzzle-simulation game blends arcade-style action with strategic multitasking, challenging players to optimize routes, switch tracks, and coordinate multiple trains simultaneously. With its 2D diagonal-down perspective and cooperative party-game mechanics, it offers a family-friendly yet demanding experience that rewards precision and teamwork across platforms like Nintendo Switch, mobile, and PC.

Conduct This!: Review

Introduction

In an era where mobile gaming often equates to fleeting distractions, Conduct This! (2016) carved a niche as a deceptively intricate puzzle-strategy hybrid. Developed by Denmark’s Northplay ApS, this railway-management simulator captivated players with its blend of arcade chaos and cerebral problem-solving. While not a household name, Conduct This! represents a microcosm of indie gaming’s golden age—a testament to how minimalist design and razor-sharp mechanics can forge enduring appeal. This review argues that beneath its unassuming low-poly aesthetics lies a masterclass in tension-based gameplay, one that deftly balances accessibility with punishing depth, securing its legacy as a cult classic in the puzzle genre.

Development History & Context

Studio Vision & The Mobile Gaming Landscape
Northplay ApS, a Copenhagen-based studio known for streamlined experimental titles (e.g., Fly This!: Flight Control Tower), conceived Conduct This! during mobile gaming’s pivot toward “premium casual” experiences. Released on iOS/Android in 2016 and later ported to Switch (2018) and PC, the game emerged alongside peers like Mini Metro and Fallout Shelter, which redefined depth in bite-sized formats. Director Michael Flarup’s vision was clear: transform mundane railway logistics into “explosive action-puzzles” that demanded split-second decisions.

Technological Constraints & Innovation
Mobile hardware limitations dictated key creative choices. The diagonal-down 2D perspective and low-poly art style (courtesy of Barrington Russell and Christian Laumark) ensured visual clarity on small screens while minimizing performance strain. Touch controls were prioritized—players tap to start/stop trains and toggle switches—but this simplicity belied underlying complexity. Composer Simon Kölle’s adaptive score, which ramped tension with crescendoing strings during near-collisions, masked loading times and enhanced immersion. The Switch version later leveraged Joy-Con co-op, retrofitting mobile-centric design for console party dynamics.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

The Illusion of Story in a Systems-Driven World
Conduct This! eschews traditional narrative for environmental storytelling. Its campaign unfolds across abstract, unnamed regions—snowy tundras, neon-lit metropolises, sun-blasted deserts—each unlocked by delivering passengers safely. While devoid of characters or dialogue, the game whispers lore through its unlockable trains (e.g., the Shinkansen, TGV), transforming them into collectible relics of rail history. Thematically, it explores control amidst chaos: players are demiurges orchestrating order against entropy, where a single mistimed switch or delayed departure sparks catastrophic pileups.

Silent Stakes & Emergent Drama
The narrative emerges dynamically. A delayed commuter train might block an express liner’s path, forcing players to reroute on the fly—a micro-drama of stakes and consequences. This absence of scripted plot proved divisive; critics noted the lack of emotional investment compared to story-driven indies (Hollow Knight, Inside). Yet proponents argued the gameplay itself was the story, with each level’s escalating complexity mirroring a protagonist’s trials.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Core Loop: Precision as a Drug
The objective is straightforward: guide trains to stations without collisions. The devil lies in execution:
– Direct Control: Tap trains to accelerate/decelerate; toggle switches to alter tracks.
– Resource Management: Earn coins for perfect deliveries to unlock regions and trains.
– Multiplayer Chaos: Up to four players in local co-op, where communication breakdowns delightfully mimic real-world dispatcher pandemonium.

Progression & Difficulty Curves
Early levels tutor players in basics, but the campaign rapidly escalates into Rube Goldberg-esque challenges. Later stages introduce:
– Multi-Track Juggling: Parallel routes requiring simultaneous switch management.
– Environmental Hazards: Ice patches slow trains; thunderstorms obscure tracks.
– Speed Variations: Balancing sluggish freight trains with bullet-speed expresses.

Critique of Systems
The UI’s sparseness—no pause button, minimal HUD—amplifies tension but occasionally frustrates. Switch touchscreen controls were praised for precision, yet Joy-Con inputs (via cursor) felt “laggy” (eShopper Reviews). The lack of undo/rewind forced brutal restarts after minor errors, contrasting peers like Mini Metro’s forgiving design.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Aesthetic Minimalism as Functional Design
Conduct This!’s low-poly landscapes serve gameplay first. Tracks glow against matte backgrounds, ensuring clarity amid chaos. Each biome’s palette—icy blues, desert ambers—subconsciously cues environmental mechanics (e.g., red tracks in volcanic zones hint at lava hazards). This “less is more” ethos extends to train designs: locomotives are geometric icons, instantly recognizable even at high speeds.

Sound as a Gameplay Mechanic
Simon Kölle’s score operates on two levels:
1. Ambient Tension: Pulsing synths crescendo as trains near collision points.
2. Kinaesthetic Feedback: Steel-on-steel crashes and whistle blasts provide auditory cues critical for timing.
The Switch version’s HD Rumble enhanced this, with Joy-Cons vibrating in sync with near-misses—a tactile masterstroke.

Reception & Legacy

Launch Reception & Long-Term Evolution
Critics lauded its “addictive, easy-to-learn-tough-to-master loop” (Video Chums, 80%), though divisiveness emerged around its difficulty spikes. eShopper Reviews (75%) praised co-op but lamented “unintuitive controls.” Commercially, it found sturdy footing on mobile via F2P mechanics (watch ads for retries) and thrived on Switch as a $14.99 premium title.

Industry Influence & Modern Resonance
While not a genre redefiner, Conduct This! underscored three trends:
1. Mobile-to-Console Viability: Proved touch-first games could adapt to consoles via inventive control schemes.
2. Party Game Potential: Its co-op mode influenced later titles like Overcooked! and Unrailed! in leveraging chaos as camaraderie.
3. Ambient Narrative Acceptance: Paved the way for games like Lumines Remastered to prioritize vibe over plot.

Conclusion

Conduct This! is a paradoxical gem—a game about rail logistics that feels like a high-speed heist. Its brilliance lies in morphing mundane tasks into white-knuckle tests of focus and foresight. While its narrative minimalism and control quirks prevent universal acclaim, its marriage of elegance and intensity remains unmatched. In video game history, it echoes the spirit of Tetris: a timeless puzzle built not on story or spectacle, but on the pure, punishing joy of mastering systems. Northplay’s opus may not have revolutionized gaming, but for those who dared to conduct its symphony of steel, it offered a locomotive rush worth chasing.