Xbox Game Pass has been on top of its catalog as of late, making the service an increasingly solid proposition. In particular, Xbox Game Pass has been consistently adding to its selection of roguelikes, making the service a treat for fans of the ever-replayable genre. All in all, the genre has continued to see a sharp rise in popularity, with Xbox Game Pass’s catalog – and its already impressive list of roguelikes – being an indicator of the genre’s continued success and popularity.
While there is an abundance of roguelike offerings available on Game Pass, a beloved deckbuilder staple has seen a sneak entry back into the ever-shifting catalog. Monster Train, after being removed from the service for quite a while, has finally retaken its place as one of the best rogue offerings available across the entire service. Beyond being one of the best roguelike deckbuilders, Monster Train is also one of the most innovative, having clear gameplay departures from the genre godfather, Slay the Spire, that makes it deserving of a playthrough.
Xbox Game Pass Now Has Monster Train
A Rogue Very Much Worth Playing
Sneaking in with Xbox Game Pass’ March releases, Monster Train has reclaimed its place in the catalog. Don’t be fooled by Monster Train‘s cartoonish take on hell. Underneath its sometimes comical designs is a deep and rewarding roguelike deckbuilder that has plenty of room for both strategic and over-the-top fun, earning it overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam. While many roguelike deckbuilders live in the shadow of Slay the Spire, Monster Train successfully diverged from the established status quo by introducing levels of verticality and summonable fighters that clearly set it apart from its competition.
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While there’s always something to play on Game Pass, Monster Train is one of the best roguelike deckbuilders out there. Games, especially with a service like Game Pass, are always fighting for attention, but for any deckbuilder fan, Monster Train truly is a must-play experience that can easily consume hundreds of hours of playtime. For more time-limited players, Monster Train is easy to pick up and return to, and I often find myself coming back to its saturated rendition of hell every few months to try out different strategies or factions.
Monster Train Is One Of The Best In The Genre
Innovative Design That’s Meant To Be Broken
There’s a lot to like in Monster Train. While the art style may not be everyone’s cup of tea, there’s no denying that Monster Train has a distinct vision for its rendition of hell. This vision carries over exceptionally well into the five playable clans, which include everything from your standard red demons to mafia-themed candle beings. The distinct nature of the clans is helped by the fact that Monster Train is almost entirely based around summoning fighters to occupy train rooms. Each clan, then, has a host of interesting designs and creative takes on its established theme.
That diversity extends to gameplay, too. Each clan is an absolute joy to play thanks to fun, thematic mechanics. Take the candle mafia (properly named the Melting Remnant) as an example. They revolve around a mechanic called burn out, a debuff that kills the unit when it expires (being candles, and all). Burn out is balanced by units that punch above their weight, albeit temporarily, or by being comboed with payoff units that benefit from other clan members burning out. Even the mafia design components are called back to, with an emphasis on earning gold through card interactions.
One of Monster Train‘s unique options is card upgrading, which allows for some truly outrageous combos and effects within the modular system.
With five clans, and two champions – which are essentially evolving hero units – in each, there’s a lot of playstyle diversity. However, with these many options, the question of balance may arise. Truthfully, Monster Train isn’t as tightly balanced as some of its competitors, but that’s where the fun lies. Monster Train expects the player to break the game, often by creating some unfathomable combo, to keep up with the ever-scaling enemies. It’s a nice change of pace when the game is designed with this absurdity in mind, and it often leads to what the studio’s CEO described as “poggable moments“.
Monster Train 2 Should Be Arriving Soon
And Is Already Playable
With an emphasis on fostering these moments of something clicking – often a powerful combo or unexpected effect – Shiny Shoes has shown its skill not just with Monster Train, but with its second remarkable roguelike called Inkbound. Having two amazing offerings already under the studio’s belt, my personal expectations are quite high for the recently announced Monster Train 2, which is slated for a 2025 release, and which will incorporate playable angel clans into its roster.
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There’s no need to just go off of expectations, though. Monster Train 2 already has an excellent playable demo on Steam, which shows off its familiar mechanics with a sleeker art-style and some truly exciting additions, like room and equipment cards. Still, with the demos’ limited scope, there’s no better option for experiencing Monster Train than on Xbox Game Pass, especially with Monster Train 2 still having a vague 2025 release date.
Sources: Steam
- Released
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May 21, 2020
- Developer
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Shiny Shoe
- Publisher(s)
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Good Shepherd Entertainment
- ESRB
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E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Alcohol Reference
- OpenCritic Rating
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Strong
