Choo-Choo Charles
0Choo-Choo Charles knows exactly what it is. You play the role of a monster hunter who has been summoned to deal with a frightening beast that is running rampant on an island - one that can only be described as Pennywise crossed with Thomas The Tank Engine. The player will take their own train over the island, solving quests for NPCs as you level up your armour, weapon and speed enough to take down Charles once and for all. It's a wonderfully batshit concept and one that got my attention - and clearly my Discord user bases attention as it beat out some incredible games. But is this concept enough to carry an entire game?
Yes and no. Some quests are fun and there's a bit of variety between fetch quests and minor puzzles - but some are downright frustrating such as the stealth sections as you go spelunking for Charles eggs, only to be pitched against cultists who will make your life a misery as you can't hide well- and they absolutely will not stop following you. For a one-man developed indie game I can accept that it may not be graphically amazing, so I'll skip over the bizarrely designed NPCs/mannequins that send you on these quests. The atmosphere is great though, with Charles distant whistle keeping you on edge - or sending you into panic mode as you see him scuttling around in the distance. The game doesn't have legs to carry itself for weeks or days - and the game knows it. The length is about right and I packed in at the 3/4 hour mark, giving up at the final encounter - but I'd be lying if I told you I didn't have fun.
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