Half locomotive, half spider, and totally terrifying—that’s Choo-Choo Charles, a demonic train that’s hounding humans. As the monster hunter out to derail him for good, you’ll ride around on your rickety engine, helping oddball locals and gathering scraps to upgrade your train’s speed and weapons. Sooner or later Charles will come shrieking out of the darkness, and if you’re not prepared, it’ll be the end of the line.

What we love: Surviving ambushes. When a sinister whistle echoes across the island, it means Charles is about to pounce—and fending off the leering locomotive with your train-mounted machine gun or rocket launcher is frightful fun.

Quick tip: Rifle-toting goons guard important quest items, like the giant glowing eggs (Charles’ ghastly brood) that you’ll need to lure the beast to his doom. If you’re spotted, sprint for the object and grab it before you perish—you’ll respawn back at your train with the prize in hand.

Meet the creator: Two Star Games is a Washington-based studio run by solo developer Gavin Eisenbeisz. He documented the making of Choo-Choo Charles in YouTube videos that have racked up tens of millions of views.