Monster Train

Very fun card choices matter, lots of different strategies, enemies change how you have to play.

It's a lot of fun. It's a cross between "Slay the Spire" and tower defence, with a nice little hell vs heaven theme. Enough variation and challenge that I'm 99 hours in and still about to go play another run. I've played solo and with my son - so it's good for a range of ages. Take the ride.

How did I become sooooooo addicted about this game? At first look, the graphics were like a mobile phone game for me, and I want to play on PC, so... I wasn't pretty sure. But then, I begin to play a first run, and Oh my! I was so impressed by the love the devs gave to this game in every aspect of it: a SOLID and original roguelite deckbuilding game, with battle so EPIC, and a ton of replayability with clans, allies, ennemies, bosses, level ups... I'm impressed. The combos that you're not expecting, the damages that you do in one turn sometimes... I'm speechless how this game makes me want to play more of it!
An actual game I want to replay again and again. Cause even if the gameplay looks the same, the feeling when playing won't be.
Thank you for such an amazing game, and I hope to see a second game like this, or more clans (but I know I'm dreaming, but maybe it'll come true?)

Feels a lot lessed balanced than for example slay the spire. Also easier and less rewarding

The best deck-building roguelike, IMO. Good card variety. Combine 2 races, which each have their unique cards, to make for some crazy combos and increased depth and possibilities.

You also have good control over your deck in any given run, card upgrades that are more interesting than in the classics like Slay the Spire.

My absolutely favourite card game.
To me nothing beat this. A must have.

at this point probably my favorite game in the genre, I can see why people compare StS and this game often, It just has a little more pizzazz.

Very good game.
A deckbuilder with a ton of variance and different builds to explore.
The general art style/animation and even the name of the game are all very peculiar. It looks like one of those "micro-transaction-farming mobile games with a huge social media ad budget" however it isn't one of those at all. It is a genuinely addictive and satisfying roguelike deckbuilder. It has a great level of challenge with plenty of variety to explore in different builds. I do think it is a bit on the pricey side though, so it might be worth purchasing when it's on a sale.

At first I was a little unsure about this game because of the tower defense and multiple level aspect of managing characters. Turns out that it just adds more complexity to the game and requires some extra planning for your turns....no big deal. The base game is good and the DLC makes it even better. The full game is one of the must haves in this genre.

If you're a fan of Slay The Spire, you'll probably enjoy this one too. It's similar but with a pinch of Hearthstone and tower defense thrown in to shake it up.

This game is addicting. I've reset game progress multiple times just so I can replay and unlock everything all over again.

Fun spin on Slay the Spire, significantly improved after the DLC

Easily one of the top deckbuilders / roguelikes out there. I put in well over 200 hours when the game was on GamePass for free, and then bought it on Steam a couple years later and now I am re-addicted. :)

Best rogue-lite deck building game there is. I've tried many games in this genre, and nothing comes close to the fun factor, strategic depth, and variety that Monster Train has. Love this game.

I like the game.
Kept me entertained and its just the right amount of challenge for me

Unfortunately I can't recommend this due to the simple fact that each faction is based on parasitic (non-mixable) mechanics.
Rage has no synergy with discard has no synergy with frostbite. There's nothing tying the mechanics together and so your decks end up being "playesets" of mechanics.
It's very disappointing because the rest of the game has a lot of potential.

Monster Train is a Deckbuilding Roguelite, and is one of the best that I've encountered in the genre.

Nailed the formula that makes StS great, while doing it's own thing. The only rogue-like deck builder game that comes close to touching Slay the Spire.

ive never played a game where i had so much fun, But didnt understand anything that was happening

Yep, this game slaps. It's gameplay loop is addictive and fun. I've enjoyed it alot, not too much to think about, just a solid easy to learn and play game. If you can get it on a discount, then scoop it up.

Recommend.

Great game. This game is not a direct copy of Slay the Spire like most of the game today. It's different and most importantly, it's fun game to play.

One of the quality gems out there with it's unique playstyle. Feels like builds does not vary that much during gameplay but there are many factions that you can combine with eachother so even if every combination has 1-2 builds standard it's still a lot of builds to try. Also I'm not seasoned enough so builds may vary for more veteran players. May feel like a hard game for new players but it becomes really easy after getting the hang of the mechanics and planning your turns thoroughly. Another thing I like is that usually roguelike games become all about tempo in high level gameplay but this game lets (and sometimes encourages) you to scale and get ready for the final combat.

This is my favorite deckbuilder of all time. It's unique, and the build variety and systems are just tops. So satisfying, so fun.

This is probably the best card battler to date. I hate its visual style, but everything else about this game is great: the base mechanics, the build variety, the replayability, the fun of the process, the balance, the low entry threshold

I've clocked over 100 hours into this game already, unlocked and leveled up all the characters, and still keep coming back.

Wow, incredibly addictive, strategic, and fun.

I don't have a single gripe. That's it! That's the review! Buy it, play it, enjoy!

Always challenging and ways to play the game. Very challenging at times, yet very relaxing!

Great game, honestly. I've tried a bunch of games of the sort recently, and Monster Train is the one I go back to the most. The gameplay loop is simple, and you might think it'll get repetitive, but actually, the fact that you have 2 clans (out of 6, or 5 without the DLC) to choose cards from makes it more unique every time you do a run, and it's fun to play on random and see what kind of deck you'll end up this time.

The music is great (and I had to buy the soundtrack because of it), and the game is challenging, also letting you increase the difficulty mid-run if you feel confident if you have the DLC. And then there's the little things which keep you playing, such as being able to unlock different card frames, the comprehensive system of stat tracking, and features such as mutators or mods. Even though I've beat all the 25 difficulty levels now, I still find myself coming back to do a run occasionally, just because it stays fun.

And there's no real progression beyond unlocking all the cards, which is quite nice. You can easily stay at the lower difficulty levels if you wish as long as you have all the cards unlocked, or you can go and truly challenge yourself.

If I had to pick areas for improvement, I'd say the story could be expanded on more, it leaves me wanting more, because all we really get is tidbits in events, the logbook, and character bubbles. I wish I could've found out more about why the Monster Train world is the way it is.

Additionally, you could say that the map being virtually the same every time is a bit of a downside (even though it is with slight variety in enemies, boon placement and so on). The difficulty levels don't add much variety, more could have been done in that regard, or just providing more procedural generation or alternate map kinds. If you don't want to replay the same gameplay loop over and over again, then this game is not for you. However, it still remains fun, balanced, challenging, and the feeling of gathering the perfect synergy in your deck, with the right artifacts, and completely obliterating the final boss as the music rings in your ears is intoxicating. Be warned, if you buy this game, it'll probably eat up a lot of your time for a few weeks as you are driven in the quest to reach Covenant 25, but in the best possible way.

perfect for when you want to play slay the spire but also dont want to play slay the spire>

great game in its own right but i basically only play it if i want a rogue-light card game that isnt slay the spire

Most addictive game EVAR. I've logged 110 hours in a little over a week. Some say I don't have a life, I say I'm trying to grind to covenant 25.

Every run is different, and I love discovering new interactions between cards and buffs. If you like deck builders and roguelites, this one's for you.

one of my favourite card games. great getting new cards and units after beating a level and choosing between 2 upgrade paths. its like path A might have, remove 2 cards for free, gain an artifact and a magic shop to upgrade spells.
and path B might have, duplicate any card, gain a new unit, get a bit of gold, and a shop to upgrade your units.
picking between the paths is very hard and can change the game a lot so have to decide carefully. if you upgrade your spells heaps and then your next fight your enemies have a spell buff.... you're in trouble.

when upgrading your units, you can give them more health or damage. give them sweep so all their attacks hit all enemies. quick, which lets them attack first and multi strike allowing them to attack twice.
upgrading spells is sick too. You can give them more power and cost reduction. But my favourite is Holdover. holdover puts your card at the top of your library after you cast it, basically letting you cast it every turn. which can be very broken, and i love it.

love the multi level management, placing units and using spells to buff them or deal damage to enemies.

my only downside i would have for this game is when your deck starts getting really OP, you finish the run. wish you could keep going and try get a high score or something. other than that its great.

such a fun game, even tho it is very difficult and makes me rage quit.

8/10

Roguelike (or light) deckbuilders has become a crowded genre, but this is one of the few real stand outs that does more to define the genre than participate in it.

I would argue the real draw here is in how overwhelmingly well balanced the individual cards and enemies are. The power growth curve is steep and the synergies are many, complex, and deep. Getting the core of a genre just right is always hard, and here they've done it better than any but the best of the best.

If you're new to the genre, this is a great intro. If you're a fan of the genre this is competing for the best of the best. Either way, go for it!

Genuinely great game. Despite ostensibly being a deckbuilding game, it feels very different from slay the spire in a way a lot of other very good games struggle to be. It has its own core identity that is well designed, and fun. Another great entry in the tactical rougelite genre and a mainstain of my rotation.

Great game! Easy to pick up, but with enough depth to enjoy yourself for a while. Once you get to understand the mechanics there's a nice climb in 25 levels adding some negative adjustments every time.
I've finished the main game in 60 hrs as a quite experienced TCG/Roguelike player. Will now be purchasing the expansion :)

Monster Train

Monster Train is roguelike deck building game in which you are on a train that is heading towards hell.

Gameplay

Is Monster Train just another roguelike deck building game? Not really.

The twist of Monster Train is somewhat unique since you have a total of three lanes that you are defending from incoming enemies. Usually, without special modifier or boss abilities, the enemies will start on the first floor and will, if you don’t defeat them, continue going up until they reach your pyre. You lose when your pyre hits zero health points, so you better make sure to defend it with everything you have.

There are different factions that each come with a unique playstyle, their own units and champions as well as spells and you have to mix those well since you usually combine two factions with each other which gives the game more depth and a bunch of combo potential.

There is a total of three big and a handful of smaller bosses that you need to defeat to win.

Personal Note

Now, I’m probably not the only one that instantly thought of other roguelike card games that seem to be released in endless waves ever since Slay the Spire popularized this genre and you are probably right to think of games like Slay the Spire, Inscryption, Banners of Ruin or Across the Obelisk since they all have something in common: Roguelike and roguelite games mix well with deck building & card games and that applies to Monster Train as well.

The game was recommended to me by a friend and during the last Steam summer sale I finally pulled the trigger & bought it and it hooked me instantly. The art-style, the music, the somewhat unique gameplay and the fact that you can make battles harder for more resources from the get go is just an overall plus in my book.

Something else that is positive is that the text of abilities is clear to read and super easy to understand which means that people that are new to roguelike card games will have a good time from the very beginning while people that have been playing similar games might instantly cook up great combinations.

After every battle you can decide on which things to go for.
For example, on the left lane, there might be a merchant that lets you upgrades spells, a random event field and you get a unit for your main faction and on the right lane, there is a merchant that lets you upgrade units, a merchant that offers artifacts and a field that lets you choose a unit from your supporting faction.

After every bigger boss fight, you can choose between some upgrades for your pyre and you get to upgrade your champion as well.

There’s something negative that I want mention: Some buffs and debuffs are just a bit unfair to deal with. If the randomness is on your side, you might build up insanely good combinations that can fall flat almost instantly in certain encounters. The sab and frostbite effects are just very strong and can be hard to deal with at times; although it’s a very good thing when your enemies have endless stacks of frostbite on them – it goes both ways obviously.

The soundtrack fits to the rest of the game and the art style just goes well with all the monsters and champions of the game.

There is a multiplayer mode called “Hell Rush” but I haven’t tried it out so I’m not sure how good or how much fun it is. I usually just go for normal or daily challenge runs; the latter is sort of multiplayer but not really at the same time. Monster Train also offers community challenges that you can create yourself and play challenges that other players created.

There are also mods for Monster Train but I haven’t tried any of them since it’s probably best to play the base game for a while before messing around with mods.

Rating

Pros

• Great art style and aesthetics
  
• Good soundtrack
  
• Factions feel unique and change up the gameplay
  
• Interesting idea for some cards and factions
  
• Daily challenges
  
• Progression system
  
• Mod support
  

Cons

• Some runs seem unwinnable at times
  
[*] Some buffs and debuffs are annoying to deal with

Conclusion

Would I recommend buying Monster Train? Absolutely! The game is fun and I just like it a lot.
I believe that newbies and veterans of the roguelike / roguelite & deck building genre will enjoy playing this game a bunch.

The daily challenges as well as the progression system itself keeps me going and despite sometimes feeling that runs are super hard to win – it’s a good game which has quite a bit of replayability which is very important for such games.

The price tag of 24,50€ might seem a bit high but if I knew how much I like the game, I would have bought it without a discount but I understand if you think that the price might be a bit high for you personally.

You can always wait until Monster Train goes on sale and give it a shot then.

8.5 / 10

“Hell, our home Frozen when heaven extinguished the pyres. But one spark, is enough to reignite a revolution.” – The Narrator

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This game is up there with Slay the Spire! Once you learn the mechanics, it's super easy to pick up and play whenever!

Simple. Fun. Addictive. Feels skill-based, though with enough of an RNG element to keep from getting stale.

Not the kind of game you play a lot in one sitting, but I keep coming back to it again and again to do a run or two, which surprised me given I usually don't like deckbuilders. Worth checking out.