Last
Train Home

Game
    Review

Last Train Home (2023) is a strategy game where you command of a legion of soldiers as they travel home by train after the Great War. You guide them in battle, issuing commands and developing strategies, then upgrade and fortify the train you use to travel home. It stands out for the historical accuracy of the real-life story of the Czechoslovak Legion, and the combination of train and battle management.

You command the Czechoslovak Legion, a volunteer army that fought for the Allies during the First World War, in its aftermath. Stranded in Siberia, you take control of a train on the Trans-Siberian Railway and use it to make your way back home to Eastern Europe. Along the way, you become embroiled in the fighting between Russia's Red and White Armies in the Russian Civil War and must defend your troops, train, and resources as you make your escape.

Play is a combination of the immediate concern of directing your forces in battles, and then long-term tending to your troops and your train as you travel. Combat happens in real-time and you issue commands to all your troops rather than on an individual basis. Many times you face off against large forces and stealth and traps are essential to success, in addition to expert tactics and strategy. On your train, you unlock new equipment, promote soldiers, and train your force. You also expand and fortify your train with extra carriages, weaponry, and defences.

The result is a game that combines real-time strategic fights with mobile base-building and maintenance to create a game that's as unusual as it is tactical. In tandem with the historical setting and focus on a lesser-known part of WWI history, it makes for an engaging and novel experience.

Our examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked Last Train Home 5 months ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 13 days ago.