Eight Free-To-Play Games You Probably Overlooked That Are Part Of Steam’s Train Fest

I have to admit, I’m enjoying the idea of all these “Fests” Steam is coming up with. Every time one comes up, I stumble across games I never knew existed. That’s definitely the case with the Steam Train Fest.

The event, which runs until 10 AM Pacific on July 27 highlights way more train-centric games than I would have though existed on the platform. That’s not to say that all of them are train simulators. Some are story-based games, some are action games, others are even horror. But they all have trains.

Since I noticed a new Fest event was up, I decided to check and see if this one had any free-to-play offerings that would be relevant to our site. And it turns out it does – a total of 9 games, in fact. Although, one of those games isn’t out yet and can only be played as a demo at the moment. As it’s such a minimal amount, I figured I’d just go ahead and share all of the games with you this time.

Saihate Station

Remember I said there were some horror games in this train fest? This is one of them. The “exploration/horror/adventure game about the codependent, love-hate relationship between two men” is a visual novel that focuses on two men who work at the same company. They find themselves trapped at the Saihate Station and have to work together to get out while discovering the truth behind the station.

Admittedly, this offering seems like it will appeal to a very particular audience, but those who have played it seem to really like it, based on the reviews.

Resonance Solstice

This anime RPG brings together train simulation and real-time card battles. Players take on the role of a conductor driving a train across the continent, reconnecting different parts of the world to save it from destruction. (Sounds like the creed of the Trailblaze in Honkai: Star Rail, except contained in one world.)

In addition to creating teams to fight with, players can also design and manage a train home. The game also features real-time trading.

Keypress Express

This one’s for those who might need a little encouragement to keep writing. Effectively, it’s a desktop train that is propelled by the keystrokes of the individual doing the typing. There does appear to be some progression in the game as players can build their train and transport items. The train isn’t just rolling across the bottom of the screen, it’s going somewhere and players will be able to pick up and sell goods as they move from town to town.

If you’re questioning this being a cutesy key-logger, according to the Steam page it only tracks the number of keys hit, not what those keys are. Of course, as with anything use your best judgement.

Choo Choo Boom Boom

How would you like a big freaking rail gun on top of your train? That’s what you get in Choo Choo Boom Boom. The game’s premise is pretty simple. An island city being threatened by an alien known as The Hand. (It looks like a giant hand.) It’s the job of the player to protect the city by driving around the city in a train armed to the teeth and shoot The Hand. The train is armed with three different types of weapons: a light cannon, a heavy cannon, and a “BFRG” (big rail gun). The devs describe the game as a “(very literal) on-rails shooter. So, there are puns too.

Steam Revolution: The Age of Rail

I bet you were beginning to think there weren’t any simulation games on this list at all. But this is one. In Steam Revolution, you build industry-connecting rail networks in 1844 Europe. It’s obviously a more visually basic game than the kinds of simulators you throw a lot of money into, but it could still scratch that train-empire building itch.

MiniTrans

Okay, this one is about more than just trains. It’s a city-builder and traffic simulation game that happens to involve trains. The game features five types of cities: bay, seaside, inland, capital, and desert which can be used to create dozens of different maps.

At present, it seems not all the game’s features are complete yet. The game’s Steam page lists quite a few things that will be added in the future, including more maps based on real cities. So far they have some of London, Beijing, and Shanghai.

The Last Train

Okay, this one is another story-based game. In this pixel RPG, the last train carries passengers through a barren wasteland in search of a new home where they can actually survive. Players take on the role of a creature known as Elif, who is in search of a missing station named Spring. During gameplay, players will collect supplies and explore the train and the world, uncovering secrets as they go.

If On A Winter’s Night, Four Travelers

This game is a point-and-click narrative featuring a bit of horror. It’s built around the stories of four different characters all taking part in a masked ball on a train. The game is set in the 1920s and each character’s story is different. One focuses on a character waiting for his lover while hiding from facists. Another has a woman fighting off people trying to take her deceased husband’s forturne. Another centers on the occult. And the fourth revolves around a woman dealing with her job.

C.A.B.A

This one isn’t out yet. But there is a demo available. It’s a take on the Backrooms metro level. Based on that description, you should have a pretty good idea what you’d be getting into.