Publisher The Irregular Corporation and developer Minakata Dynamics announce RAILGRADE, a new railway construction strategy game. This will arrive for Windows later this year, but you can see for yourself if it makes the grade in a playable demo that's available on Steam right now. The game involves an unusual economic component tied to off-world resources in a near future setting. Here's an Announcement Trailer and here are the details:

RAILGRADE takes place in a dark, near-future where off-world colonies packed with rich resources are harvested by greedy corporations. However your employer, Nakatani Chemicals, has lost control of one colony following a complete economic collapse - so it’s now up to the player to salvage what’s left using retrofitted train transport. Develop a vast distribution and logistics network on this faraway planet by controlling the construction of new tracks, and employ strategic routes to efficiently deliver valuable cargo.

Using easy construction tools, you’ll need to conquer geography, manage costs, and increase production to create perfect routes with a steady workflow. As your railways begin to bring in capital, you can profit by exporting extra goods via zeppelins, or construct new buildings to help continue the growth of cities. Harness the distribution power of your fleet of customizable trains, while also managing the production process, to maintain a steady flow of resources to your cities which will soon flourish.

Interested applicants to Nakatani Chemicals can download a demo for the game right now on Steam, as part of the Steam Games Festival that starts later today. The demo will give players a glimpse of the future of commerce, with the game’s first two missions featured in the single player campaign mode.