Cosmic Commute is a free simulation game from the unique, colorful mind of Billy Dent. In this surreal comedy experience, you play as an inspector in an intergalactic train. You get to interact with aliens riding your train as you try to find who among them are trying to avoid paying their fare. Listen to their stories, share in their troubles, and make sure they pay for their ride.

Cosmic Commute’s simple gameplay mechanic makes it  closer to walking simulators like Gardens of a New World. Similarly, its well-fleshed characters and comedic dialogue are closer to SLUDGE LIFE.

A galactic ticket inspector sim

Starting with its unique premise, Cosmic Commute lets you play as a ticket inspector. Aside from walking and interacting with various passengers in the titular transport, you are also given a card scanning feature to let you verify the aliens’ tickets. As the inspector, you get to meet dozens of uniquely designed characters with whom you’ll have mostly funny interactions. These interactions keep you wanting more.

While there’s not a lot of story binding everything and everyone together, the game takes a sudden turn with the introduction of a murder mystery scenario like Murder on the Orient Express. This adds a weird mix of suspense and dark humor as you try to resolve this issue. Aside from the content, the game also features bright and colorful designs — from the characters down to the galactic train’s details.

The game does feel like it has a wealth of content to offer. However, it surprisingly has a short playthrough. There are also reported glitches such as the corresponding dialogue boxes not appearing in some scenes. Otherwise, it runs well and delivers as advertised. It’s mostly similar to your everyday commute, with a few exaggerated elements thrown in for entertainment.

Fast as a train ride

With its funny dialogue, colorful characters and set designs, and a variety of story elements both big and small, Cosmic Commute is an enjoyable experience. It’s refreshing and fun overall despite being surprisingly short — you’ll literally be shocked that the game ends this way.  The developers showed skillful writing on top of good game programming and design. If you have nothing else to do, check this one out.