Choo-Choo Charles is a terrifying game about a half-train, half-monster who is terrorizing a small island. It’s basically the nightmare version of Thomas the Tank Engine. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was loosely based on those horror images of Thomas you can find online.

You’re hired to hunt down Charles and end his reign of terror. You do this by running your own train around the island and upgrading its armor, firepower, and speed using whatever scraps you can find lying around. There is a gun on the back of your train which you can use to fight Charles when he attacks. Below is my decked-out train. You can also change its color using paint cans found around the island.

Some of the island residents will give you scrap if you run errands for them too. That is, if they’re not cowering in terror as Charles runs amok.

If you read notes lying around the island and pay attention to the residents, you’ll learn of a larger plot, where a guy named Warren hired a mining crew to mine the island. He brought their families to the island, which are all the residents you run into. He’s protecting three eggs found in the mines that are connected to Charles somehow, and he won’t let anyone leave the island.

Charles will fight you until he’s severely injured, then he’ll run away. But if you collect all three eggs hidden in mines around the island and place them atop a specific altar, it will enrage Charles and he’ll fight to the death. Be careful of Warren’s loyal miners, though. They won’t give up the eggs without a fight.

This game is pretty straightforward and can be run through pretty quickly. On my first play-through, I took my time and still beat it in about 3 hours. But it’s definitely good at getting your heart rate up. That terrifying train screech in the distance is your warning that Charles is close, and you have mere seconds to either take shelter or be prepared to fight from your train.

I actually live next to some train tracks, with a train that passes by at least twice a day. After playing through this game once, I felt fear in my chest every time I heard an actual train whistle outside. With its dark, sometimes rainy environment and creepy music, this game does an excellent job setting a terrifying ambiance.