Network map · checked October 2026
Transport tycoon games you can run from a browser tab
Freight & Ferry covers one small corner of online games: management sims where you build a railway, an airline or a shipping company and keep it profitable. Seven games made the map. Each one is live, each one plays in a web browser, and each one gets its own review page.
We do not host any games and we do not score them out of ten. We describe what each game is, how its clock runs, how it is paid for and who it suits, and we send you to the publisher's official site to try it.
Boarding rules
A game earns a stop on this map only if it passes all five checks. Anything that failed one of them stayed off the network.
It is live today
We opened the publisher's site in October 2026 and found a working sign-up or play button, not an archive page.
It runs in a browser
Every game here can be played in a desktop browser. Where apps or a Steam version also exist, we say so on the game's page.
Transport is the core
Moving goods or people from place to place is the main job, not a side feature of a city builder.
The model is stated plainly
We describe how each game is paid for: free with optional purchases, credits, or donations. No hidden catches, as far as the official pages show.
The source is the publisher
Facts come from official sites, handbooks and the publisher's own store pages. Fan wikis and forums are not our source.
The lines
Three lines, seven stops. Rail games reward supply-chain thinking, airline games reward network planning, and the single sea stop is about freight and ports.
RRail line2 stops
Rail Nation
Bright Future Studio, published by Travian Games
The cooperative heavyweight: a railway race through six eras where your association matters as much as your timetable.
- Browser
- iOS
- Android
Train Manager
Trophy Games
The solo-friendly rail desk: real stations, live trains, and an EASY or REALISM switch for how much bookkeeping you want.
- Browser
- Steam (coming soon)
AAir line4 stops
Airline Manager
Trophy Games
The easy-boarding airline: real aircraft, passenger and cargo routes, and progress that keeps ticking while you are away.
- Browser
- iOS
- Android
- Steam
Airlines Manager
Playrion
Two clocks in one game: a real-time professional mode and a seven-times-faster quick mode with seasons.
- Browser
- iOS
- Android
AirlineSim
Simulogics
For people who read timetables for fun: one-to-one real time, real traffic rights, and a pay-per-world model with no shop.
- Browser
- Steam
Airline Club
Independent open-source project
The open-source sandbox: free, no ads, and a passenger model that cares about price, quality and loyalty.
- Browser
SSea line1 stop
Shipping Manager
Trophy Games
The only sea route on the map: real ports, pirates to fend off, and the same EASY or REALISM switch as its airline sibling.
- Browser
- Steam
Timetable
The short version of every review, side by side. Scroll the table sideways on a narrow screen.
| Game | Line | Runs in | How it is paid for | Time it asks | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rail Nation | R1 Rail line | Browser, iOS, Android | Free; optional premium currency | Regular check-ins; team timing near the endgame | Team players |
| Train Manager | R2 Rail line | Browser; Steam listed as coming soon | Free, no ads; optional purchases | Your own pace | Solo rail fans |
| Airline Manager | A1 Air line | Browser, iOS, Android, Steam | Free; optional purchases | Light; progress continues while offline | Airline newcomers |
| Airlines Manager | A2 Air line | Browser, iOS, Android | Free; app lists purchases and ads | Pick real time or seven-times speed | Players who want to choose the tempo |
| AirlineSim | A3 Air line | Browser, Steam | Starter credits, then prepaid credits | Real time, one to one; long worlds | Experienced sim players |
| Airline Club | A4 Air line | Browser | Free, no ads; optional donations | Persistent world; planning-heavy | Tinkerers who dislike shops |
| Shipping Manager | S1 Sea line | Browser, Steam | Free; optional purchases | Your own pace | Freight and port fans |
Route notes
Three longer pieces for when you have not picked a line yet.
- N1How to pick your first transport tycoon
Seven games is not many, but they differ more than their screenshots suggest. Four questions will narrow the choice to one or two.
- N2The transport tycoon glossary
Management sims borrow vocabulary from real transport and from each other. Here are the terms you will meet most often on this site and in the games, in plain language.
- N3Keeping a real-time game in its lane
Transport tycoons are built to be visited often. That is their charm and their risk. A few habits keep the timetable yours rather than the game's.
Information desk
Do all of these games really run in a browser?
Yes. Each of the seven has a browser version reachable from its official site. Several also have phone apps or a Steam release, which we list on each review, but none of them requires a download to start.
Are they free?
Six of the seven are free to start with optional in-game purchases, or completely free in the case of Airline Club, which runs on voluntary donations. AirlineSim works differently: new accounts get starter credits, some short game worlds are free, and most worlds are paid for with prepaid credits.
Which game asks for the least time?
Airline Manager is the lightest on the clock, because its official site says your airline keeps earning while you are offline. Train Manager and Shipping Manager also leave the pace to you. Rail Nation and AirlineSim ask for the most regular attention.
Which one is the most realistic?
AirlineSim, by a distance. It runs in real time, one hour for one hour, and models traffic rights, airport capacities and passenger demand on the real world. Airline Club has the most interesting passenger model of the free options.
Can I play with friends?
In all of them, to some degree. Rail Nation is built around associations, and the airline games all support alliances. Train Manager and Shipping Manager let you compete with friends on leaderboards, and Train Manager has alliances too.
Do your links carry tracking or affiliate codes?
No. Every game link points to the publisher's official address with no added parameters, and this site runs no analytics or advertising scripts.
How current is the information?
Every review shows the date we checked it at the publisher. Online games change often, so treat the official site as the final word on features and prices.