Locomotion

Locomotion is a railway-themed puzzle game developed by Prestige Softwareentwicklung and released for MS-DOS in 1992. Viewed from a top-down perspective, the game puts players in charge of a busy railway network filled with tracks, switches, and stations. Instead of controlling individual locomotives, players take on the role of a railway dispatcher, responsible for guiding trains safely to their designated destinations.

The gameplay revolves around changing railway switches in real time to direct trains along the correct routes. Trains appear at unpredictable intervals, each heading toward a specific station, and players must successfully deliver a required number of them before time runs out. Incorrectly positioned switches can delay trains, while collisions result in penalties. As more trains enter the network, careful planning, quick reactions, and precise timing become essential to keeping everything under control.

Featuring colorful VGA graphics, AdLib music, and increasingly challenging railway layouts, Locomotion combines straightforward mechanics with surprisingly demanding gameplay. Each new level introduces more complicated track arrangements and heavier traffic, testing the player's ability to manage multiple trains simultaneously. With its addictive combination of strategy, logic, and arcade-style action, Locomotion remains an entertaining example of early 1990s DOS puzzle gaming.