Traffix

Who knew that controlling a busy intersection would be the hot new trend for 2019? It all started a few weeks ago when I reviewed Crossroads Extreme, a so-so time-waster about managing traffic flow and keeping the pedestrians from getting run over. Now comes Traffix, a brand-new game that offers a unique twist on that formula. This is a deceptively difficult juggling act that not only improves on Crossroads Extreme in every conceivable way, but is also one of the best games I've played this year.

Not to be confused with the 1985 Commodore 64 game of the same name, Traffix is all about helping drivers get home safely. You control the traffic lights at a busy intersection, so it's up to you to switch it to green in order to let one or more cars through. What makes this tricky is that you're often trying to merge into a steady flow of traffic that you have no control over, and if you're not careful, you can cause a multi-car pile up on one of the country's busiest highways.

This is one of those concepts that starts out incredibly easy, but ultimately becomes a stressful exercise in juggling. You're not just controlling one or two traffic lights, but often three and four, usually spread apart in the most inconvenient ways possible. You'll have to keep track of multi-part streets, roundabouts and confusing traffic patterns. And that's before we realize that some of these famous cities have trains and airports that run right through the streets. There ends up being a lot you have to keep track of at once, and I was constantly surprised by how difficult some of the stages can be.

Thankfully, you can screw up a few times and still manage to unlock the next stage. In fact, Traffix gives you ten mistakes before it's game over, and trust me, you're going to need all those lives in a few of the harder levels. The most obvious way to get a big red "X" is by causing a bunch of accidents, but this will also happen if you let the impatient drivers sit at a red light for too long. The problem is that once one domino falls, things tend to get a lot worse (and more chaotic) from there. Suddenly the angry drivers start piling up along side the crashed cars, which is a hole that's almost impossible to get out of.

But for as challenging as some of the stages are, I never felt like Traffix was unfair. Even when things got woefully out of hand, it was usually my fault. A lot of the stages require you to learn their patterns and get into a rhythm, which is something I really liked about this game. All thirty stages somehow manage to feel completely different, which is not something I can say for all traffic simulators. I never felt like they were simply recycling ideas, because there's something memorable and unique about every single city in this game. And if you manage to complete the stage without causing any accidents, you'll unlock a chaos mode with even harder missions.

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Where Crossroads Extreme tried to overwhelm you with colorful graphics, Traffix seems to go in the complete opposite direction. The thirty stages are all sleek and clean, presented on a white background and featuring nothing but the streets and cars. I really like this simple approach, especially the use of shadows. Just about the most flair we get is when the streets are colored orange and green. This look won't be for everybody, but I loved it. This game is stunning.

I know it sounds like I'm only highlighting the positives, but that's mostly because Traffix rarely stumbles. This is a game that takes a great concept and executes on it perfectly. The gameplay is easy and intuitive, the levels are full of fresh ideas, the graphics are great, and there are all kinds of incentives to go back and master each city. Just about the worst thing this game does is skimp on the soundtrack. There's a theme song and that's about it. But you can only be so disappointed by the barebones soundtrack when the game is this much fun. There may be multiple traffic simulators on the market, but Traffix is the only one worth buying.