In 2025, every hobby is ripe for simulation — including collecting.
Announced today, November 4, Ludo Systems’ upcoming title “Collector’s Edition” aims to be the “Train Simulator” of collectible items. Players can purchase, sell and view virtual coins, cards and art, with all items based on real-world equivalents like Morgan dollars or Honus Wagner baseball cards. Ludo Systems founder Tyler Coleman told GamesBeat that he has been developing “Collector’s Edition” on and off since 2017; now, the studio is gearing up for a 2026 early access launch, dedicating five developers to production of the game.
Ahead of the announcement of “Collector’s Edition,” GamesBeat spoke to Coleman for an annotated Q&A.
The following interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
On the concept behind “Collector’s Edition”
Tyler Coleman: “One of the arguments we make in our pitch deck is that ‘Train Simulator,’ the video game, is just the transference of a physical hobby — model trains — into a digital format. We’re trying to provide the same thing for coins and cards and stamps.”
GamesBeat: Simulation games have been having a moment in 2025. In September, the genre had its first-ever dedicated conference, Chicago’s Sim Gaming Expo. Sim gaming’s rise in popularity kicked off during the COVID-19 pandemic, but has persisted post-COVID, with the global simulation game market projected to reach over $25 billion by 2026. With this in mind, it makes sense that game studios like Ludo Systems view unadapted hobbies like collecting as potential white space for adaptation into the genre.
On the purpose behind using coins and cards as the game’s primary collectibles
Tyler Coleman: “Two words: public domain. So many collectibles are licensed, but old coins, old cards and ephemera — we can access things like that. With that said, we’ve already spoken to quite a few license companies; we have some letters of intent already signed with them. Eventually, we’ll roll out licensed content.”
GamesBeat: Coleman’s past credits include DLC-heavy games like “Merchant” and “Space Merchant,” so it’s not surprising that he plans to include DLC in his upcoming title as well. The planned licensing business of “Collector’s Edition” offers an additional potential revenue stream for its developers. Coleman told GamesBeat that he anticipates “Collector’s Edition” will act as a gateway into the collecting hobby for younger players, similar to other simulation games like “Euro Truck Simulator” and “Farming Simulator.”
“This is also sort of a safe space to learn the ropes. We’re trying as best as we can to be authentic and realistic, to where you might actually be able to learn more about the hobby,” he said. “But, if you get scammed, it’s virtual money.”
On the purpose of the game’s 90’s-retro aesthetic
Tyler Coleman: “From a gameplay perspective, I would rather explore that space — the not-cellphone and not-instantly-connected space. What happens when you go to a yard sale? You can’t bring your computer with you; you have to make your decision on the spot, with what you brought with you. I think it makes for a more interesting game plan, so we’re exploring that, whereas most simulators have a tablet or phone that you can bring up and have all your UI systems available as you travel.”
GamesBeat: Coleman focused his answer on gameplay, but he also referenced nostalgia as one of the driving forces behind the retro aesthetic of “Collector’s Edition.” Featuring a blocky desktop computer and an analogue of Web 1.0 eBay, “Collector’s Edition” is the latest game to tug on the heartstrings of millennial nostalgia, following in the footsteps of popular recent releases and re-releases like “Backyard Baseball.”
“You can assume collectors are also nostalgic people,” Coleman said.