Monster Train 2

Play it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2, Windows PC (Steam Deck: “Verified”)
Current goal: Finish a run

Monster Train is a great 2020 deckbuilding roguelike inspired by Slay the Spire, and this sequel, which came out in May, is really good, too. In Monster Train 2, Titans have taken over heaven, so angels and demons team up and board a train to go there to take it back. Instead of turn-based battles, combat takes place in little top-down 2D arenas where tactics-fueled positioning of units and smart use of attacks determine the difference between victory and defeat

One of the big innovations over the original is the addition of room and equipment cards that give you more strategic options for buffing your units. You also have more control over how they’re positioned prior to battle. It makes it feel even a bit more like Magic: The Gathering, a similarity I dig even if some of the more complex synergies and enemy challenges make it a bit harder to experiment with different strategies and not get punished.

It’s more Monster Train, though, and I love it so far. It’s the only thing that’s been able to consistently interrupt my recent relapse back into Balatro. — Ethan Gach