Monster Train

This game is fun, but there is so much going on in this game that a 2000 character review can only scratch the surface, but I will try. The obvious comparison is comparing this to "Slay the Spire" (StS). Though this game shares some superficial similarities, it is different enough to be its own "thing" and in some ways it is superior in my opinion. The biggest differences is that instead of having only one row for combat, you have 3 rows: enemies spawn on the bottom row and every turn they climb up one row until they reach the "pyre", which is the thing that if destroyed means that you lose. You job is to prevent them from reaching and damaging the pyre - by summoning creatures to fight and casting spells. After a certain number of turns, the "boss" for that level enters combat. Aside from being stronger, their combat phase does not end until either they or your creatures are destroyed. These things add an interesting dynamic to the game where you have to balance preventing trash mobs from reaching the pyre and killing your summons, and building up your strongest creatures for the inevitable boss fight. As for the deck-building aspect, there are 5 clans with their own "theme", lore, set of mechanics and creatures and spells that use those mechanics. You choose two for each run and a champion from your main clan. These choices will dictate your overall strategy and which cards come out of the random draws. Cards can also be modified with upgrades you find along the way. All of these things put together make for some fun experiments. The game doesn't artificially limit you - it pretty much lets you run amok with the mechanics. Also, you can enable mutators that further mess around with the rules. Like I said, there is a lot of stuff going on. Visually the game is good, but the music and audio is really awesome. I also like how they have a little bit of lore for each of the cards. It's a nice touch. I'm out of characters :) It is a good game. Have fun!

This game is awesome. It turns the mellow and laid back spirit and looks of Slay the Spire and turns the notch to eleven. What I like the most of this game is the art direction. Monsters looked hideous on the screenshots and well, they are... but it's the kind of "hideous" you'd see in weird Schoolastic books back in the 90's with oversaturated colors, or those obscure japanese games with overdone characters. The sounds are nothing but weird moans and gasps that cross the lines between sounding scary and lewd which remind me a lot of the old Shin Megami Tensei games and the music is a blend of rock and ethereal choirs, echoey pads. Overall, it's pleasant to see an oversaturation in all fronts in this era of premeditated, studied and clinically clean experiences. Then, the gameplay is great: It's not just a StS clone. It has some hints of planning and strategy of genres such as Tower Defense. You don't just commit to one champion at the beggining of a run, but two instead, which turns the game in something more akin to Legends of Runeterra's Path of Champions. It also has some PVP-type of game mode but I haven't bothered with it. Overall, I'd recommend this over the games that clearly inspired it. It's not only more pleasant to play, it also feels like you're able to succeed with what you're given as opposed to other games where you might as well restart the whole thing because the RNG f'd you.

I had it on my disc for a while but I finally started playing it and oh my goooosh. I am sucked in so hard that right now I don't want to play anything else. I remember the same happening with Slay the spire and Gordian Quest. It looks cool and it plays so smoothly. The unlocks are nicely paced and combos that can be made with the units and spells are such fun. I love that you play with 2 factions at once - it gives a nice playfiled for tweaking your decks. I recomend this game wholeheartedly for fans of computer card games and rouglites!

I have been hooked on deck-builder games for the past couple of months, and this is one of the best I've played. While I haven't played Slay the Spire, Monster Train seems to be less goofy in presentation and offers a wide range of factions, cards, spells, upgrades, and gameplay options. The gist of the game is that you are journeying in a four-decker train across rings of hell fighting off heavenly opponents (yes, you play as the bad guys, which is fun) as they fight your forces on each deck of the train in an effort to destroy your core thingee on the top deck. It's great, intense fun that requires some strategy to master. The runs are randomly generated in terms of opponents and the things that you will run into between fights (like artifacts, mini-quests, etc.). Also, the fights can get quite tough if you don't plan well, or you simply don't get the right mix of cards as your enemies invade each deck of the train. But even on tough runs, nothing felt unfair or truly frustrating. The game is quite winnable--you have to complete about 8 fights to win--and you are rewarded with additional unlocked cards after most runs. With each successful run, you advance one of 25 levels, which, of course, get increasingly hard. It's a great game overall, with solid graphics and animation, some really good music, and an addictive gameplay loop. Each of the 7-8 factions that you can play feel different, and almost every card can be upgraded, which makes each run feel even more unique. Replayability is high, as is the game's overall quality. Highly recommended.

... and still playing. Great game.