I’ll admit it – when I booted up Trainatic, I half expected another Vampire Survivors clone. What I got, instead, was Ryan Forrester’s charming take on cozy destruction. Built in Godot, this is his third game, and after ninety minutes with the demo, Trainatic shows enough promise to stay on my radar.
Picture this: You’re a tiny train with big dreams and a single cannon. Your mission is blasting through everything in your path, gathering resources, and becoming an unstoppable vessel of destruction. It’s a simple concept, but the execution adds surprising depth.
My first moments with Trainatic were humbling. Here I was, a single train car with dreams of destruction, crawling along at a snail’s pace. Shoot some trees, run out of fuel, limp back to base. Rinse and repeat. Within my time playing, the game touched on that addictive power fantasy that makes Vampire Survivors so compelling, but it adds its own twist – fuel is everything.
And I mean everything. Movement costs fuel. Taking damage costs fuel. Even sitting still slowly drains fuel. In those early runs, I found myself playing it safe – stopping entirely to line up perfect shots, maximizing every drop of precious fuel. So far, this deliberate pacing clearly wants players to master the basics, though that learning curve could use some smoothing.
Once you start upgrading, though, the game transforms. Each upgrade in the progression tree makes a noticeable difference. I found myself obsessed with expanding my train, especially once support cars entered the picture. These aren’t just passive upgrades – a fuel car only works its magic when paired with a damage dealer, turning train arrangement into its own mini-game. Within the demo, I spent a good chunk of time shuffling my seven-car monstrosity around, trying to find that perfect balance of firepower and efficiency.
From what I’ve experienced, the weapon and upgrade variety needs some work. Spike shooter cars remain your best option from beginning to end. I experimented with grenade launchers and shotgun cars, but they always felt inferior, even when fully upgraded. I was excited about an explosive impact upgrade that lets you ram through obstacles, but the lengthy cooldown killed its usefulness. By late game, the obstacles were too thick for ramming, anyway. The full release will hopefully give us more reasons to diversify our arsenal.
Visually, Trainatic absolutely nails it. Pixel art mixed with flat pastel colors creates something special. Those gentle, stylized puffs of smoke from your engine aren’t just pretty – they’re a visual reminder that, beneath all the mayhem, you’re still conducting a little train that could. A crisp, monospaced font and subtle CRT filter complete the aesthetic perfectly.
Audio design really sells the whole experience. Cozy lo-fi beats juxtaposed against explosive destruction feel intentional. Trees explode into satisfying chunks with crisp sound effects, yet, somehow, it all feels… relaxing. The game seems to understand that the best chaos needs a calm center.
During my time with the demo, I caught hints of a deeper narrative lurking in the background, though it barely scratches that surface. I’m curious to see where the story goes – why are we blasting through these procedurally generated landscapes? What’s waiting at the end of the line? Is there an end of the line?
My biggest frustration comes from the early-game pacing. Those first few runs feel sluggish, and not in a strategic way, but more in a “watching paint dry” way. But maybe that’s intentional – an appreciation for the journey from humble beginnings to screen-clearing mayhem.
So far, Trainatic‘s demo hints at something worth playing. Yes, I wanted more – more cars, more cannons, more speed, more everything – but that’s exactly the feeling a demo should leave you with. If the full release can maintain this balance of cozy destruction while addressing the pacing and weapon variety, there’s no reason Trainatic couldn’t find its audience.
I’m curious enough to see where this train is headed. Sometimes, the most interesting games are the ones that start small and surprise you.
Trainatic is set to release in 2025
