UnderRail: Determine Faction Alliances Whilst Exploring a Sprawling Metro Network

UnderRail is an isometric, old-school RPG that pays homage to classics like Fallout and Planescape: Torment. Set in a sprawling, post-apocalyptic underground metro system, the game challenges players with deep character customization, tactical turn-based combat, and a richly atmospheric world filled with danger and intrigue. UnderRail is a love letter to hardcore RPG enthusiasts, offering both complexity and an uncompromising challenge.

Plot and Setting

The game is set in a dystopian future where Earth’s surface has become uninhabitable, and humanity has retreated into the subterranean metro system known as UnderRail. Players assume the role of a nameless inhabitant of one of the stations, caught in the middle of conflicts between various factions vying for control of resources and power in the harsh, enclosed environment.

The story is largely shaped by player choice, focusing on exploration, survival, and navigating the political and social dynamics of UnderRail. The setting is meticulously crafted, featuring dark tunnels, abandoned stations, and biomes teeming with mutated creatures, offering a mix of claustrophobia and wonder.

Gameplay Mechanics

Turn-Based Combat: The game features tactical, grid-based combat where positioning, resource management, and strategy are key to survival.
Character Customization: A robust system allows players to create unique builds by selecting attributes, skills, and feats, catering to various playstyles, from stealthy assassins to psionic warriors.
Crafting and Resource Management: Players can craft weapons, armour, and gadgets, scavenging materials from their environment to enhance their gear.
Exploration: The game encourages exploration of its interconnected metro network, with hidden paths, secrets, and lore scattered throughout.
Faction Interaction: Various factions, such as the militaristic Protectorate or the anarchistic Free Drones, play a pivotal role in the story, and players’ choices determine their alliances and enemies.

Themes

Survival and Isolation: The game explores the struggles of living in a harsh, enclosed environment where resources are scarce and threats are omnipresent.
Factional Politics: Players must navigate the delicate balance of power and decide whom to support in a morally ambiguous world.
Adaptation and Growth: The deep customization and challenging gameplay reward players for experimenting, learning from failure, and adapting to their environment.

Have you played UnderRail? What’s your favourite part of it? We’d love to hear from you.

Other things you might want to know: