Right away, my impression of TROLEU has been that if a content creator like CaseOh streams this, this game is going to be a smash hit. The publisher CRITICAL REFLEX has put out some absolute bangers, including Mouthwashing and Buckshot Roulette, so I assume they also think this is the case. I wasn’t familiar with andrground but you can take a look at their previous work here.
If you’re looking for a serious simulation like Papers, Please, this game is not it. This game is one of those meme-worthy, shut your brain off for a bit, kick back, and have some laughs. If you’re a content creator, this will be one of those games where you’ll be able to get some silly clips and reactions. If it has Crowd Control integration, it’ll do very well for itself. It reminded me a bit of TCG Simulator.
What is TROLEU about?
There really isn’t much for a story mode, but to be fair, I’m not expecting a sprawling epic out of a fairly light-hearted simulator. The game is still being updated, so it’s possible that they may add a campaign mode or more lore post-release. You play as a conductor on a trolleybus. I’m based in the Midwest, so I didn’t realize this was an electric bus. Developer andrground is based out of Moldova, so I assume that’s also where TROLEU is set. I doubt that the duties of an actual trolleybus conductor consist of fist-fighting grannies and yeeting them out of the bus for trying to use a stolen credit card, though.
Anyway, you play as a trolleybus conductor. You ride along on routes, collecting fares, and making sure that any rule-breakers or fare skippers are dealt with. You also get into a lot of fights.
The First Rule of TROLEU Club
Since I didn’t know what I’d be getting myself into, I opted to play the tutorial first. It starts straightforward. You interact with people as they get on the trolleybus; they either hand you a credit card or cash, and you give them their ticket. It slowly starts to throw curveballs at you. Pretty soon, you’re checking IDs and literally kicking and tossing people off the bus for fare evasion. This is where scuffed physics are awesome and probably an intentional design. More people get on at each stop, and so you’re also dealing with people colliding into each other, having to tell passengers to stop making noise, that sort of thing.
About midway through the tutorial, a passenger became aggressive, and the health bar appeared. I was instructed to win the fight, which was a series of quick-time events. After dragging and dropping that person out of the boss, they dropped loot. At specific points in the route, this shady fellow in a trench coat appears, and that’s your merchant. You can purchase upgrades and additional tickets from them. I learned later on that you can run out of tickets, which pretty much fails your run, so getting to the merchant is crucial. You can also sell whatever loot you’ve acquired, which includes purses and other random items.
Tutorial Complete!
Towards the end of the tutorial, a boss meter for the inspector appeared. His job is to ensure that everyone has a ticket, which made me wonder what my character is even supposed to be doing. I accidentally hit the key to kick him, which started a prompt to kick other passengers at him to defeat him. You then get graded on your performance. This includes kicking out rule breakers (more on that in a little bit), fare skippers, and that you WIN EVERY FIGHT. I was also treated to this bizarre Lynchian dance screen upon completion of the tutorial. Maybe it’ll start a new dance craze.
TROLEU but Under the Sea
In lieu of a standard or hard mode, the game has regular or night shift mode. The night shift has increasingly aggressive passengers, theft, and you have to renew the generator. Your levels range from the suburbs to the Stone Age to the ocean—a natural range of places to travel. Working the night shift during the Stone Age sounds particularly rough since the game notes that the T. rex that may show up and eat everyone is even more short-tempered. It’s hard out here for a trolleybus conductor. Each stage has a gimmick like this, and it adds to the hilarity.
Playing through the countryside level, I had to deal with the bus randomly hitting bumps and sending everyone crashing. For whatever reason, most of the passengers insisted on bringing jars of pickles aboard. I also had to deal with smelly passengers, marked by the big green stench lines. The shady merchant helpfully had perfume and a squeegee available for purchase. The game will randomly add rules at stops, from no grandmas to no pickles. I noticed that each rule is cumulative, so you may end up having to kick half of your passengers out.
Whenever you complete a run, depending on your grade, you unlock more upgrades. Some of the upgrades include an inspector trap, which is apparently a pack of cigarettes on a comically large rat trap, a drain pump, and a speed pad. There’s also a lot of random cosmetics.
Final Thoughts
Weirdly, it’s tough to give a game like TROLEU a traditional review. The PSX-style graphics, popular with Puppet Combo, itch.io, and others, are a valid aesthetic. The developer is well aware of the meme potential of the game; there’s even a tweet about banana support. The music is strangely catchy and added to the chaos. It’s clear that this game was a labor of love and was fully intended to give you a good laugh. If you’re looking to scoop a game that’ll give you some funny clips and moments, it is out now on Steam!
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