The snow is gracefully falling, smoke gently puffs from your steam engine’s stack, and the rhythmic rumble of your wheels on the tracks is comforting. Frostrail sounds like a relaxing, charming train sim set in a frozen wilderness – until you get off of your trusty locomotive. Then, it transforms into an intense survival FPS. It’s giving Metro Exodus vibes, and it’s one you can play alongside your pals too.
In the timeline of Frostrail, you attempt to survive in a brutal and icy location where “nearly all life has been bled dry, frozen over and disfigured by a malevolent force at the behest of a warmongering religious zealot.” Yeah, definitely not a cozy train sim then. You’re one of a small remaining community of survivors that hasn’t frozen to death or been torn apart by the survival game’s Eldritch monsters yet, and it’s your job to keep it that way. While supplies are hard to come by and conditions are unbelievably harsh, you do have one ace up your sleeve – an armored, upgradable train that acts as your home base and ferries you around the wastelands.
Powered by something known as an Eden Engine, it is the only reliable source of warmth and safe(ish) transportation around, so it’s vital to your survival. As well as gradually improving its defences and facilities, you’ll need to maintain it, repair it, and drive it without turning it into that scene from Uncharted 2.
However, you’ll need to disembark and venture out in search of food and resources so that you can craft clothes, weapons, and ammunition. Plus, you might uncover some wild secrets while snooping around.
As mentioned, you won’t be alone out there, with bloodthirsty mutants lurking around every corner. With ammunition being a sacred resource, taking the guns-blazing approach isn’t always the smart play. Combat should be a final option when you’ve got no other alternative – where possible, sneak past enemies or avoid large hordes of them if you’re not equipped for a shootout.
While you can experience Frostrail on your own, the game will also support co-op play for up to four players, which is encouraging to see.
Frostrail is set to launch in 2026, according to developer FakeFish.
Until we get to hear more about this intriguing survival experience, why not check out some of the best FPS games and best train games that you can play right now.
You can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We’ve also got a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with members of the team and fellow readers.
