We’ve seen a lot of survival games in the past couple of years. While some stick to Valheim and The Forest’s tried and tested formula, we’ve seen Nightingale put a ‘gaslamp’ spin on the standard fare and, of course, Palworld’s viral creature-collecting. RailGods of Hysterra, however, is changing things up yet again, placing your base on a roaming steam train that houses a Lovecraftian god. You’ll make your way through the Dreamlands, power yourself up, and collect resources to expand out your home away from home. Oh, and you’ll also be collecting sacrifices, but it’s not as bad as it sounds, trust me.
You are a Dreamer, a powerful magical entity that’s symbiotically tied to the RailGod (hence RailGods of Hysterra), an alien-like entity that’s part Lovecraftian horror, part hulking locomotive. The world around you has been devastated by the Great Old Ones and malevolence has taken root. It’s your job to tear your way through the hordes and purge the world of their corruption.
But while it has some RPG elements, RailGods is a survival game at its core. When you’re not off adventuring you’ll be building out your train, adding carriages and customizing away to your heart’s content. You’ll alight at the relevant stops, acquire new materials, and head back home – but don’t stay out too long, or those voices you hear whispering in the back of your head will quickly start shouting.
If (read ‘when’) the worst does happen, however, you’ll want to be prepared. As you dive deeper into dungeons to pick up higher tier loot or desperately scavage through the wastes, you’ll acquire new crafting components to level up both your innate magical abilities and, of course, your guns.
Let’s deal with magic first. As a Dreamer, you’ll have access to various spells, with the most important being your Dark Gifts. Bestowed upon you by a happy, well-fed RailGod (hence the aforementioned sacrifices), these game-changing abilities can help you gather resources more quickly and, going by the trailer below, may even let you teleport.
If you prefer substance over style, though, RailGods also offers a vast arsenal of turn-of-the-century weaponry. From pistols to rifles to bows and hatchets, you’re perfectly primed to take down whatever gets in your way. You can see some of the game’s weapons, as well as the Dark Gift system, in PCGamesN’s exclusive trailer below.
If all of this sounds right up your tentacle-covered, bloodstained alley, then RailGods of Hysterra is set to drop later in 2025. In the meantime, however, you can check out its Steam demo.
If you’ve already played the demo and are looking for something equally sinister, we have a list of all the best horror games. Alternatively, if you’re saving up your cash to sacrifice it to the RailGod later this year, here’s a rundown of all the best free Steam games – the RailGods will appreciate your commitment.
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