The privitisation of British Rail, now that’s the real monster. Please subscribe to my Substack for more scorching social commentary. Actually, here’s a far more fun thing you can click on: a Steam demo for Monster Train 2. If you ignored the ennui-drenched tannoy announcement because you were paying sixteen pounds at Cafe Nero for a limp panini last time around, Monster Train is a card flickenin’ roguelite strategy, and one of the better ones, too. Here’s a trailer.
Additions this time around include new clans and enemies, new card types, and an endless mode. It also features the features featured in the following features:
- Pyre Hearts: Each Pyre Heart brings unique functionality to gameplay. Unlocking them not only provides another way to customize your run before departing, but also plays a key role in advancing the story.
- Dimensional Challenges: Ready for a new twist on your adventure? This mode offers handcrafted challenges, new Mutators, and unique cosmetic rewards to be earned as you complete them.
- Train Customization: Unlock new parts for your train and customize it to suit your personal style.
- The Logbook: In addition to recording completion goals, the improved Logbook also now includes new features, such as enemy information, collection objectives, and more ways to compare your achievements against your friends.
- Daily Challenges: Take on a new challenge every day with a hugely modified run featuring brand new mutators, as well as some returning old favorites. Compete globally and against friends, and climb the leaderboards with a skill-focused scoring system.
- Celestial Alcoves: The rapid expansion of the Rail has attracted many new visitors to Hell. Encounter a wide variety of random events with exciting gameplay and maybe even a few surprises from outside of the Monster Train universe.
“Two weeks ago, Monster Train breezed into my life like a man wearing a trenchcoat stuffed with cocaine,” wrote Matt (RPS in peace) in his review from 2020. “I’ve been playing Shiny Shoe’s roguelike deckbuilder almost every night since, and I have no intention of stopping. Monster Train is at least as good as Slay The Spire.”
The full game is “leaving the station later this year”, say developers Shiny Shoe. Easy on the low hanging puns there, please. I’ll be out of a salary and the single off-peak return it allows me to buy every two years.