$24.99Monster Train Defend hell's last pyre, floor by floor
Defend the last burning pyre on a train to hell in this roguelike deckbuilder. You place demons across three stacked floors, draft and upgrade cards between fights, and stack synergies until one champion carries the run. Worth playing for deckbuilder fans who want fast runs, loud combos, and near-endless clan pairings to try.
Is Monster Train worth it?
Monster Train is worth it if…
- you like growing a small starter deck into huge synergies
- you want runs you can finish in 30 to 60 minutes
- you like placement and planning alongside card play
- you enjoy climbing difficulty ranks and trying new clan pairings
Screenshots
Three floors to hold
Heaven is coming up from the bottom of your train, and your pyre sits at the top. You drop units onto three floors, cast spells where they count, and try to kill everything before it climbs to you. Placement matters as much as the cards themselves: a tank on the ground floor, a damage dealer growing stronger behind it, a spell that hits the back line at the right turn. Fights are turn-based and snappy, a full run takes around half an hour, and losing the pyre ends it. The color and demon designs keep the defeats light.
Draft, upgrade, duplicate
You start small and shape the deck as the train moves. After each fight you draft new cards, and along your chosen route you upgrade your champion, recruit units, upgrade cards twice over, pick up passive bonuses, or duplicate a favorite card. Mixing two of the five clans gives you access to both card pools, so one run leans on armor and slams while the next grows a single monster into a wall. With over 220 cards, ten starter decks, and more than 21 random events, runs stay varied without much filler. It eases you in, then the 25 covenant ranks turn the screws.
Race hell in real time
Beyond the solo climb there are ways to test a build against other deckbuilder fans. Hell Rush puts eight players on the same resources and opponents in a timed contest, so quick, confident drafting wins. Daily Challenge adds mutators to the run with global and friend leaderboards, and Custom Challenge lets you set the rules and share the seed. The loop rewards experimentation, and finding a synergy strong enough to retake hell is a highlight.
Good to know?
How does a run work?
You pick a primary and supporting clan, then ride through rings of fights toward the final boss. Between battles you choose your route for upgrades, recruits, card improvements, or duplication, draft after fights, and manage your pyre health across three vertical floors. Die and the run ends, win and you can raise the covenant difficulty.
Can you play against other people?
Yes. Hell Rush is real-time for eight players on equal resources and opponents, Daily Challenge offers a mutator run with leaderboards, and Custom Challenge lets you design and share runs with their own boards.
How hard does it get?
It starts forgiving and grows strict across 25 covenant levels. Early runs let you play with builds, while high ranks demand tight drafting, upgrading, and removal, plus a plan for bosses and back-line enemies.
What keeps runs different?
Five clans with distinct cards, ten unlock levels per clan, mix-and-match upgrades, random events, route choices, and the two-clan pairing system. Two upgrades per card and duplication let the same card serve very different plans.
