The world of roguelikes is a broad one. It’s less a strict genre and more of a flexible framework – one that many games use to deliver quick, rewarding gameplay, even in short bursts of 20 minutes or so. Battle Train takes that familiar structure, fuses it with railway-building mechanics, and turns it into something deeply satisfying on just about every level.
Each match places you on one side of the battlefield and your opponent on the other, with cards drawn to lay down tracks toward key resources, falling special items, and enemy depots. The goal is to guide your train through these targets, because while Battle Train does feature life totals, it doesn’t rely on traditional attacks. Instead, your offence is all about driving your train straight into enemy depots to take them out.
The twist is that both you and your opponent can use each other’s tracks. Leave a gap, and if your enemy connects to it, they’ll gain access to the same resources you were aiming for. They can even use bombs to reshape the track, opening up new routes to block you or reach your depots faster. Of course, you can do the same to them. Each turn becomes a strategic balance between expanding your own path, cutting off theirs, and tactically destroying track sections to slow them down.
You also earn passive buffs for your train along the way, gently nudging you toward specific builds and strategies, all while being treated to a parade of over-the-top cutscenes and colourful characters. It’s an absolute delight of a game – and if you’re after something that blends thoughtful strategy with chaotic energy, Battle Train is one of the best examples of that fusion in quite some time. Plus, let’s be honest: it’s just plain great if you love trains, as so many of us do.
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