Choo-Choo Charles

Lore & Background

Choo-Choo Charles was developed by Gavin Eisenbeisz using Unreal Engine 4's Blueprint visual script, with development blogs posted on YouTube. The game was inspired by the children's TV show Thomas & Friends, specifically a 3D horror animation called Thomas Feeds by Tom Coben, published in November 2020. Additional inspiration likely came from Stephen King's Charlie the Choo-Choo. The game was released for Windows on December 9, 2022, and later for Xbox and PlayStation consoles on December 21, 2023. A 'Nightmare Mode' update on October 26, 2023 added permadeath, buffed enemies, and a new soundtrack.

Reader's Guide

Choo-Choo Charles is significant as an indie horror game that went viral from a single trailer, demonstrating the power of internet buzz for small developers. Its concept—a monstrous train-spider hybrid based on a childhood TV show—tapped into nostalgia and horror, earning it a spot on Time's anticipated list. However, critical reception was mixed, with reviewers citing short length (3–5 hours), janky mechanics, and frustrating stealth sections. The game's legacy lies in its unique premise and the developer's transparent development process via YouTube blogs. It also shows how a simple, meme-friendly idea can generate widespread attention, even if execution falls short. The post-credits hint of Charles's eggs suggests potential for expansion, though none is confirmed.

Did You Know?

• The 2021 trailer went viral on Twitter and Reddit.
• The game takes three to five hours to fully complete.
• A 'Nightmare Mode' update added permadeath and a new soundtrack.

Origins & Creative Inspiration

Gavin Eisenbeisz built Choo-Choo Charles as a solo developer using Unreal Engine 4's Blueprint visual scripting system, documenting his progress through YouTube blog posts. The game's creative DNA traces back to a deeply personal place: Eisenbeisz has spoken about how the corruption of childhood innocence is a well-worn horror trope, but he wanted his take to be anchored in a specific, beloved children's property. Thomas & Friends, the show he adored as a kid, became that anchor. The 2020 fan animation Thomas Feeds by Tom Coben, which reimagined Thomas the Tank Engine as a grotesque spider-train hybrid, served as a major visual and tonal touchstone. Additionally, Stephen King's 2016 novella Charlie the Choo-Choo, written under the pseudonym Beryl Evans as part of The Dark Tower cycle, likely contributed to the conceptual landscape. The result was a 2022 survival horror title published under his own label, Two Star Games, that turned a nostalgic children's icon into a predatory locomotive stalking an island.

Gameplay & Structure

The core loop of Choo-Choo Charles revolves around a single island connected by a network of railway tracks. Players pilot a machine-gun-armed train between stations where non-player characters issue quests, typically involving fetching objects in exchange for weapons and upgrade materials. Four key NPCs drive the main storyline forward, while armed cultist enemies guard the three glowing eggs that must be collected to trigger the final confrontation. The game offers two approaches to these guards: a stealthy route where players sneak past to snatch eggs unnoticed, or a brute-force option of running them down with the train or blasting them with mounted guns. Optional side quests expand the arsenal with a flamethrower, rocket launcher, and anti-tank cannon. The entire experience is designed to last roughly three to five hours, making it a compact but structured run through the island's interconnected rail network.

Narrative & Antagonist

The story opens with the Archivist, an unnamed monster-hunting scholar, summoned to the island of Aranearum by a friend named Eugene to help deal with Charles, a man-eating spider-train hybrid terrorizing the local population. The welcome is grim: Charles attacks immediately, killing Eugene, though not before the dying man passes on a crucial instruction—find Charles' eggs to summon and destroy him. Eugene's son Paul and the island's residents have already devised a plan, but they need the Archivist to carry it out. Along the way, the player uncovers that Warren Charles III, a mining company owner leading a cult, is the true architect of Charles' awakening, having unearthed the eggs during an overly deep excavation. After all three eggs are gathered, Charles transforms into his monstrous Hell Charles form, devours Warren, and pursues the Archivist in a frantic gun-swap-and-refuel battle. The Archivist ultimately lures Charles onto a rigged bridge, detonates explosives, and sends the creature crashing face-first onto a wooden support beam, killing it instantly. A post-credits reveal of hundreds more eggs in a hidden cavern leaves the door open for a return.

Reception & Post-Launch Evolution

Despite the viral buzz generated by its 2021 trailer—which earned it a spot on Time's list of most anticipated 2022 titles—Choo-Choo Charles landed in mixed territory with critics, settling at a 56/100 on Metacritic. Reviewers broadly acknowledged the boldness of the concept while flagging execution issues. Rock Paper Shotgun's Steve Hogarty called it "shonky" and "very short," feeling the premise was stretched too thin. Kotaku's Zack Zwiezen praised the originality but faulted the stealth sections and the lack of genuine scares. IGN's Travis Northup scored it 4/10, using words like "janky" and "barebones," and found the on-foot stealth "aggressively not fun." Destructoid's Zoey Handley was more forgiving at 6.5/10, calling it "alright." Post-launch, Eisenbeisz kept the title alive: a December 2023 console port brought it to Xbox and PlayStation platforms, and an October 2023 Nightmare Mode update introduced permadeath, buffed enemies, and a fresh soundtrack, giving players a significantly harder second run.