Choo Choo Charles Review | Not for the Siderodromoarachnophobiacs

When this Choo Choo Charles review was pitched, I immediately remembered Thomas the Tank Engine horror games and creepypasta stories and it made me instantly jump on this – oh boy, was it a wild train ride!

Before You Buy This Creepy-Ass Soul-Devouring Spider-Train Horror Game…

The premise of the game is simple. You are in an open world, with the goal of defeating Evil Charles with the aid of your cute little train. I won’t spoil the details of the story for you, which makes writing this review slightly difficult.

It’s much better if you get immersed in it as much as possible, not knowing what’s going to happen next. That’s what I loved about it the most. Treading carefully through the world, watching my every footstep, always on the lookout for creepy train sounds in the distance that don’t come out of my own train. There were a lot of “NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE” moments as I was running for my safety.

It truly is a proper indie horror game experience, and it’s clear that it’s made out of pure love and dedication.

Not Perfect, But That’s the Beauty of It

In Choo Choo Charles, you explore the island you’re on while completing quests, fighting enemies, and improving your train’s fighting capabilities by collecting scrap until you become strong enough to take Choo-Choo Charles down once and for all. Despite gameplay being very short by many standards, there is still much to do, and you will probably be a happy customer with the right expectations, whether you buy it at a discount or not.

Related: Vampire Survivors Review | When a Weekend Project Becomes Indie GOTY Material

The game definitely isn’t one-dimensional and there are moments where you’ll need to strategize before you rush into the fray so you will not be bored.

If you die, the game will return you to the train and you will take a small penalty. Don’t worry, though – there’s a pretty fluid autosave mechanic so you won’t lose any progress.

Is Choo-Choo Charles Any Good?

Choo-Choo Charles is a game all indie horror lovers will no doubt enjoy. I would have to compare it with the original Slenderman. Slenderman did have a lot of “backing” and fame in the community for obvious reasons, but still, have a look at how big the Slenderman game has grown during its time. If the stars align… who knows!

Related: Return to Monkey Island Review | The Soul of Monkey Island

I believe that with the right mindset and resources, Two Star Games can build on Choo-Choo Charles and deliver an even better sequel. Choo-Choo Charles is a brilliant proof of concept and a unique twist on the horror market. It tapped into the Thomas the Tank Engine horror games and creepypastas fairly decently, got something good out of it, and molded it into a standalone game with a (technically) original villain.

Pros:

• Immersive story and gameplay, despite it being short and having some minor technical issues.
• Smooth transitions.
• Simple gameplay without unnecessary functions. The game won’t hold your hand all the way, but you’ll get more than enough pointers.

Cons:

• Aiming is a bit strange, reminds me of Half-Life 1’s aiming when you’re sitting at a turret.
• Minor graphics and technical details could have been done a bit better, but those small glitches should not ruin your experience.
• Short gameplay – takes around three hours to complete. I am hoping that Two Star Games will not give up on this story and that they will build upon it and make a proper sequel it fully deserves soon. There is room for so much improvement here.
• Not for the Siderodromoarachnophobiacs.

Score: 7/10

A copy of this game was provided by the publisher for review. Reviewed on PC.