Monster Train reinvents deck-building by defending three floors of hell at once. The verticality reshapes all strategy: where to place units, when to sacrifice a floor. Rich in clan combinations, it chains quick runs without ever growing stale.
Your verdict
Category
Card Battle1 player7+
Description
You defend an infernal train across two decks by building a deck of cards and an army. Published by Good Shepherd, released worldwide in 2022. Combat on two stacked lanes, clans whose styles can be mixed, generated runs and considerable replayability.
Monster Train review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Defending a train across two stacked floors upends the usual tactical layout: where to place your units, which level to sacrifice, how to read the verticality. The clan combinations open impressive strategic depth and near-bottomless replay value, juiced by mutators and ascension tiers. The learning curve is steep and the screen sometimes cluttered, but as a roguelike deckbuilder it remains an absolute benchmark.
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
The appeal rests on a simple temptation: build an ever more devastating engine across two stacked lanes you must defend at once. Each Monster Train run offers clans to pair, cards to upgrade, and combos that turn a modest plan into a relentless machine. Victory unlocks fresh challenges and tougher covenants, instantly reviving the urge to try another combination. The clarity of the choices makes every decision rewarding. One reservation: the depth of synergies can intimidate, and the hunt for the perfect build sometimes keeps you chaining runs late.
Difficulty
"Easy"
Lifespan
"Long"
Technical info
💾1 GB📅25/08/2022
Published by Good Shepherd
Monster Train (Nintendo Switch) price, value & rarity
Here the final clash literally descends on you: a hellish colossus pushes floor by floor, and every wave demands a coherent deck built far in advance. Defending the pyre rewards unit synergy, placement and reading enemy power spikes. Beating the upper lords in Covenant mode is less a duel than a roguelike puzzle solved under mounting pressure.
An underrated gem
In a genre crowded since another deckbuilder's triumph, it long lived in the shadow of the most famous one. Yet its idea of defending a train across two stacked floors changes everything: you must think vertically, and the free mix of clans multiplies strategies. Card-roguelike fans craving real depth will find bottomless replayability here.
Is Monster Train still worth playing in 2026?
Monster Train has established itself as one of the smartest roguelike deckbuilders of the post-Slay the Spire era. Its idea of defending a train across two stacked floors upends the usual tactical layout, and combining clans opens an impressive strategic depth. Replayability is near endless, backed by mutators and difficulty tiers. The downside is a slightly steep learning curve and readability that can get cluttered. For a genre fan, it remains an absolute reference, still relevant against recent competition.
