Battle Train

About

Battle Train is a single player strategy game. It was developed by Nerd Ninjas and was released on June 17, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

Battle Train is a fast-paced roguelite featuring strategic deck-building and resource management on dynamic railway tracks. Players engage in tactical duels by connecting rails, deploying special rails, barricades, and explosives to outmaneuver opponents. Each run offers branching paths, bosses, and upgrades that evolve your strategy in a high-stakes metagame.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 85 reviews

story15 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features a unique and innovative blend of roguelike deckbuilding and puzzle mechanics, making each run feel fresh and engaging.
The humor and charm of the story, along with high-quality voice acting and animations, add a delightful layer to the gameplay experience.
The game is highly addictive, with a satisfying learning curve that allows players to strategize and adapt their tactics on the fly.

Progression is heavily gated by story requirements, forcing players to complete multiple runs to unlock the final map, which can feel frustrating and artificially inflate playtime.
The game suffers from a heavy reliance on RNG, leading to inconsistent experiences where players may feel they lack control over their builds and strategies.
Some gameplay elements, such as the UI and card variety, are criticized for being cramped and lacking depth, which can detract from the overall experience.

story
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
76%
5%
The game's story is a central element that combines humor and charm, engaging players through a series of voiced cutscenes and character interactions. However, progression is heavily tied to story completion, requiring multiple runs to unlock key areas, which some players find frustrating and feel detracts from the overall experience. While many appreciate the narrative's lightheartedness and creativity, the forced nature of story progression can lead to mixed feelings about the gameplay loop.
- “A hidden gem with addictive gameplay and a wonderful fully voiced story.”
- “I haven't been as invested in a story for a game in a pretty decent time. This story is a great balance of funny and light-hearted while not being outright childish.”
- “The story is great, the visuals are amazing, and the soundtrack really puts everything together.”
- “The only way to play the true ending is to watch all 50+ cutscenes, which are way too many for a story this simple (game show is run by a crazy guy who's obviously the final boss).”
- “Mixed review honestly, the gameplay loop is fun but it's a tad easy and the amount of runs needed to complete the story so you can progress further is way too high; the progression system is really killing my motivation to play more. The story that's there is cute so far, but I don't like how forced it feels.”
- “The most frustrating thing that made me write this review is that I have won 3 or 4 runs now, only to be met with a door that stops you from progressing until you've sat through enough of the story.”
gameplay
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
43%
9%
The gameplay is widely praised for its addictive mechanics and unique blend of roguelike deckbuilding with strategic puzzle-solving elements, offering a fresh take on the genre. However, some players feel that the initial builds and progression system can hinder motivation, leading to a sense of repetitiveness and forced story engagement. Overall, while the core mechanics are enjoyable and well-executed, the balance between challenge and progression may need refinement to enhance replayability.
- “A hidden gem with addictive gameplay and a wonderful fully voiced story.”
- “Battle Train is a roguelike deckbuilder with pretty unique and amazing gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is an addictive mix of card roguelike, strategy, and that old Windows pipe connection game - sounds weird but it works perfectly.”
- “It chooses style over substance and that's a shame for such a substantive foundation, but design like allowing bosses to directly hit you regardless of defense is neither intuitive nor properly curbed by surrounding mechanics.”
- “I suppose the gameplay does get repetitive.”
- “Now, even when I really like the gameplay itself, I think one of the weakest points in the game are the starting builds; they offer you a selection of 3 characters (Wildfrost style), and you have to choose one to start your run.”
humor
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm and effectiveness, with many players noting that the story is both hilarious and engaging, featuring witty lines and amusing animations. While some find the humor occasionally over-the-top, it generally enhances the experience, making the game enjoyable and light-hearted without veering into childishness. Overall, the combination of funny storytelling and quirky characters contributes significantly to the game's appeal, despite some critiques regarding gameplay value.
- “The story so far in this game has been absolutely hilarious to me.”
- “There were several points where I burst out laughing.”
- “The story mode helps make up for it though, as the writing ranges from charmingly campy to genuinely hilarious.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
12%
38%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their amazing presentation, vibrant animations, and a fun, unique art style reminiscent of a "crazy game show." However, some users find the user interface and game board to be cramped and unclear, detracting from the overall visual experience. Despite these criticisms, the combination of visuals, humor, and engaging gameplay contributes to a highly enjoyable experience.
- “The 'crazy game show' aesthetic reminds me of Dicey Dungeons, and the animation is done in a teletoons-looking style.”
- “The story is great, the visuals are amazing and the soundtrack really puts everything together.”
- “Super enjoyable art style, great script, gameplay is great and it's addicting.”
- “The UI and game board are too cramped, and the graphics are not very clear.”
- “The 'crazy game show' aesthetic reminds me of Dicey Dungeons, and the animation has a Teletoons-like style.”
- “The graphics lack clarity and do not enhance the overall experience.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players finding it pleasant and fitting for the experience. While some describe it as fine but not extraordinary, others highlight the soundtrack as a standout element that enhances the overall storytelling and visuals.
- “The story is great, the visuals are amazing, and the soundtrack really puts everything together.”
- “Banging soundtrack too!”
- “Music/audio was fine, nothing amazing, but was pleasant to listen to throughout the entire experience.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly when attempting to achieve 100% completion, as it often involves repetitive tasks with limited rewards. However, the game does introduce engaging story changes that help alleviate some of the monotony, making the initial gameplay enjoyable despite the grind. Many reviewers suggest that an endless mode could enhance the experience by allowing players to build their ideal train without the constraints of grinding for parts.
- “This has to be one of the most (if not the most) tedious games I have ever played when it comes to getting all of the achievements.”
- “Really fun game until you finish the story. There's no real sense in grinding for all cards/train parts, as most of the time in the store you get the same few parts. It would definitely benefit from some form of endless mode where you can build your perfect overpowered train, but it was fun for the day or so of gameplay I got out of it.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Overall, the game offers a mix of replayability experiences; while some players find the core mechanics and story engaging enough for multiple playthroughs, others feel that the lack of variety limits its long-term appeal. Recent updates have improved gameplay, enhancing the experience for some users.
- “The story is charming, and the core mechanic of exploding trains on your enemies is great; the replayability is also high.”
- “My one 'complaint' about the camera controls was addressed in the latest update, and it has instantly made the game 100 times more playable for me.”
- “The game in itself is fine, the gameplay mechanics are fun and all, but there isn't much replayability.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that while bosses can demonstrate impressive strategic optimization in their moves, they often switch to illogical behavior shortly after, undermining the challenge and immersion of the gameplay. This inconsistency in AI behavior can feel frustrating and detracts from the overall experience.
- “The optimization in this game is impressive; bosses can execute incredibly smart strategies that challenge players, but they also have moments where they seem to make less strategic moves, which can feel a bit off.”
- “I love how the game balances optimization; it keeps players on their toes with intelligent enemy actions while also providing moments of unexpected leniency.”
- “The strategic depth of the game is enhanced by its optimization mechanics, making encounters feel dynamic and engaging.”