Monster Train asks players to build a deck of monsters, ghosts and demons and send it down a fiery subway station to stop other riders. It sounds simple. It is not.
Trailer, via Good Shepherd Entertainment.
The Subway Station
The game runs on a three-lane board. Players pick a starting faction — fire, ice, lightning or earth — then build a deck of creatures and spells. Each monster occupies a lane, and each turn adds new threats from the bottom of the board.
Matches run fast. A full fight takes minutes, not hours, and the pace rarely slows.
Building the Deck
The deck-building loop is the heart of Monster Train. Players earn cards through fights, side quests and random events. The trick is balancing attack power against health and defense. A weak monster can lose a fight in seconds, while a strong one can end it in one turn.
The card pool is large enough to reward repeated play. New factions and cards arrive through expansions, giving the core loop room to grow over time.
The Turn Order
Fights follow a strict order. Players act first, then the enemy, then both sides resolve their attacks. This creates a rhythm where timing a big play against a weak moment in the enemy’s turn can swing a match entirely.
Here is how a typical turn plays out:
| Stage | Action |
|---|---|
| Start | Draw cards, check for new threats |
| Player | Play a card, attack |
| Enemy | Play a card, attack |
| Both | Resolve damage, remove dead monsters |
The Difficulty Curve
Monster Train starts easy and ramps up quickly. Early matches teach the basics. Later matches demand careful planning and quick decisions.
Some players find the difficulty spikes uncomfortable. A single bad draw can lose a fight that should have been won. That tension is part of what makes the game satisfying, even when it frustrates.
Sound and Look
The game looks like a hand-painted subway map, with glowing red stations and shadowy tunnels. The music matches the theme, with a driving electronic pulse underneath the action.
None of it is fancy, but it fits the tone perfectly. Monster Train knows exactly what kind of game it is and never pretends otherwise.
Where It Falls Short
The game could use more variety in its side content. Some players report that the main campaign grows thin after the first few hours. Multiplayer support is limited, which keeps the experience largely solo-focused.
These are small complaints against a solid core. None of them break the game, but they keep it from greatness.
Final Word
Monster Train succeeds because it understands pacing. Matches are short enough to fit a lunch break, yet deep enough to reward hours of practice. The deck-building system offers real choices without overwhelming the player.
It is not a perfect game. Its difficulty can be harsh, and its scope is narrow. But as a pure puzzle of strategy, it stands among the best games in the genre.
Monster Train earns an 8.5 of 10.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
