Dark Train

Dark Train is one of those rare indie projects that feels less like a conventional video game and more like a piece of conceptual art brought to life. Developed and published by Paperash Studio, with Ateliér Duchů involved in its release, it presents a moody, handmade world constructed almost entirely from paper, scissors, ink, and shadow. The premise is simultaneously simple and mysterious: you play as Ann 2.35f, a mechanical squid bound to a coal-powered locomotive called the Dark Train, tasked with escorting it through strange environments while uncovering the forgotten civilization that once created it. There are no tutorials, no dialogue, and no traditional storytelling devices—everything must be interpreted through visual cues, environmental shifts, and the train’s ever-changing state. The result is an experience that demands attention, patience, and curiosity rather than passive consumption. Its audiovisual identity is unquestionably its strongest asset. Every environment feels tactile, like a physical diorama filmed under theatrical lighting. The sharp silhouettes, layered textures, and meticulous cutout details give the sense that someone built an entire world on a desk b…

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I love games with minimal hand-holding (see: Mu Cartographer), but this takes it to an absurd new level.

What is Dark Train? Dark Train is an artistic steampunk puzzle adventure game by the Czech indie studio Paperash Studio. Everything is made out of paper and the whole art style is around hand-crafted papercut art. You play as the mechanical squid Ann 2.35f and need to control a train to deliver a mysterious order for deceased D. W. Tagrezbung, the famous inventor from the Border City. The developer promises that the game has no text, dialogue, tutorial or hint and this is what you get. This was fine in the beginning, but got frustrating for me so I dropped it somewhere around half the game. Visuals & Art Style Let's begin with the positive part of my review, the visuals. The papercut art style sounded promising and it delivered. The visuals are really nice to look at with its dark, atmospheric steampunk world. This is the main reason you could try the game, whether it's the world flying by the train or any of the separate rooms you travel to, everything has another good-looking scene. Audio Same with the audio, don't expect some crazy soundtrack, but the ambient sound design just felt fitting. It was never the main focus, but it did add to the atmosphere around the whole world…

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[quote][b]Warning: GeoBlocking[/b] This game has been geoblocked by the developer in some regions. This hostile and unethical behavior is often designed to punish gamers in specific regions due to specific political preferences from the developer, and serves only to harm gamers. Because of this behavior, there's no way of telling when the developer will also block your region (if it isn't already). If you buy this game, you're putting your money at risk. Will your region be next?[/quote] Dark Train is a game that I'd like to like, but can't (and not just because of the developers questionable, unethical use of Steam geoblocking features to restrict the game from some regions). It's an unusual 2D puzzle adventure game where you control a mechanical squid on a train. Quirky, and maybe even interesting, if the game was even remotely accessible. Developers often think they're very clever by making puzzles too hard to solve unless you refer to online guides/walkthroughs. This results in games that people either don't pick up, or just stick to a walkthrough all the way to get through... and when half the time "playing" a game is spent watching youtube, the developer has failed.…