Monster Train

Monster Train
86
Metacritic
96
Steam
92.353
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Price
$24.99
Release date
21 May 2020
Developers
Steam reviews score
Total
96 (17 049 votes)
Recent
95 (85 votes)

Monster Train is a strategic roguelike deck building game with a twist. Set on a train to hell, you’ll use tactical decision making to defend multiple vertical battlegrounds. With real time competitive multiplayer and endless replayability, Monster Train is always on time.

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Monster Train system requirements

Minimum:

  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 7
  • Processor: Core i3
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: IGP or better
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Storage: 2 GB available space
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ACE_Spark
ACE_Spark

Quite possibly one of the most addictive deckbuilders ever, only bested by Slay the Spire due to the latter games' better mod support.

Runs are short, which leads to quick "I have a spare half hour/40 minutes to try my hand at the game", and it all soon adds up. Game's balance means that a successful run is a real power trip.

Higher difficulties take a bit to wrap your head around (and this applies double to the expansion) but I wholeheartedly recommend this game.

Plus all the monsters are cute and make cute noises so that's a bonus.

Musashi
Musashi

there a some unique races that i haven't seen before in other roguelite card games
plenty of build options per race

THAC0
THAC0

It works just fine on the SteamDeck (proton 7.04, just press buttons on the black screen) and its a great deckbuilding game in the same vein as Slay thevSpire.

ZenMuso
ZenMuso

Choose between an interesting selection of monster clans (along with an allied clan), fight your way through eight increasingly difficult battles and reignite the fires of hell. Create the most broken unit and spell combinations, unlocking new cards and clans with each run.

With each victory the overall difficulty increases further with a selectable 'covenant' level, to a maximum of 25. With daily challenges and customised games using mutators, there's endless replayability.

The DLC adds a new clan, more complexity in deck building along the way and an optional ninth final boss battle.

The main downside is this game is so addictive.

brain
brain

Highly recommendable! Solid, mechanics-driven rogue-like deckbuilder. Think Slay the Spire, but with a bit more emphasis on game-y mechanics: i.e. less variance, more power fantasy livin'.

jacob.leiser
jacob.leiser

Excellent deck-builder with really good replay value.

After completing Slay the Spire, I wanted something similar to follow up and now actually have more hours playing Monster Train that StS. It's challenging and strategic with lots of variety on different runs with the artefacts and events that are encountered.
There is also a lot of opportunity to create amazingly satisfying overpowered units/spells.

NirodCire
NirodCire

Addicting and fun. A little easy for my taste, but there are p2p challenges that make dozens or hundreds of hours of gameplay very enjoyable

Santasuit
Santasuit

I'm always coming back to this game, with the addition of the divinity system in the DLC you really get to set your own level of challenge as you progress through the runs. 10 outa 10 please play if you like slay the spire or anything like that.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Really fun game. Plenty of strategies, though not overly complicated. Easy to pick up, and somewhat challenging to win. Luck is a factor in winning, based on cards and upgrades you have access to.

tundalus
tundalus

looks like a phone app, but don't let the art fool you. one of the best deckbuilders on offer. meaningful choice after meaningful choice. a zillion fun and surprising ways to break the game. tons of replay value. does everything a game like this is supposed to.

simongc97
simongc97

A deep and strategically deep roguelike card game with some tower defense elements. Each faction plays extremely differently, and I never felt like it was bad luck's fault when I lost. The ability to alter and improve your important pieces as you progress means the end of a run feels extremely different than the beginning in a way that you have a lot of control over.

operti
operti

Hugely underappreciated card collecting rogue-lite akin to Slay the Spire. Really recommend trying it out.

Deceptacle
Deceptacle

Well balanced overall, numerous different builds that can be winners with each clan. It's always fun to try to figure out how to make your starting deck work for you. The daily challenges add a nice bit of variety for popping in to try something a little different

Mr. Monkey
Mr. Monkey

Monster Train is a ton of fun and had me coming back time and time again to quickly play through the addictive loop of curating a mix of monsters and spells that could blow the doors off of the challenges set out by the game. Each run is quick, unique feeling, and gives a immense sense of progression that makes Monster Train thoroughly enjoyable. The blending of two factions each run genuinely adds to the longevity of the game as the player discovers synergies between the different groups. Additionally, the mechanics are easy to learn and the sense of meta-progression when starting out is great. Strong recommend.

AOKCube
AOKCube

Really fun to find different clan synergies and strategies, could maybe use some more content in terms of more clans, but I believe thats being worked on currently

Polyglamorous
Polyglamorous

Really excellent card-based tactics game. It's pretty comparable to card games like MTG or Hearthstone, where you play creatures and spells in order to fend off the opponent's creatures. It offers a ton of replayability if you're into that but it's also fun to just play a run or two off the cuff. I'd get the base game first and see if you like it before getting the DLC, and if you do I also 100% recommend the DLC.

JamesOHaraAF
JamesOHaraAF

Slay the Spire on steroids.

The best deck builder roguelike I've ever played. and the mod support is great as well.

landonstrykerbennett
landonstrykerbennett

This game is like everything Slay the Spire was, and then added to that already great formula. Deckbuilding is still the key, but there's much more to think about now with many types of upgrades and areas to spend your coins. While there is some randomness, you can plan out your journeys better thanks to the known map. Card effects combo between factions in super cool ways, and positioning your units on the train add a non-deckbuilding skill to master!

Draylynn
Draylynn

A roguelike deckbuilding card game, with some good upgrade mechanics, tiered difficulty levels, challenge boards etc.
There's a number of 'factions' or 'races' to pick'n'mix (you go into battle with 2, 1 as a main and the other to support it) and an... Interesting choice of race designs that keep things a little more random and challenging.
Some of the boss tracks are 'perfect' and greatly add to the immersion, music in general is great, as well as unit audio feedback from enemies during boss battles; Fel, the wings of light is a great battle for this.
Client is pretty stable, not had any lags, crashes or irks. Controls work well. FPS is stable.

I do look forward to future DLC's/games from this developer.

Thannatar
Thannatar

An interesting roguelike deckbuilder, adding verticality to an already successful formula.

silentscarlet
silentscarlet

I've played this hundreds of hours on the game pass. Got this here too because the game is just that good.

It's a lot of fun and I honestly enjoy playing it in short bursts or having it on all day and playing it while watching stuff or doing something creative.

Logical Demon
Logical Demon

A fun deck builder! Each run is unique and learning the win conditions is a good challenge. Sometimes you just get screwed by RNG, but that's the game!

MochiCrunch
MochiCrunch

Overall, the game is fun, but this game... feels... too easy. It's like impossible to lose a run even when cranking up the difficulty. It's fun to mess around with combinations and try different strategies, but overall the game itself just feels too easy.

There are so many safety nets to make almost anything work, which is great. But it feels like there is no challenge to the overall game loop until you really crank up the difficulty to something insane, and then you're just not sure what to do.

Vahtos
Vahtos

Great rogue-like deck builder. Runs flawlessly on Deck, despite the Unsupported status. Change video player in graphics settings to Unity for cutscenes to work on Deck.

Rossco
Rossco

The best deck building game bar none.

I've bought about five copies, one for myself and then a bunch for other people, just because I know they will love it.

100% unquestionably recommended.

Ominyx
Ominyx

fun new twist on deckbuilders.

elkaki123
elkaki123

As a slay the spire fanboy I did not expect another roguelike card game to reach such levels as that one, and I was kind of right as this did not grab me with the same addictiveness, however, this game is a lot of fun in a different way, once you play them both you realize that they are actually not so similar.

There are a lot of synergies and builds to explore here so there is a lot of potential and content to explore.

Pancake Tower XVI
Pancake Tower XVI

One of the best deckbuilder roguelikes I've ever played. Seriously, give this one a shot

sarahnorthway
sarahnorthway

I think I like this better than Slay the Spire. It's certainly one of the best iterations of this genre. Make sure you play the original (Dream Quest) if you like this one.

Elessar
Elessar

It's a well-constructed deckbuilder with a lot of variety and an interesting monster spawn system. Some factions feel a little weaker than others (or at least harder to synergize with), but if you like games reminiscent of Slay the Spire, this is one of the good ones.

CheekyMunky13
CheekyMunky13

Like Snakes on a Plane

Or not

kronblom71
kronblom71

Finally reached covenant 25 and won the game this day. So many failures and rage was had until that feat. This is like a tactical Dark Souls. Sometime the game purley hates you and the randomness never seems to work in your favour.
But in the end I found out that the Melting Remnant (the kid) / Stygian (frostbite) combo was the only way to do it for me. For some reason I stayed with this game and I am glad I did.
Do not touch this if you can´t stamina a game that´s doing it´s hellmost to make you fail and also don´t give any rewards at all for a succesfull run.

pie
pie

Obviously a good game, this review is more for my reference than to inform your purchase.

As someone with over 200 hours in Slay the Spire, this game is aimed right at my demographic and can sit comfortably in my library alongside Ring of Pain, Dicey Dungeons, and Inscryption as secondary choices that I'll resort to when I get bored of StS.

It's not that I think MT is inferior to StS, it's just that I've always been more a fan of combat in games being 70% standard enemies and 30% boss fights. I never got into boss rush games because the learning curve feels more jerky whereas having a bunch of smaller enemies in your game that teach the player individual mechanics that are then consolidated into a boss fight feels more natural and smooth to me.

If you like, take this as more of a review of boss rush games vs games with standard enemies, as I know that comes down entirely to preference. Some may enjoy the relatively streamlined approach of just tackling a boss fight over and over until you learn their patterns and weak spots. That said, I feel that kind of play works better in a game without random elements as my ability to win a run of MT seems to come down mostly to how early in the run I find the super tanky spiky plant man and the large gem that gives him an absurd amount of heath and attack. Randomness is obviously an integral part of deck builders but games like StS balance out that randomness by giving the player dozens of choices between boss fights and standard enemies that offer a chance to test your deck and fix your build as you go.

TL;DR: game good, play game. StS is better.

Cypher Dusk
Cypher Dusk

If you like Slay the Spire you should definitely check this game out, very fun.

Chef_Goldblum
Chef_Goldblum

Just buy it, you won't regret it.

SpaceNasty
SpaceNasty

"I'm goin' off the rails on a Monster Train!!!!"

Nicodemus
Nicodemus

if u enjoy deckbuilding u'll love this

Delimon
Delimon

A pretty simple monster battling game where you place units and they auto battle every turn on 3 floors. There's a lot of depth to the game and quite a few viable strategies from frost bite stacking, multi attack stacking, meat sticks, thorn stacking, etc. I will say to avoid spell focused decks because during the boss phase you only get one draw per flow making spell decks EXTREMELY weak, at least spell decks that focus on raw damage instead of those that focus on frostbite and the like. Overall it's a pretty good game with a lot of things that mix it up. You can upgrade units and spells as you progress down runs as well and use harder modifiers as you progress as well for more of a challenge. Other than raw spell damage the game feels relatively balanced but you can get screwed over by RNG a lot easier in this game than other games though. Keep your deck size small as much as you can to lower the level of RNG and cycle through your deck more.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Tower defense meets deckbuilder in this awesome game, buy it with the DLC and thank me later

ControlAltElite
ControlAltElite

While enjoyable at times, victory is entirely too RNG reliant even for this genre, and it ultimately sours the experience. Losing early on and unlocking new tools is a staple of the genre, but there are so many ways even a well-made deck and unit setup can get royally screwed by sheer dumb luck in this. Even after maxing card clans and unlocking their relevant cards and relics, I always feel i'm fighting Lady Luck over any in-game enemy or boss, regardless of strategy employed. Avoid Monster Train if you prefer your own skill to be the determining factor in whether or not a run is successful. If you're just looking for another deckbuilding rogue-lite game to scratch that itch, I'd look at something cheaper before investing in this. It's not a bad game, per se...just VERY poorly balanced.

chalonbod
chalonbod

Great card battler like Slay the Spire and the monsters you summon add a little more depth to the gameplay without losing the quick paced strategy feel.

DingusMasterAS
DingusMasterAS

Good deck builder with an excellent power fantasy. Only limited by the lack of variance in viable endgame strategies on higher covenant ranks.

five_monkeys
five_monkeys

Better card game
runs aren't too long
lots of variation

szz
szz

This game is way better than StS with MUCH DEEPER combat system and much more combinations or variations. After playing StS for about 40 hours, I'm done with it, but I feel I can continue playing Monster Train for at least 300 hours.

When you lose a run in StS, most of the time it's RNG's fault, you know there is no way you can win with such poor cards. But in Monster Train, you can come out with many different strategies with the same deck, using a creative idea to win a run which looks unable to win always makes me feel so good.

It's sad that only 16% players finished covenant level 15 (max 25), people don't wanna think too much nowadays, maybe that's why more people prefer StS which is much simpler than MT.

Verdict: 10/10

Wolfgang
Wolfgang

Coming from Slay the Spire, this card-based roguelite is well-polished, fun, and addicting. The additional DLC definitely impacts the balancing of the game somewhat, but the creativity in trying out combinations of monster cards together allows for more compelling gameplay.

Mackhdo
Mackhdo

My favorite DeckBuilding game so far

Sensual Mango
Sensual Mango

Really good. It builds on the slay the spire formulae by adding multiple layers of complexity which are easy to pick up but hard to master. If you like card games you'll love this.

Mr. Bulldops
Mr. Bulldops

fun theme for a deck builder seems pretty feature complete, classes are pretty fun so far

Arqune
Arqune

To me this feels like a mix between a card battler and a tower defence almost, you place your minions in one of three levels on a train with the objective to stop the enemy reaching your core/heart. It's extremely addictive and great fun as you choose a main and sub-class for each run. The classes are distinct and unique enough to provide a lasting enjoyable experience as choosing a different sub or main class will substantially change your strategy. Runs are also the right length with it averaging 30-40 minutes for me with solid progression once you win/lose. These devs really understand what makes a roguelike good, short runs that are different each run and meaningful progression. Really recommend this one!

HappyTimes
HappyTimes

Just Epic. You will combine two sets of decks (from which the battle rewards will be randomized from) and then have a GREAT time experimenting with builds and tactics. Each deck plays and synergize VERY differently.

Unfortunately, as you progress in difficulty, you'll quickly notice that there's just a few combos that really works, and if you aren't lucky in your first few draws to get what you need for these few builds you need to just abandon your run.

Still, I'd very much recommend this.

Churchie
Churchie

After going through half a dozen variations of roguelike deckbuilders, Monster Train is easily my favorite. The core mechanics -- unique deck archetypes, card drafting and artifact selection -- are all present, but to me the actual implementation feels simultaneously less restrictive and more consistent than other games in the genre.

Monster train does really well with providing player agency through multiple upgrade slots and always providing clear options in events. This often means that there are several viable paths to victory. And it definitely opens the door to building ridiculous combos than the more buttoned-up competitors.

Inevitably, this game gets compared to Slay the Spire. Both are great games. But StS is a tighter game that requires optimal decision-making at high ascensions (and luck helps). High-covenant Monster Train has many more viable deck builds than high-ascension StS, which increases the replayability and fun. I still frequently play Monster Train after beating its hardest difficulty; I can't say the same of Slay the Spire.

Fomalhaut
Fomalhaut

One of the best games i've played in the last years. The replayability of this is just INSANE.
Took me 80 hours to 100% all achievements and about 300 to complete the whole logbook + card frames (with DLC's)
The game is so much fun i can truly understand why some people have over 1000+ hour into it.
Great mind design, superb mechanics. It's amazing how a game that is so simple in it's basics can have so much combos and options. You can play for hours and hours and you'll still keep finding out about combos and 'not so obvious' ways of playing some cards. 10/10 easy.

Asuya
Asuya

Great card-battle-deck-builder turn based roguelike game

--1177--
--1177--

Definitely go ahead and buy it if you are interested. Plenty of replayability, although it did get a bit too repetetive after 30 hours of play.

Zinc Saucier
Zinc Saucier

Boy oh boy. What can I say. This game is a ton of fun. I've played most of my time on Game Pass on my Xbox. I bought it on Steam for my Steam Deck recently. Its worth every penny. If your on the fence and you like deck builders, buy this game. Its a gem to be sure.

Saievo
Saievo

The core gameplay loop of this game is perfection. However, when they added the new final boss the balance took a nose dive. For me, this game is a 3/5 because of that.

Green123HD
Green123HD

love this game and the imps get the game to yeet imps

ewbussey
ewbussey

This game is absolutely incredible. One of the only deckbuilders to compete with Slay the Spire in terms of content and quality, though that comparison is not completely fair. Monster Train is its own game. The mechanics, lore, and overall experience highlight the amount of care that's gone into its design. There's so much to unlock, so many synergies to consider, and yet somehow the game doesn't feel overwhelming. I can fully recommend this game; it's worth investing your time into.

Ge0force
Ge0force

Amazing card battle game with a unique twist: you play your cards on a train with 4 floors. Monsters always appear on the lowest floor, and ascend a floor when they survive your attacks. On the top floor there's a crystal that should be protected at all costs, so it's necessary that you beat all monsters before they reach that floor. This is done by playing cards, which spawn a creature on the floor of choice, or cast spells that can heal, apply buffs and debuffs etc. These mechanics work incredibly well, making Monster Train one of the most enjoying card battle games I've ever played.

The game contains 5 different decks, and you can combine two decks for each playthroughs. Each deck has a completely different playstyle, and also has two heroes to choose, who can be upgraded in several ways. To increase the replayability even more, you can switch to a higher covenant after beating the game, which adds extra challenges to your run. I have beaten the game with each faction for the first five covenants, but I'm sure I will do many more runs in the next few months. Oh and the game works great on the Steam Deck; just press a button when you see a black screen and change the video player in the settings screen. Next time you boot the game everything will work fine.

Very, very recommended!

KayKayCompute
KayKayCompute

It's kind of a game about climate change, but in reverse. There's a train heading to Hell & it's carrying the last spark of hope for it's residents. Hell has frozen and we need to raise that temp to cozy kind of levels again. Heaven is to blame. They also don't like what you're trying to do and will try to stop your train ride.

There's also cards. And decks.

Definitely worth your money.

iphonies
iphonies

AN ABSOLUTE CRAP GAME FOR CRAP PEOPLE! All jokes aside, this game is fantastic. It is incredibly brutal, and you will rage quit. I told myself I would finally review it after I beat covenant 25. Well, 123 hours later I did it and there is still more to do

Hulkmaster
Hulkmaster

after "slay the spire" that game seems not thought through.

You start with fairly balanced stack, but it escalates quickly. After ~5th room you have onyl about 5 cards which make sense, and rubbish.

Lilly
Lilly

Excellent deckbuilder. For me it absolutely beats Slay the Spire

GreeneyeDS
GreeneyeDS

This really takes Slay The Spire game play to the "next level". Highly recommend if you enjoy that type of game.

Crix
Crix

Just, so good. mod support is great, great steam deck support even though it's unoffical. if you like Slay the spire, you're going to love this.

drakosfire
drakosfire

It's just different enough from Slay the Spire to be very reminiscent, and great in it's own right.

benjaminarthurbray
benjaminarthurbray

Infuriatingly satisfactory and challenging regardless of the difficulty level you choose to play. I love it.

mmiked3
mmiked3

A more relaxed game than Slay the Spire. Often unbalanced, but a lot of fun.

Duck Twacy
Duck Twacy

Did you enjoy StS? Then you'll love this.

rpgarcher
rpgarcher

similar enough to other stuff you like, but different enough to be very interesting. lots of great replayability options

Ryot
Ryot

If you like roguelike deckbuilders you'll love this game

miltonwhatever
miltonwhatever

Although the comparisons to Slay the Spire are fair, Monster Train is pretty much its own (awesome) game.

Visionary Man
Visionary Man

Fun little deck builder. Loads to unlock. Plenty of content. Win.

Chip Dipman
Chip Dipman

Fantastic Game, Easy to sit down and play for a half hour or a half a day. As a big Slay the Spire fan I loved this, maybe even more. The game also has great depth that is well thought out and challenging but achievable.

Grif
Grif

Fun building different teams with a rouge like experience that has a nice variety of choices to build from.
The nice addition of adding a sub race adds a nice mix n match as well.
Turn based fighting makes for a chill game you don't have to pay attention to all the time.

paladinwannabe2
paladinwannabe2

Did you like Slay the Spire? Do you want another game with ridiculous replayability, awesome combos, and general insanity? Then this game is for you!

bhulkeley
bhulkeley

It's stealing all my time. Huge variety in gameplay.

siiseli
siiseli

Very good and casual roguelike deck building game, even though I'm not a big fan of train themed games. Very easy to grasp, and takes a little bit of time to master. Card mechanics are bit too simple for my tastes, but I'm a hardcore MTG fan so don't mind me. This one is simple enough, even if you don't have any experience from the genre.

Pros:
+Beautiful and flashy animations on each card
+Many exciting and cheesy combos to try with all the factions
+Remnant and Umbra factions are really well made

Cons:
-Roughly only 20-30 hours of game time. After that every faction/champ is unlocked, and you're just grinding for missing cards.
-Not really PvP
-Not actually a real deck builder game, you pick an general idea and stick with it, and add/upgrade cards after each fight.
-Gets repetitive fast
-RNG mechanic can be unfair

Brzelius
Brzelius

Great mixture of deck builder and tower defense. A run lasts around 30-60 min, not too long for an evening, not too short to get absolutely overpowered with an equal measure of planning and luck.

Even with bad draws, most runs can be salvaged, but a lot of luck is needed on top of knowlegde and concentration for some of the harder achievements.

I like it better than Slay the Spire, Monster Train somehow is much more satisfying.

Archrogue
Archrogue

Probably the best roguelike deckbuilder since Slay the Spire, and a very fresh take on the genre.

Willcott
Willcott

Bought at -50% discount.

Graphics

Very gorgeous graphics. Most animations are top notch.

Sounds

The music fits the ambience, it's a lot of action and voice sound effects, so it fits the genre of fighting. There is enough variation to not get the player bored of listening.

Gameplay

It's great for passing up time. You will have a game where difficulty between learning how to play the combination of cards/factions and how to master them rise up nicely and can brake if you feel it's going too fast for you. The challenge modes spice things up and you can unlock golden border of cards, which is nice because it's a purely cosmetic reward which doesn't impact on anything if you don't care.

Each run feels different if you try to experiment with different cards and heroes. Even if you go for the exact same strategy, it STILL can feel different due to a lot of random rewards / choices you have to do along the way. The mini bosses are varied too and the final boss behaves differently each time you run against him, so the same strategy might not work all the time.

It have a unique layer of customization/strategy which is the floor you put your units or cast your spells. It's better if you spend your last 'mana' kill that soon to be attacking minion which barely escaped your monsters or it's better to buff your units on the front?

There is also plenty of achievements and challenges to complete if one is interested on it. And even a few secrets.

Story

Story is encouraging. You are responsible for maintaining alive the last piece of hell and to rekindle it. It also explains why you run a lot of monsters in your train and why they all team together despite being different races. There is a lot of lore to chug if you take your time to read the story of each card while not in combat.

Bugs / Troubleshooting

My notebook is an Acer VX 15. It ran smoothly to me, no stuttering, nothing. I didn't notice any bugs.

Final Verdict

9.0 / 10

A great rogue like which successfully maintains the variation and the action pumping, not getting you bored if you are willing to try different things.

Some cards DO feel underpowered compared to others. Like for example, card that just move your allies on the floors and heal for the cost of [2].

OBS: I didn't feel the need to buy the DLC as I believe it didn't really go well and is unnecessary.

Benier
Benier

Fun card game with plenty to unlock and depth of synergy between cards

Zampa🜏
Zampa🜏

Man if you liked slay the spire you are gonna love this one too

Sprimlite the Devourer
Sprimlite the …

One of the best and most original deckbuilders out there.

Maple-Senpai
Maple-Senpai

Amazing game but it becomes incredibly difficult at higher covenants. I have 116 hours and I'm hard-stuck at covenant 21. But overall its a good game.

EDIT: Got to covenant 25 finally :D

FireDogy
FireDogy

Decent for a 5ish hours, then you A. Realize how unbalanced the game actually is (on both sides). and B. run out of content.
But hooray! The devs would rather focus on even more unbalanced dlc content than fix what already exists...

pjake
pjake

Monster Train is a card game wherein cards are divided into clans and each clan has its own specialty. You choose a primary and secondary clan at the start allowing you to mix match different clans and see how they synchronize with each other. Each clan also has 2 different champion cards that you can choose between at the start which have their own skill set. These features allows players a variety of gameplay every run.

The game also has a covenant system which is similar to Slay the Spire's ascension levels wherein players can choose to play the game in a harder difficulty after they finished the difficulty level before it for a challenge.

Similar to Slay the Spire, Monster Train also has daily challenges that gives players different additional conditions in the game.

Lilleskutt
Lilleskutt

I bought this game on sale for about 10 bucks iirc, and it was a great buy. The game hooked me immediately, so much fun and with great presentation.

My only "complaint" with it is that it does get a bit stale after a while, there's something about it that holds it back from the kind of infinite replayability of other roguelites. When you reach that point will be for you but for me it was after like 25 hours and I had a blast all the time so it's still a hard recommendation for me.

rinoceros
rinoceros

Very good game with lots of strategies you can employ. Combat and deckbuilding feels really good. Although the game's main loop is pretty much the same as in most other rouglikes, the perspective is flipped (you play as demons agains the good guys) so it helps a bit to keep it fresh. Upgrade system can be a bit off-putting to some. Each upgrade gives so much power that non-upgraded cards are really just a cannon fodder to keep few of your actual good units alive. That being said game is still a lot of fun to play and I definitely recomand it to any fun of the genre.

Apperatus
Apperatus

The main game is a weird stress/zen combination where it's pretty easy to become powerful at the end of a run, but getting there is a challenge. However, where I've spent most of my time actually has been the multiplayer, with a fast timer counting down and limiting your thoughts, competing for the most successful, riskiest runs has me doing run after run. 5/5

Cosmo
Cosmo

Great game, nice short runs with high replayability

Hoppy1478
Hoppy1478

A beautiful mash of Slay The Spire and some tower defense mechanics. With the ability to mix two clans, it allows more unique combinations of the deck mechanics. Also this game has less BS RNG than Slay The Spire.

Bongo The Bear
Bongo The Bear

Fun as hell. Big Slay the Spire vibes

spoopy snoopy
spoopy snoopy

A very good deck-based roguelite. It's a really nice time-killer for those slow days. Plus, if your in the middle of a run, you can just put it down and pick it back up at any time afterwards and get right back where you were. All the factions feel very different, and each have their uses, enemies are pretty diverse, and bosses tend to have little alterations to their abilities, so even if you run into the same one twice in different runs, they'll likely be rather different.

Also you can kill god, or at least god's representative with a little urchin boy made of wax by pumping them full of an intense, burning sense of revenge for another, equally small little urchin just dying and coming back to life over and over, so if that doesn't convince you, I'm unsure what will.

DaddyWrangler
DaddyWrangler

Nice, Simple, and Fun.

Each run is shorter than slay the spire, but it's build diversity is not as strong.
HOWEVER, because it's shorter you can play more games with different builds (which in my opinion makes its just as fun, maybe even more fun than spire)

jello6451
jello6451

Loved Slay The spire and love this just as much. Different Experiences that fill 2 different itches. If you like the slay the spire and are looking for something else to play, this is it.

jnub
jnub

What a fun game! Very intricate combat system and plenty of variety in the classes.

Dyzthar
Dyzthar

I prefer this one over Slay the Spire (because the runs are shorter) but at the end of the day, it's just another deceptively simple luck fest.

I don't think it's worth more than $5.

illepic
illepic

If Slay the Spire had "4d Chess Ridiculous" mode. Easily my favorite game of 2022.

Ultisol
Ultisol

It's Slay the Spire meets Artifact.

I lied. It's more like Slay the Spire meets Hades + Artifact.

A5G_Reaper
A5G_Reaper

Got the game expecting a long-term challenge, didn't quite get it. The covenant system suck the fun out instead of presenting a new challenge. It's a good pickup if you aren't going to tackle that part of the game, but otherwise there's not much replayability to have.

To elaborate:
You start with a number of basic card based on the clan you pick, a number of universal basic units, and a set of random cards that consist of one rare card and several copies of the same more common cards. A large number of the covenant levels simply add more cards to one or more of the aforementioned pools. Extra starting card from main clan, extra starting card from secondary clan, etc. You get the gist. The deck become more than half-fold larger when the base deck is already quite thick.

That all compounded into an increasingly bloated starter deck, where a bad RNG (which will happen sooner or later) will screw you over. Need a unit to be meat shield? Have a hand full of spells. Need spell to snipe an important enemy backline? Get a full hand of units. Sometimes the RNG screwup happens before you even enter your first battle when the random set of cards are total garbage. Not exactly a rare happenings either.

This wouldn't even be as bad if the combat style isn't so heavily snowball-based. Every turn, all surviving enemy units climb one (or more) levels of your train and a new wave enters the lowest floor. At best, a terrible hand will lead to an extra wave of unmolested enemies you'll need to deal with at the next turn. At worst, those unmolested enemies will murder your defenders which means next turn not only you'll have to deal with more enemies, you also have less defenders to deal with them.

This lead to the sheer necessity to prioritize card remove over all else. Beeline to card removal event and spend all your money on card remove, because a bad hand early at most lead to some damage to the core but a bad hand mid-late in a run might as well end it then and there. You'll have to do all that while also try to scrounge for a late-game victory condition, which already depends on what the RNG gives you, even though you're seeing less options due to the necessity of taking the deck-thinning path.

I'd take Slay the Spire over this any day. At least if I lose it's probably my fault somewhere instead of the RNG shitting on me over and over again.

Bale
Bale

Simple Roguelike combined with Card game, it's actually fun to play, but hard whenever you proceed to the next level.

OceanManTakeMyHand
OceanManTakeMyHand

real shame how they took this off HBO Max

vermin98
vermin98

Great music, great gameplay, requires more of a strategic mind than similar games.

Guz Forster
Guz Forster

Fantastic deckbuilder with the same vibe as Slay the Spire, but with some interesting twists and way better graphics. I don't know why this is rated as incompatible on the Steam Deck, but I've been playing it on my Deck and it works beautifully with all the native controls.

endo
endo

Similar to Slay the Spire. Quite fun.

WhiteChronicle
WhiteChronicle

no where near as refined as slay the spire but still fun

Dedalis
Dedalis

If you enjoy a rogue-lite deckbuilder game with sprightly animations this is a good game to pick up. It isn't too hard to learn, but making it all the way through to the top rank is quite challenging. Even if you don't want to reach that level there are daily challenges which are a fun diversion.

ojay_r
ojay_r

This game gives you interesting choices and has an enjoyable gameplay loop. Very replayable.

Allon the Cookie Dragon
Allon the Cook…

Chooo Choooooo!

Monsters on the Railway to the firey depths below.

A card game that requires great strategy in placement and deck building. If you loved Slay the Spire you'll definitely love this game too!

wedgiey1
wedgiey1

Great deck building game. Similar to Slay the Spire but different enough to be unique!

Spikeabc
Spikeabc

This game is more fun than Slay the Spire, although it's not as deep and certainly more RNG dependent.

IrishCoffee
IrishCoffee

BE AWARE. Monster Train is sickeningly addictive. Out of the 10 or so games i bought during the summer sale, this is the only one I've been playing. You have been warned.

Monster Train takes the now booming roguelike genre, into the card game genre. Others have done this before, like Slay the Spire, but what i like most about this game is how incredibly simple it is, but has massive depth as you earn new cards and clans. Like most card games, it looks super confusing because you dont know whats going on, but even after my first fight, i got the mechanics immediately and everything else followed close behind. Its just a really solid game, the 3 floors add depth that rewards planning ahead, the runs are fairly short but promotes multiple playthroughs with different clans. The mutators and covenants add some twists and turns. My only complaint is the lack of bosses. The final boss (if you dont buy the DLC) is always the same, same goes for the others minibosses.

The last thing i will touch on is the only current DLC, The last Divinity. I looked up reviews and basically most if not all say it breaks the game. The new clan is neat, but the new additions to standard runs make the game very unenjoyable, compared to the base game anyways. I've opted to not buy it until i get bored or want more, but looking at gameplay it seems to be a little crappy. On sale, 100% a buy if you like card games or roguelikes, avoid the tempting DLC for now even on sale. I hope they add new DLC in the future but right now stick to the base game.

owlcoholic
owlcoholic

solid entertainment, similar to slay the spire. sometimes you get demolished and sometimes you're an absolute menace. lots of different ways to build. i tend to prefer roguelikes that have permanent stat upgrades you can slowly earn, which, maybe i just haven't gotten there, but this one doesn't seem to have-- but either way, it's good fun.

Nikki
Nikki

I played this because i suck at STS, then I realized I suck at this game too.

Man Lover (Lover of Men)
Man Lover (Lov…

One of the better card games on steam.

BodaciousSatan
BodaciousSatan

It looks like I'm going off the rails on this crazy train ;)

Seriously, it's pretty fun. Easy to learn hard to master.

bobagadush
bobagadush

Based on the reviews, I had high expectations for this game, but I am quite disappointed. I bought it at a deep discount during the summer sale, but am still requesting a refund.

Here are some other card games on Steam which I enjoyed more: Slay the Spire, System Crash, Griftlands, Fate Hunters.

I was surprised and disappointed to finish a run on my first attempt. There was little variety in enemies throughout, and every battle was easy. The art style is lackluster, it's hard to support the idea of helping hell to overcome heaven, and it's harder when the game makers fail to commit to the idea. Why are half my units plants?

Lech [PS]
Lech [PS]

Second best in genre after STS, highly recomended

liisjak
liisjak

Although it says "Unsupported" it works well on the deck. The game is really fun.

𝑪𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒔⚤
𝑪𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒔⚤

Awesome game, really love all the combos i can make.

it's my favorite deckbuilding-roguelike 10/10

DΞRΞK IS OP
DΞRΞK IS OP

This game is addictive, but please hire a better character artist.

imkin
imkin

Slay the Spire on crack--highly addictive, and overdrive!