LineManager
DEDemo on Steam
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Plan your network.
Bring the city to life.

Build bus and tram networks on real maps, lay your own track and get your transport company through the operating day.

Play the free demo on SteamMore about the demo

Windows PC · German & English · Technical alpha 0.3

Gameplay capture · Naumburg main station at night · Night view in progress · © OpenStreetMap contributors

Trailer (61 s) · Staged scenes from the game in Naumburg and on the Portland pilot map · Music: “Upbeat Corporate” by PaulYudin (Pixabay license)

What is LineManager?

LineManager is a building and operations game about public transport. On real maps you plan lines, build track with points and turning loops, write timetables – and find out whether your network survives everyday life with traffic lights, disruptions and the city council.

Regions3 + 1Naumburg · Dortmund · Riga · Portland (pilot)
ModesBus + Tramone network, one operation
Build0.3Technical alpha
LanguagesDE · ENinterface

Features

Two buses at the Naumburg bus station; passengers board at the covered bay.
Gameplay capture · Bus station with passengers · Naumburg · 1 October 2026

Build the network

Place stops, draw lines: buses and trams share one network and the same city.

  • Playable Bus stops snap to suitable streets; the preview shows residents and jobs in the catchment area.
  • Playable Tram stops from templates: side and island platforms, single stops, multi-track and tunnel stations – checked against vehicle length.
  • Playable Tram lines are created by clicking stops – as shuttle, loop or ring lines; problems are explained in plain words.
Learn more
Naumburg tram depot in the evening; a tramcar leaves across the points next to the stabling tracks and the Poststraße stop.
Gameplay capture · Depot in the evening · Naumburg · 1 October 2026 · Night view in progress

Track and structures

You build the track yourself – from a simple junction to a depot with a workshop.

  • Playable Single and double track, street-running or on reserved track, freely aligned or along the road – with magnetic snapping and undo.
  • Playable Connections only via visible points; switching takes time and point failures can be simulated.
  • Playable Turnbacks, turning loops, shunting stops and buffer stops – a crossover alone is not a turning facility.
Learn more
Electronic interlocking with track diagram, set routes and occupied sections.
Gameplay capture · Track-diagram interlocking · Dortmund · August 2026

Signalling

If you like, signal your network like a real operator – if not, leave it to the automation.

  • Playable Main and tram signals with real aspects; passing a main signal at danger triggers an emergency brake.
  • Playable Blocks, overlaps and routes with flank protection – set automatically along the line or by hand.
  • Playable A track-diagram interlocking is derived from the network you build and shows live traffic.
Learn more
Street grid in the northwest of the Portland pilot map with two streetcars, cars and parking lots.
Gameplay capture · Northwest Portland with traffic · 3 October 2026 · Pilot map in progress · arranged scene

Shape the city

Streets, junctions and traffic lights are not scenery: they decide how punctual buses and trams are.

  • Playable Road editor with templates for residential and main streets, one-way streets and roundabouts; new roads are drivable right away.
  • Playable Junctions with right-of-way rules, traffic lights and turn bans; road signs affect buses and cars.
  • Playable Traffic light groups with their own programmes for normal, morning, evening and event traffic.
Learn more

All features with development status

Cities

  1. Naumburg (Saale)

    Compact tram town on the Saale – and the demo region.

    In the demo

  2. Dortmund

    The entire city – the biggest challenge in the game.

  3. Riga Central

    A compact slice of the Latvian capital's city centre.

  4. Portland (Oregon)

    The first city outside Europe – a pilot map in progress.

    In the demoIn progress

All cities

Every vehicle from every side.

Buses, trams and city traffic as rotatable 3D models – with doors and destination displays to try out.

Open the vehicle world

Development

Demo Patch 3: fixes for track building and tram operations: Smoother depot departures, fixes for track building and clearer demo guidance in Naumburg and Portland.

    Go to the devlog

    FAQ

    When will LineManager be released?

    There is no release date for the full game yet. LineManager is listed as “Coming soon” on Steam. With LineManager on your wishlist, Steam will notify you when the game is released.

    What is in the demo?

    The free demo includes Naumburg (Saale) and Portland. Both regions offer guided introductions with objectives and free play. Dortmund and Riga are part of the full game. You can find the demo on LineManager's Steam page.

    Can I continue my demo saves later?

    There is no definite answer yet. The demo saves to its own folder, separate from the full game.

    Which languages does LineManager support?

    The interface is available in German and English. There is no voice-over and there are no subtitles, as the game has no spoken audio.

    What hardware do I need?

    LineManager runs on Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit). The current minimum and recommended specs are listed on the Steam page. Large cities such as Dortmund need considerably more power than Naumburg.

    All questions

    Your city needs a network that works.

    Play the free demo on Steam

    Now on Steam

    The demo is live.

    Try Naumburg (Saale) and Portland for free, with guided introductions, objectives and free play.

    Free · Windows PC · German & English

    Play the free demo on Steam

    The demo is still in development. Bugs and performance issues are possible, especially in Portland.