Choo Choo Survivor

talk about a game being on rails. This one sounds a lot more like a clever idea than a good execution. I started playing on steam deck, and while I could have remapped the keys, I felt the controls really weren't suited to a controller at all, so swapped to desktop (linux btw). Not a hit against it, just kind of bites that it's marked as 'playable' when it's... yeah. Anyway, the name "Choo Choo Survivor" sounds either like the devs wanted to evoke the imagery of Choo Choo Charles or are in fact children. Based on the depth of the gameplay, I'd guess the latter. The fact that they directed energy sequelwards instead of improving this poses serious concern over the quality of the sequel, but that's not why I'm not interested in it. I'm not interested in the sequel bc this was doodoo.

The idea sounds good, but after beating the first level. You'll realize it's a long grind to beat the game, especialliy for achievement hunting. Trains don't really offer anything too different in weapons until mid-higher ones. If you set it up right, you can almost turn it into an idler game. Probably get it on sale.

Boring meta-progression

Choo Choo Survivor is a creative roguelite action game developed and published by GTGD that takes the familiar survivor-style formula and places it on a heavily armed locomotive barreling through dangerous territory. Rather than controlling a lone hero fighting against endless enemies, players command a train that becomes both their transportation and their primary weapon. The result is a fast-paced experience that combines constant movement, escalating firepower, and increasingly chaotic battles into a surprisingly addictive gameplay loop. The game's greatest strength lies in how it builds progression around the train itself. Every run begins with relatively modest capabilities, but as enemies are defeated and resources are collected, players gain access to a growing arsenal of upgrades. New weapons, enhanced defenses, increased damage output, and specialized train improvements steadily transform the locomotive into a devastating machine capable of mowing down entire armies. Watching a simple train evolve into an unstoppable engine of destruction provides a strong sense of accomplishment that keeps players invested from one run to the next. Combat is straightforward to learn yet…

Recommended, but only if you like grinders (or don't mind cheating using trainers). Although gameplay can get very repetitive, the upgrade system is interesting - even if does take forever to accumulate the gold needed.

I like the idea and it kept me entertained for a while.