One of my favorite games from last year is now on Switch. Good Shepherd Entertainment and indie developer Shiny Shoe have released Monster Train First Class, an excellent deckbuilding card game, on Switch for $29.99.

Monster Train First Class includes The Last Divinity DLC, as well as additional post-launch bonus cards and gameplay features.

In Monster Train, you play as the bad guys: a faction of demons on the a hellish train ride looking to take back your homeland from the oppressive forces of heaven.

Fans of Slay the Spire will recognize the branching paths toward receiving different cards, upgrades, artifacts, events, and other chances to customize your deck along the way. A total of six clans are available to mix and match, and players can choose one of two leaders for each clan to grow stronger as they progress.

Battles are unique thanks to the three-tiered lanes that cards and enemies can battle in, representing triple-decker train cars. Most enemies begin at the bottom level, and if any enemy wave survives, will reach the next higher level. If they survive all three levels, they’ll do damage to your core. Players have to balance their decks, card synergy, and the different levels of the train to succeed.

First Class includes 25 different difficulty levels, daily challenges, and global leaderboards. The Last Divinity DLC includes adds the sixth clan, the Wurmkin, a new currency called Pact Shards that enhance both you and the enemy, and a new endboss.

Monster Train First Class is available now on Nintendo Switch. Monster Train is also available on PC (Steam, GOG, Microsoft Store) and Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S (including Game Pass). Despite its heaven and hell theme, it’s rated E for Everyone thanks to its cartoon art and lack of violence.


This article was written by

Eric has been writing for over nine years with bylines at Dicebreaker, Pixelkin, Polygon, PC Gamer, Tabletop Gaming magazine, and more covering movies, TV shows, video games, tabletop games, and tech. He reviews and live streams D&D adventures every week on his YouTube channel. He also makes a mean tuna quesadilla.