Monster Train is not the first game of it’s kind. I noted in my beta impressions article the deck-building rogue-like was definitely reminiscent to me of at least one other game in this genre, Slay the Spire. While the basic concept is something familiar, the more I play Monster Train the more I’m convinced it’s the best iteration of this style that I’ve seen so far.

Players begin each run by choosing a primary and allied clan from the five available factions—two ready from the beginning with three more unlocked through gameplay milestones. Each faction has a recognisably unique identity that comes through in their card art and abilities. For example, the plant monsters of the Awoken come with spells that can heal units or add thorns that deal recoil damage when hit.

The Umbral, on the other hand, are ghastly creatures with gaping mouths–all the better for their gorge mechanic which allows them to feast on weak ‘morsel’ creatures for stat boosts. Your chosen clans determine what cards you will encounter during your run. The clan you choose as your primary for a run will also determine your champion; a powerful unit that starts every match in your hand and can be upgraded during your run.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Between fights, you’ll choose a path on an overworld map that determines what loot you collect before your next battle. These paths will lead you across simple items like sacks of gold or healt to restore your pyre, or more interesting interaction like the brief story encounters of the Concealed Caverns that show glimpses into the historic battle of Armageddon. The route you pick will also give you access to vendors who can upgrade your cards in exchange for gold, banners that will allow you to recruit new units, and chests containing relics that grant permanent passive buffs for your run.

Runs are fairly short, but difficult enough to challenge the average player. If you are much better at this game then I am, the Pact modes unlocked after your first successful run offer more difficult enemies and a rank system to climb; beating a run in each pact tier unlocks the next rank of pact with even harder challenges to overcome. These pact ranks add a progression to the game beyond completing runs or unlocking factions and their cards, but so far they’ve proved too difficult for me to tackle successfully. As there are many ranks of pact mode to unlock, each progressively harder, this definitely seems like a feature that will occupy a lot of your time if you want it to. Thankfully for me, pact is optional so you can keep fighting the standard battles if you need time to hone your skills there.

Adding further variety is the multiplayer mode, which offers a daily custom challenge run with preselected clans and modifiers applied to provide a more unique challenge. Another multiplayer mode functions like a standard run but tracks your progress against other players in a race to the inner circle of Hell, showing how you perform compared to others fighting the same battles.