🚂 OxyRail Development Roadmap · A Letter to Our Conductors
Dear conductors,
Hello, everyone!
Bringing OxyRail from its early preparations to release has not been easy. It carries our dedication, but it also owes so much to your support, suggestions, and patient feedback.
We know OxyRail still has many shortcomings: some content needs more depth, some systems need polish, and some issues affect your experience. Yet seeing the trains you build, your adventures, and the happy moments you share with friends makes us all the more certain that this journey deserves our commitment.
Thank you for giving a growing game a chance. We want to repay that trust with ongoing updates and tangible improvements.
In this letter, we would like to discuss our most pressing priorities, the content we are planning, and our update schedule.
📌 Before you read
The following includes work already underway and ideas still in design; not every feature will arrive in the near term. Details, implementation, and release order may change with development progress, testing, and player feedback. We will share confirmed updates in later announcements. What we can promise is to work as efficiently as possible to bring this content to you soon.
🛠️ Our eight current priorities
🎨 1. Better visuals and a richer world
Visual quality is one of OxyRail's key areas for improvement. We have added more model artists to gradually improve environments, creatures, buildings, and equipment, while supporting the creation of more content.
Our plans include a new river fish king, the “Devil Ray,” new technological equipment, and creatures and environments across different ecosystems.
Alongside richer visuals, we will watch asset sizes and performance so new content can come with a smooth playing experience.
⚖️ 2. Balance and progression
Our current balancing and sense of progression need work, as does the balance between solo and cooperative play.
We will keep adjusting resource gathering, crafting costs, and technological progression so investment at each stage brings clearer growth, with suitable challenges whether you travel alone or together.
⚙️ 3. Less repetitive work, with technological eras that change how you play
Repeated mining, logging, harvesting, and egg collecting take up a lot of your time. When mid- and late-game technology still leaves you doing early-game chores, the enjoyment of progress can fade.
We want to improve this in two ways.
Let automation gradually take over everyday work.
Automatic egg collectors and crop harvesters are in our plans. In the electrical era, players will be able to power these machines to handle some routine harvesting inside their carriages.
We want automation to be useful and fun to build and operate, leaving more time to plan your train, decorate your home, or explore new areas.
Give each technological era its own experience.
From simple early tools through basic technology, steam, electricity, and more advanced technology, each stage should introduce new production methods and approaches to play.
Some stages currently rely too heavily on repetitive mining and gathering. We are therefore considering steelmaking facilities in the steam or electrical stage, alongside changes to production processes, so entering a new era truly changes the experience.
🗺️ 4. A richer map, especially for mid- and late-game exploration
Later parts of the map currently lack content density. Some areas are rather empty, with too few places worth stopping to explore.
We will keep adding points of interest and give different locations distinct environments, challenges, discoveries, and rewards.
Exploring ancient pyramids together, challenging rare creatures at a volcanic crater, or finding an ice-fishing spot on frozen plains—we want every journey into the unknown to offer something to anticipate.
🚄 5. Ongoing performance and multiplayer improvements
Smooth performance underpins comfortable play, and optimization will continue alongside content development.
We are particularly focused on the load multiplayer places on hosts and the stuttering you have reported. We will keep identifying and addressing these issues across different devices and play situations.
🎮 6. Better controller and Steam Deck support
Controller and Steam Deck players matter just as much to us.
We have purchased several controllers and a Steam Deck for everyday testing. We will continue refining controls, interface adaptation, and interaction details so driving, managing items, and exploring feel comfortable on different devices.
🛡️ 7. Addressing security software warnings
We have noticed that some players receive warnings from Windows Security or other security software when launching or updating the game.
We are investigating the causes and working on signing the program files. The application and preparation process takes time; we will keep you informed when there is concrete progress.
📝 8. Following up on other feedback
We are also continually organizing and evaluating the other issues and suggestions you send.
Problems that prevent normal play take priority. Other improvements and feature changes will proceed according to their impact and development workload. Some changes need more time to validate, and future update notes will explain our progress.
🔎 Upcoming content plans
The following contains design spoilers for new areas, character stories, bosses, and systems. To keep the surprises, skip to “About the 1.0 Release” and “Our Update Schedule” near the end.
⛏️ 1. A new exploration area: Mines
We plan to add mines whose interiors you can explore.
Rare ores and abundant resources will offer new ways to support technology and train building. Rich rewards come with danger, though, so prepare before venturing deep inside.
We want mines to provide focused exploration and challenges, making the act of gathering resources something to look forward to.
📖 2. Main story, character stories, and individual skill trees
The main story will be introduced gradually through optional quests.
Players interested in the world's background can take quests from relevant characters to uncover the story of this oxygen-starved world. Those who prefer free building and exploration can keep their own pace: the main story will not be a mandatory gate for normal technological progress or survival.
Characters will also have more distinctive personal stories.
For example, Squirrel will set out to find their father, while Wolf King and the pack will continue fighting bandits and uncovering their hidden plans.
We also plan to replace the current ability system with character-specific skill trees, giving each character more distinctive growth and more meaningful choices.
For existing saves, we will design a transition, including converting some existing ability progression into experience for the new system, to preserve longtime players' investment as much as possible. Detailed rules will follow once the plan is finalized.
💥 3. More combat and train clashes
More challenging bandit trains and additional train-combat content are in our plans.
We want combat-minded players to shine while carefully considering encounter frequency, difficulty, and participation to accommodate those who prefer relaxed building.
Cannons are also planned. They will be useful against enemy trains and may offer unusual interactions—such as sending a friend on an unforgettable “flight.”
🐙 4. More optional bosses
A giant octopus at sea is one of the bosses we are planning.
Its tentacles will threaten your train. Retreating in time is an option; taking on the challenge with proper equipment and cannons will offer substantial rewards.
More bosses will follow. These challenges will not be required for normal progression, but adventurous conductors can earn treasures with special functions and distinctive food and drink recipes.
🎄 5. Holiday events and decorations
We want holidays to bring a little extra celebration to life aboard the train.
For Christmas, for example, our plans include:
Bandits in Santa hats and festive surroundings.
Christmas trees you can decorate freely.
Holiday-themed items and skins.
Exclusive food and drink recipes.
In-game quests tied to the festivities.
We also plan to let hosts enable specific holiday events in room settings outside the holiday season. Under the current design, only one holiday event can be active at a time.
🍲 6. More distinctive food, drinks, and a temperature system
We want food and drinks to have clearer purposes, making cooking a worthwhile part of preparing for a trip.
For example, chili-based drinks could raise body temperature, while black tea and green tea might boost mining and logging respectively.
A supporting temperature system is also in design. For snowy regions, you could prepare warm clothing and hot drinks; hotter areas could call for cooler equipment and food.
For now, we lean toward having temperature affect things such as the rate at which status meters drain and modest visual feedback, keeping the survival burden in check. Effects and values will still be tested and adjusted.
🛋️ 7. More furniture and train decorations
More furniture and decoration sets in different styles are planned.
Whether you want a cozy cabin, a compact workshop, or a lounge to share with friends, we want more options so every train can have its own identity.
⚓ 8. Docks and carriage management
We plan to offer more complete train adjustment features at docks, including:
Removing carriages you no longer need.
Changing the order of carriages.
Converting eligible carriages into specialized carriages with special effects.
As trains grow, we want you to be able to reorganize more easily, letting the train that has traveled with you adapt to new journeys.
🔺 9. A major challenge area: The Pyramid
The large pyramid will offer adventure-seeking players an optional, high-risk challenge area.
Under the current concept, there will be one challenge opportunity per hour. The interior is dangerous, with rich rewards for escaping successfully; defeat may cost all the supplies you brought.
Frequency, failure penalties, and rewards are still being evaluated. We will clearly explain the rules before entry so you can prepare and decide whether to venture inside.
🔥 10. Hardcore mode
We plan to offer a hardcore mode for players who love a challenge.
Beyond numerical changes, we hope to add different survival conditions, resource tradeoffs, and ways to respond, giving experienced conductors a journey that requires fresh thinking.
🎛️ 11. More room customization
Players have different preferences for pace and difficulty, and we want to put more choices in your hands.
Planned options include a weapon durability loss toggle and resource gain multipliers, so solo players and multiplayer rooms can find the play style that suits them.
🖥️ 12. A clearer, more comfortable interface
We will keep refining information layout, text/background contrast, visual style, and input feedback.
We will also watch for motion effects that cause dizziness or eye strain, making reading and interaction more comfortable during long sessions.
🚀 13. More technologies and equipment
We are designing and building more technology with practical uses and enjoyable interactions, such as:
Electrically powered containers.
Automatic supply modules.
Crewed rockets.
Salt evaporation ponds.
These features are at different development stages. We will gradually explain their uses and how they fit into life on the train.
🧱 14. Building system upgrades
Plans include mirrored building, more building pieces, construction sets in different styles, and wallpaper.
We want construction to be easier while giving you more room to experiment with shapes, colors, and interiors.
🎣 15. More fishing and aquatic activities
There is plenty of room to expand fishing. We plan to add:
New rare fish, such as the “Pink Pufferfish.”
More fishing accessories with different uses.
Baited traps for small aquatic creatures such as river shrimp and mussels; some fish may also enter.
Animations of fish circling hooks and small fish swimming underwater.
More underwater exploration.
We hope stopping by a river offers both quiet moments of waiting and fresh discoveries.
🕒 16. Clocks and thermometers
Clocks and thermometers are planned to show time and ambient temperature, helping you prepare for travel, exploration, and supplies.
⛵ 17. New factions: Seafaring Merchants and Pirates
The world will gain more groups with their own ways of life.
Seafaring Merchants live on the ocean. They know how to extract high-purity oxygen from seawater and sell unusual goods. You may encounter them near coasts or on their voyages.
Pirates will bring different encounters. When they approach, watch their cannons and consider your response in advance.
🦔 18. Unique creatures and resources across ecosystems
Like the recently added porcupines, we want different ecosystems to have their own creatures and resources.
Entering new lands should mean new discoveries and choices. We will keep enriching these differences so mid- and late-game journeys still have exciting destinations.
🌳 19. A giant tree growing on your train
We are exploring an unusual idea: a giant tree growing aboard your train.
It could become a new source of wood in the mid to late game, possibly produce Oxygen Fruit, and lead to new interactions with planting, harvesting, and train layouts.
This is still a concept. We hope it will be both useful and an unforgettable sight aboard your train.
✨ 20. More surprises along the way
This is not the full extent of our plans.
More ideas about oceans, exploration, and train life are taking shape. We want to keep some content unannounced and surprise you when it is ready.
🎟️ About the 1.0 Release
Players who buy OxyRail during the current Early Access (EA) phase will receive the 1.0 release update without purchasing the game again.
Our current plan is to spend roughly another year expanding content, improving the experience, and working toward 1.0. The timing may change with development progress and the game's readiness.
For us, 1.0 is both a milestone and a quality standard. We want to deliver an OxyRail with richer content, more complete systems, and greater stability.
We also plan continued maintenance and updates after release. As team capacity and project circumstances allow, we hope this journey can stay with you for a long time.
📅 Our Update Schedule
Around October 7, we expect another 1–2 quick updates. These will include automatic egg collectors [collecting eggs from coops in the same carriage], automatic crop harvesters [harvesting plants from planters in the same carriage], and the ability to put seeds in coops so chickens can feed themselves, similarly to animal pens. There will also be improvements, fixes, and possibly other content. We will bring these additions to you as quickly as possible.
After that, we plan to gradually shift regular content updates from the current frequent daily releases to a mainly weekly schedule.
As we focus on fuller systems and larger features, we need uninterrupted time for development, integration, and testing, so new content reaches you in better shape. Urgent issues affecting normal play will still receive separate fixes as needed.
Our aim is to offer something worth returning for each week: new gameplay, a long-awaited feature improvement, or optimizations that make the journey smoother.
Some larger features will take longer, and we will share progress along the way. We hope that whenever you board after work or study, you can feel the journey getting a little better.
❤️ Thank you to every conductor traveling with us
We know a roadmap ultimately has to prove its worth through the updates that follow.
We value your suggestions, criticism, patience, and support. We will keep addressing problems, refining the experience, and turning these plans into reality.
Please keep telling us which issues affect your play most and which content excites you. Your actual experiences help us prioritize the work ahead.
Thank you for boarding OxyRail.
There are many more places worth stopping ahead. See you at the next station.
— The OxyRail Development Team