Northgate Dispatch, the actual game
Everything else on this site is written in character. This page is not. Northgate Dispatch is a keyboard-driven, green-screen train dispatch game, out now on Steam.
You play the signal operator. You read the working timetable, admit approaching services, hold the ones running late, and release them down the main line before the next one arrives. Route a train into an occupied block and the line locks up.
Buy on Steam › Read the manual
Out now on Windows, macOS and SteamOS + Linux. Full controller support, and it plays well on the Steam Deck. Developed and published by Workstation4.
What you do
Work the boards
From a single control terminal you work a whole shift of arrivals, departures and pass-throughs. There are no menus to dig through. Every train, signal and report is on one screen, and you can learn the layout in a shift or two.
Keep the line safe
Only one train can be in the junction and one on the main line at a time. Break that and the interlocking locks the track. You then file an incident report, name the cause, and reset the block while the next few services pile up behind it.
Move up the roster
You start as a trainee on a quiet branch and earn your grade one shift at a time, through city terminals and tangled interchanges, up to the busiest boards on the network.
It comes down to you
Each railyard runs the same schedule every time, so a good shift or a bad one is down to how you worked it, not luck. You can learn a board quickly, and spend a lot longer chasing an A grade.
Features
One screen, one job
Every train, signal and report is drawn on a single hand-built board.
The same puzzle every time
Seeded schedules mean each board rewards skill, not a lucky run.
Move up the ranks
Six difficulty tiers, each with its own railyards, plus a hidden graveyard shift.
Controller support
Keyboard-native, and comfortable on the Steam Deck.
Station atmosphere
Crowd noise, rolling stock, and platform announcements that react to your board.
Achievements and stats
15 Steam achievements, and lifetime stats that count every train you clear. Three terminal colour schemes.
- Emerald, the default signal green.
- Amber, the classic warm terminal.
- Lapis, a cool blue that is easier on tired eyes.
Set your scheme in Settings and it is remembered between shifts.
The interface and station announcements are available in English, Deutsch, Français, Español, Русский, 简体中文 and 日本語. Text and voice can be set separately.
System requirements
| Platform | Operating system | Processor | Memory | Graphics | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows (Minimum) | Windows 10 64-bit | dual-core 2.0 GHz | 2 GB RAM | Intel HD 4000 | 500 MB |
| Windows (Recommended) | Windows 11 64-bit | quad-core 2.5 GHz | 4 GB RAM | Any dedicated or modern integrated GPU | 500 MB |
| macOS | macOS 11 or later | Apple Silicon / Intel Core i3 | 2 GB RAM | Metal | 500 MB |
| SteamOS + Linux | Ubuntu 20.04 / SteamOS 3 or later | dual-core 2.0 GHz | 2 GB RAM | OpenGL 3.3 / Vulkan | 500 MB |
Get the game
Out now Northgate Dispatch is available on Steam for Windows, macOS and SteamOS + Linux.
If you enjoy a shift or two, a Steam review really does help a small game get seen.