Railway Nomads takes place in the aftermath of a devastating apocalypse, in which the last shreds of humanity cling to dilapidated trains as a toxic Fog slowly envelops the world. The players enter the game as the very last train. The final survivors. There are several biomes to explore, but the Fog scorches each one as the players pass through it. Slowly, if left alone for long enough, these biomes will try to regenerate.
The Fog is a noxious cloud of pollution that is pumped into the air by all the trains that came before, and is only fed by the the very last. This Fog follows the players wherever they go.
Each character has a vital role to play in keeping the team alive. Some - such as the hunter and the miner - are responsible for collecting invaluable resources, like iron metal to repair the train and food to keep everyone from starving. The medic is responsible for healing others' wounds, whilst the conductor must carefully plan their movements. The team must work together to solve the puzzles at the end of each level before the Fog creeps too close.
Resources begin to run low as the players are forced to retrace their steps through biomes that never quite recovered. As the train wheezes along on its very last legs, repairs become more and more expensive as it becomes harder to harvest from the environment. Eventually, they can go no further. Players must take a final stand beside the remains of their faithful train as they stare down certain death.