LOTUS-Simulator
Early access since Sep 2018
For the first time, bus, tram and train are simulated extremely realistic in a single game – and you can drive them, build them or create the world around. LOTUS – simulation will never be the same!
44% positive · 727 reviews
Not yet
In early access, content still planned
High confidence
Content Planned
Not yet
In early access, content still planned
High confidence
Content Planned
Where to buy
Steam $49.99
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Evaluation
LOTUS-Simulator has been in Early Access since September 14, 2018 and remains there — the developer has not announced a 1.0 release or any plan to graduate from Early Access.
The game continues to receive active development. On September 15, 2026 (today), the developer released LOTUS.NG Version 0.3.0 — a major milestone that adds bus support, a new physics engine, real-time reflections, a new scripting toolkit, and numerous other systems. This update had been anticipated since the June 9, 2025 announcement that a "Driving" release stage was in beta and being finalized.
The developer maintains a public roadmap at lotus-simulator.dev/roadmap, indicating that further development stages beyond 0.3.0 are planned. The LOTUS.NG project appears to be a ground-up rewrite of the simulator engine, and version numbering (0.3.0) signals that substantial work remains before a final release.
Additionally, the DLC "LOTUS Simulator: Citybus Hamburg" is still listed on the store without a release date, representing announced content that has not yet shipped.
The game is clearly in active, ongoing development with both a just-shipped major release and further content and engine work ahead.
Evidence
LOTUS.NG Version 0.3.0 released today, introducing bus support, a new physics engine, real-time reflections, a scripting toolkit, and many other systems. This is the 'Driving' major release stage that was in beta as of June 2025.
Developer announced the next major NG release stage ('Driving') was in beta with features finalized, and linked to a public roadmap at lotus-simulator.dev/roadmap indicating further planned development stages.
Content
4 of 5 released · 1 planned
Media
Details
Developer
Publisher
Oriolus Software GmbH
Achievements
—
Platform
Windows
Controller
partial support
Steam Deck
Unsupported
Players
Single-player · Multiplayer · Co-op
About this game
LOTUS-Simulator is a driving simulator in a class of its own! At the beginning, the player chooses freely a vehicle and drives it around town, enjoys the ultra-realistic feeling of driving and the original sounds and may even forget that the vehicle is virtual. Once gripped by the excitement of simulation driving, the standards increase: stick to tight schedules, carry special passengers, master the difficult traffic. But that’s not all. The ambition grows with the experience: Now the multiplayer is played under real conditions – the colleagues in the control centre coordinate by radio, the game leader set challenges in the middle of the road, unpredictable weather, real duty rosters and long shifts. And after all, how about recreating the way of the school bus and to master the student’s traffic this time on your own? Didn’t the mate from the historic vehicle society have an ancient tram car with crank control standing around? You could breathe life again into it in the simulator – as a museum run or maybe even at the time it originates…
With LOTUS, dreams and ideas come true – and the best of it: every good realization will find followers and supporters that are hoping for extensions or are looking for exhausting the adventure of simulation driving. They are waiting for you!
LOTUS, that means: L like Leitstelle, (German, control centre), O like omnibus, T like tram, U like underground, S like suburban train.
With LOTUS, dreams and ideas come true – and the best of it: every good realization will find followers and supporters that are hoping for extensions or are looking for exhausting the adventure of simulation driving. They are waiting for you!
LOTUS, that means: L like Leitstelle, (German, control centre), O like omnibus, T like tram, U like underground, S like suburban train.
Features
- Modular structure: Buy and play only what you are interested in – vehicles of the railway, like trams or trains, or vehicles of the road, like buses and trolleybuses, or even other modules that will be released later.
- Realism: Driving physics, environmental physics, graphical effects, sounds, weather, seasons and the world coordinate system are uncompromisingly realistic – that is our first priority.
- Multiplayer: Driving different tours with friends, greeting each other at the meeting point, ensure the connection by radio, coordinate everything in the control centre on your own or follow the instructions of your colleague – this and much more is provided by the multiplayer of LOTUS.
- Map editor: With many tools, aids and quite a few ingenious gimmicks mountains are moved, embankments planned, tracks laid and streets tarmacked. Afterwards the landscape is shaped and decorated with buildings, trees, lights, stops, benches, fences and much more.
- Content tool: Whether a single scenery object or a whole vehicle – with the content tool the objects are configured. From material settings to complex animation, from the design of the physics, the sound settings and the import and debugging of scripts, the content tool accompanies and supports the developer.
- Plugin interface: A discarded crank, the board information system with display, a driver’s desk or a whole cockpit can be operated with the simulator and get information back from it by the use of the plugin interface.
Last evaluated Sep 15, 2026
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