Monster Train 2 returns with its sights set for heaven

Nearly five years have passed since developer Shiny Shoe got on board a whimsical train to Hell. Monster Train was a breakout hit for the studio, crossing a roguelike with deckbuilding card mechanics all within the multi-layered setting of a locomotive. With a devoted audience that still enjoys the game to this day, it's little wonder why Shiny Shoe has returned with Monster Train 2 with its sights set a little higher, both figuratively and literally. Shacknews recently returned from this year's Game Developers Conference and had the opportunity to try it out.

While the original Monster Train took players on board a train through the underworld, the sequel's story goes in a different direction. Heaven is under attack by the towering Titans and its forces can't withstand the assault alone. The call has been placed to Hell's own Monster Train with its demons essentially acting as mercenary heroes-for-hire to help save the angels' domain.

While the story takes some new turns, Monster Train 2's formula is similar to the original game that captivated so many. The idea is to prevent enemy waves from ascending through the train's three levels and getting to the top, where they can destroy the boiler that powers it. Players can ward off the Titan forces with five new playable clans, each with their own distinct features. For our brief demo, we tried out the Pyreborne and their fiery brethren that consist of dragon-like warriors from Hell and brave Valkyries from Heaven.

There are some RTS-style tactics involved throughout each battle, specifically with a planning phase where players can lay down their units across any of the train's three floors. This may found straightforward, but complexity started to develop after a few minutes of learning the gameplay loop. Each clan's Champion acts as its lead, often sporting powerful perks and stats. Should it be placed on the bottom floor, catching enemies as they come in? Should it be placed on the top floor, acting as a last defense against foes that have carved their way through lower-tier defenders? Similarly, some of the Pyreborne units could increase their numbers by creating copies of themselves or laying eggs that would hatch into smaller dragons. Each floor can only hold so many allies, so players have to consider that or risk wasting valuable fighters.

Of course, Monster Train 2 is a card-battler at heart. There's only a finite number of moves available for each turn, so as noted, unit management is essential. Fortunately, players can beef up their clans through upgrades picked up after each battle and through the Covenant Outpost hub. After each successful fight, the train's tracks will hit a fork where players can select upgrades, visit a shop, or explore a story instance that could change the way the run is going. Different cards can inflict various effects, increasing or decreasing stats, or playing into specific clan traits. In the case of the Pyreborne, my Champion was frequently picking up cards that stacked the Pyregel resource to inflict greater damage on foes over time. On top of that, new for Monster Train 2 are Room Cards, which will affect allies or enemies across entire floors, as well as Equipment Cards that can be applied to specific units for an added punch.

Monster Train 2 promises to offer that same roguelike flavor that got so many players into the original game, but is also exploring other new game modes. Endless Mode, specifically, is Shiny Shoe delivering on something players had been asking for since the early days of the first game, testing players to see how far they can across escalating difficulty. Daily Challenges will also offer unique runs with specific mutators.

It won't be long before Monster Train 2 leaves the station. Look for it to release on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on Wednesday, May 21. A free demo is also available right now on Steam.

This preview is based on an early demo played on-site at the Shiny Shoe headquarters during GDC 2025. The final product is subject to change.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?