Simutrans is played through the Game Interface/Window which provides information about the current game; access to toolbars and game-controls; and a view-of the current game-world.

titlebar: the left of the titlebar of the Game Interface/Window shows the version and release date of Simutrans that is currently running.
The right hand side of the titlebar also contains controls to minimise, maximise the Game Interface/Window and also to exit Simutrans.

Icons: a row of icons, used to access game-toolbars and game-controls when playing Simutrans, is directly below the titlebar. Icons (click to use) are grouped in three sets:

- Main Menu icons include:
- floppy-disc: opens Game Options
- map: opens Map
- magnifying-glass selects Inspection Tool
- sloping-land-icon: opens landscape toolbar
- train: opens ?railway/train toolbar
- monorail/maglev: monorail transportation toolbar
- tram: opens tram transportation toolbar
- truck: opens road transportation toolbar
- ship: opens water transportation toolbar
- airplane: opens air transportation toolbar
- red-drop-in-yellow-circle (crane-icon in pak128): opens special construction toolbar
- red-cross (bulldozer-icon in pak128): selects the destroy/remove tool Tool

- Management Menu icons include:
- network-icon: opens Line Management
- list-icon: opens Lists
- mailbox-icon: opens Message Centre
- money-icon: opens Finances

- Other Options icons include:
- camera-icon: captures current image of Game Interface/Window (without the titlebar) and saves it as a bitmap file in the directory/folder ...simutrans/screeshot/
Tip: Image can also be captured with keypress [c].
- coffee-mug-icon: pause s/unpauses game .
Tip: Keypress [p] also can be used to pause/unpause game.
- >> icon: selects/deselects Fast Forward. (changes rate at which Time , T, passes in game).
Tip: Fast Forward can alo be selected/deselected with keypress [W]
IMPORTANT: Game may not run smoothly;Display Informationindicates if the computer can cope with change.
- ?: opens Simutrans Help

the main game window of a portion of the current game-world is displayed below the Icons.
You can zoom-in and zoom-out the the main game window and also scroll around to view other parts of the game-world using a mouse or keyboard.

temporary scroll-bar appears and displays messages at the bottom of the the main game window.
Tip: Click on a message to centre the main game window to a related position.

A bottom-bar that provides information about the current game-world is shown under the the main game window.
Information provided, from left to right on the bottom-bar includes:
date and time: current date and time of game-world, follows a graphic and name of season.
account balance: current cash available for construction and other costs (purchasing vehicles, maintaining transport infrastructure and operation costs of running vehicles).
co-ordinates: indicate position of cursor in the main game window. The three figures represent X co-ordinate, Y co-ordinate and height.
T: indicates the rate at which time passes in the game.
Tip: Use [.] / [,] to accelerate/decelerate Time, T ; Display Informationindicates if the computer can cope with change.
Use of Fast Forward replaces T with ">>" on bottom-bar.
timeline: indicates whether a timeline has been selected in the current game.