Playing User Maps

🎯 What is a User Map

A user map is a UGC map made with the Map Editor. User maps are kept separate from the official maps and are launched from a dedicated screen on the title menu.

🚪 Launching from the Title

Open the dedicated screen from the User Maps button on the title screen.

1. Start the game and reach the title screen
2. Click the User Maps button at the bottom of the screen
3. The locally stored UGC maps are listed
4. Pick the map you want to play
5. Pick one of that map's scenarios from the dropdown
6. Click Start

🏷 Title, Author, Description, Preview

Each row in the list shows the title, author, and preview image set by the map's author. Clicking a row reveals a large preview image and the author's description on the right pane.

• Bold title: the display name chosen by the author, independent of the folder name (e.g. "Yokohama Morning Rush"). Falls back to the folder name if not set.
• Subtitle ("by Author · path"): author name + path. Without an author, only the path is shown.
• Thumbnail (80×45 px on the left): the preview.png captured by the author. A dark gray placeholder shows up if missing.
• Large preview on the right pane: the selected row's thumbnail enlarged (16:9 letterbox).
• Description: the author's blurb, displayed below the preview image. Useful for picking maps based on features like "with double crossover / shunting / morning rush".

📥 Importing Someone Else's Map

To play a map made by someone else, the current approach is to copy their map folder into the right place.

1. Obtain the map folder (containing a Data/ folder); extract if it is zipped
2. Open the path below in Where Maps Are Stored
3. Drop the obtained folder, as a whole, directly under the CustomMaps folder
4. Restart the game (or reopen the User Maps screen on the title) — the new map appears in the list

📁 Where Maps Are Stored

User maps live in the Windows user-save area at:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\DefaultCompany\RailSim260127\CustomMaps\

Each map has its own folder (bundle) under this directory (e.g. Futtsu\). Inside each bundle is a Data/ folder, then <company>/<map>/, which holds the wiring/equipment/master CSVs plus a subfolder per scenario (e.g. DayTime/).

Backup and sharing

• Zip the entire map folder for a simple backup — restore by unzipping it back
• Hand the same zip to a friend; they can drop it into the same path and play
• The Map Editor's "Open Map" dialog uses the same list

🛒 Steam Workshop (planned)

Steam Workshop integration is planned for a future update in the V1.7.x series. Once it ships, you will be able to subscribe to and publish maps in one click — no more manual folder copies.

📚 Related Guides

• Help Guide — the basic gameplay
• Map Editor — Getting Started — make your own maps
• Company guide
• Wiring guide
• Equipment guide
• Operations guide