Night Plough tips for new snow plough drivers
The best Night Plough tip is simple: drive close to the edge of the road and throw the snow towards that edge. Then the snow lands beside the road, not in the bus's way. Below are more easy habits that make every night smoother, with the common mistakes and how to fix them.
Ten tips for a smooth night
- Read the line at the top. It always says the next thing to do, like "Lower the blade" or "Plough ahead on Depot road".
- Lower the blade before the cones. The blade only scrapes snow while it is down and you are moving.
- Throw towards the kerb. Drive near one side and throw that way. Snow thrown into the middle of the road makes a ridge the bus can get stuck in. See how to plough snow.
- Go through each pile twice. One pass clears one lane, about 5 metres. A second pass beside the first makes room for both of the bus's wheels.
- Plough in route order. The bus follows you. Start at the depot and work along the gold route.
- Raise the blade at the side of the road. The snow on the blade drops where you raise it. Don't leave a heap in a junction.
- Look at the bus picture. "Bus is waiting" means something is in its way. Open the map to see why.
- Pull over when you are done. The bus slows down behind you. Give it room to reach the stop.
- Use sand, not salt, on black ice. Sand works in any cold. More on the sand and salt page.
- Drive gently near traffic. Bumps cost money and stop the other driver for a moment.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
| Problem | Why it happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing happens when I drive through snow | The blade is up | Press Space, A or Lower blade |
| The line still says "Plough ahead" after I drove past | You missed the middle of the pile | Drive through the middle, between the cones |
| "Make the lane wider" | One of the bus's wheels is in deep snow | Drive through again, a bit to the side |
| The bus stops on North square on night 5 or 6 | Black ice | Turn on Sand and drive over the ice, twice if needed |
| "Side street blocked" on night 4 or 6 | Your snow landed in Harbour road's entrance | Plough the entrance again and throw the other way |
| "Bump! Back away so the driver can go on." | You touched a car or the bus | Reverse a little |
| The truck won't speed up | The fuel tank is empty | Return truck to the depot, then Refill at the depot |
| I am lost or stuck at the edge of town | You drove off the roads | Return truck to the depot in Tools |
| "Shift ended" | Time ran out before the job was done | Retry this night |
Use the map before you drive
Press Town map on the night's card before you start. Follow the gold line from the Depot to the bus stop and count the gold rings: that is how many piles you need to plough. All the map's colours are on the town map page.
Try the blade view
Press C (or Blade view in Tools) to watch the blade up close. You can see exactly how wide your lane is and where the snow lands. Press C again to see the whole town from above, and once more to go back.
You can't lose your game
There is no game over. If a night goes wrong, you can always Retry this night. Your earlier nights and your money are safe. Practise this night lets you play a night again for fun, without changing your save.
When you have learned the basics
Read the advanced tips for the hidden timers, how deep is too deep, and how to earn top pay. Then try the trickier nights on the nights page.
Like this game? Try these
If you enjoy calm work games where you do a real job well, try the Lofoten Catch guide, a fishing simulation.
