Game: Spooky Express
Genre: Puzzle, Indie, Casual, Isometric
System: Steam (Windows)
Developer|Publisher: Draknek and friends
Controller Support: Yes
Price: US $13.49 | £11.69 | € 13,49
Release Date: 21st, October 2025
A review code was provided, thanks to Draknek and friends.
What is Spooky Express about?
Spooky Express is a charming little game where, as a skilled train conductor, you’re tasked with building just the right track to get your monstrous passengers to their destination on time.
And hey, if they happen to snack on a few humans along the way? That’s just part of the charm!
Gameplay or puzzle rails and ghostly trails
The game opens with a short comic-style narrative, accompanied by an original song that sets a playful, storybook tone. It’s cute, quirky, and immediately engaging.
Gameplay-wise, Spooky Express keeps it simple. There’s a light tutorial at the first station to get you started. Once you unlock a valid path, a short cinematic (which you can skip) plays to show off the smooth flow of your chosen strategy. #TrainDriverSatisfaction
You can track your progress via a map. Each region has its own distinct style, all within a delightfully spooky theme.
Unlocking the border to the next region (like Ghoulish Graveyard, Pumpkin Patch, or Morbid Manor…) also unlocks a new comic strip. These tell the story of two friends (a vampire and a zombie) discovering new territories and meeting some oddball companions.
Each region hides several “secret” zones. Thankfully, you don’t need to complete every stop to access the next area, but unlocking all the routes will definitely appeal to the inner completionists among us.
Despite the cutesy visuals, the puzzles can get surprisingly tricky. You’ll need to be a bit creative now and then. Thankfully, there’s absolutely no penalty system. You can retry, tweak paths, or go back to earlier puzzles at any time.
There are two redo buttons: one undoes your last moves, and the other resets the whole puzzle. You can also get one clue per route. When activated, it highlights a small part of the track, but it’s still up to you to figure out how to make it all fit together.
In the settings, you can unlock all levels and adjust the volume of music and sound effects, of course.
Saving is automatic. Technically, there’s a checkbox to toggle full-screen mode, but it didn’t work for me; the game stayed full-screen regardless. Not a dealbreaker, but worth noting!
Art and Sound of Spooky Express
Like I said, Spooky Express is adorable. It flirts with kitsch in the best way, like a Halloween party thrown by a 9 or 10-year-old (you can picture it, right?). But the 3D isometric visuals give it just enough polish to work.
I really enjoyed the soundtrack. It perfectly matches the cartoony, spooky vibe, think Scooby-Doo (you did get that reference, right?).
And we’re not talking about a single looping track. There’s a whole playlist, which I definitely appreciated, especially since I get bored so easily. Alongside the music, you’ve got ambient effects and SFX. Each monster has its own little sound when it boards your train, it’s another nice touch.
Conclusion
Spooky Express is a lovely little game. It’s short and sweet. Probably not something that will stick with me long-term, but the time I spent with it was enjoyable.
I especially recommend it for parents looking to introduce their kids to video games. It’s gentle, engaging, and could definitely make for a fun shared experience.
Final verdict: I like it 
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