PC Critic Reviews

Choo-Choo Charles is a fun, and original concept stretched so thinly that it caught our attention. We deserve to be underwhelmed by it, and its creator still deserves credit for a great little game.

In all, Choo-Choo Charles is an impressively made game for only having one person working on it - and what flaws it has don't get in the way of an overall solid experience. The game leans on its ridiculousness but also manages to keep an entertaining amount of tension due to the seemingly constant presence of the spider-train, heralded only by his horn. There isn't always a lot to see away from the train tracks or specific quests noted on the map, but that isn't a necessity in a game like Choo-Choo Charles - and despite its relatively short length this is one train this reviewer would recommend picking up a ticket.

Choo Choo Charles never takes itself seriously, but there's a fun game at its core with simple yet effective mechanics.

While it may not have a lengthy playtime or genre-defining mechanics, Choo-Choo Charles is nonetheless an impressive project created by a single person. If you’re craving some dumb spooky fun centered around upgrading your own train whilst trying to derail a demon spider locomotive (a very specific craving, indeed), then look no further.

While it may not be heavy on jump scares, Choo Choo Charles does offer an open world for players to explore. However, the game does have some rough edges, including lifeless NPCs and an empty open world as well as an excess of mechanics that don't always mix together. A co-op option would have been a welcome addition to the game, but despite these issues, Choo Choo Charles does have some standout features, including impressive graphics and unique gameplay that combines shooting elements with monsters and quests throughout the map.

Choo-Choo Charles is more than just a funny idea about a demonic spider train. There is solid gameplay at the heart of this game – it certainly isn’t a world beater and it’s only three hours long but as a horror one-shot with a blend of fun and action, it works surprisingly well.

Choo-Choo Charles could have been drawn out, fluffed up, or watered down in so many ways. Any additional brush strokes could have detracted from the bigger picture, but Two Star Games didn’t do that. Instead, they focused on delivering, and deliver they did. It’s small, tight, and its ambition doesn’t go beyond its central concept. Thankfully, that central concept is a pretty juicy morsel.

Choo-Choo Charles is sure to be one of the shortest titles you play all year. Just as soon as Charles tears through the trees and into sight for the first time, he’s gone. As the credits rolled, I couldn’t help but feel like Choo-Choo Charles should be compared to a stocking stuffer. A fun, cheap little trinket that you enjoy for a minute and then never touch again. I promise I mean that in the nicest way possible.

Undoubtedly fun for a fright night with friends or a YouTube reaction video, Choo-Choo Charles will find its place comfortably as a not-so-serious meme game with some good horror ideas. There’s a charm to the whole experience supported by the fact that its short runtime means it never overstays its welcome. However, the game’s shortcomings are simply too obvious to overlook. Requiring more polish, depth, and variety, Choo-Choo Charles doesn’t have the longevity needed to be anything more than a fleeting piece of sharable internet entertainment.

Choo-Choo Charles is undoubtedly an amusing concept. But it feels more like a semi-polished tech demo than a retail experience, which isn't helped by the awful enemy logic.