Monster Train 2 revives one of the best games of 2020.

The sequel to Monster Train, an indie hit from 2020 developed by Shiny Shoe, is on the way. Monster Train 2 will be released this year for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Before its official announcement, a playtest was conducted, exploring its new factions.

The original game, released in May 2020, combines elements of roguelike, deck-building, and tower defense, taking inspiration from Slay the Spire. In Monster Train, players must protect a pyre destined for hell through a three-level train, building a deck of demons to repel invading enemies. The core mechanic involves using cards strategically to fill each level with monsters that automatically attack at the end of each turn.

After the launch of Inkbound in 2024, Shiny Shoe is refocusing on the Monster Train franchise with this sequel. Monster Train 2 continues the story of the first game, introducing a new narrative where angels and demons must unite to face a new threat: the Titans. This provides Shiny Shoe with the motivation to develop new factions, adding a variety of monsters to the game. During the demo, only two factions could be tested, but the final game is expected to include three more. The Banished are fallen angels who have allied with Hell to reclaim Heaven from the Titans, while the Pyreborn are fire demons who derive their powers from dragons.

At the start of a game, players choose a main faction and an allied faction, allowing them to combine decks. Those who have played Monster Train will find few surprises in gameplay, as the loop remains largely the same. Players must build their deck between battles, strategically placing units in each train car and ordering them to maximize damage at the end of their turn. By playing utility cards, they can weaken enemies or enhance their own stats. One example is "Just Cause," which moves a unit to the front of the line, giving it two Valor points and increasing its armor.

Although the gameplay system is familiar, there are new concepts to learn. The Banished cards focus on Valor, while many of the Pyreborn deck cards concentrate on stacking "Pyregel" on enemies, a substance that increases the damage the enemy receives for each stack. Other units include demons that spread Pyregel and songbirds that provide buffs to units. As in the first game, cards can be upgraded at rest stops, creating powerful combinations.

In one of my runs, I managed to eliminate Titan-corrupted enemies with a massive meteor that cost barely any mana. Besides the new cards and enemies, the changes to the formula are minimal. The roguelike structure remains identical to the first game, with an upper map between battles. There are still stops to choose cards, improve the deck, and resolve short narrative events. A standout moment was encountering an engineer who offered me options to reconfigure my train car. I chose an upgrade that allowed me to play cards at no cost in the middle car.

While it may currently seem like a DLC expansion of the original game, Monster Train 2 promises to be a solid sequel for fans of the first title. The new factions should enrich the strategy, and I am eager to see how I can customize my train in the final version. After obsessing over the original during the pandemic in 2020, I am ready to embark on this journey again.