Fright Train is a brand-new survival horror game set to release on Steam in September, and it looks like it could be an intriguing blend of two iconic video game franchises. With its monstrous enemies, horror atmosphere, and locomotive setting, Fright Train seems to be borrowing from Resident Evil Zero, while the upcoming Steam game’s anthropomorphic protagonist might remind players of Star Fox‘s titular hero.
Fright Train is being developed by WildArts Games, and is being published by Black Lantern Collective. A team of French Canadians, WildArts currently has three releases under its belt. The first of these to launch was Helltown, a first-person horror adventure game that’s sitting with a ‘Mostly Positive’ user rating on Steam. Six years later, WildArts released Born of Bread, a turn-based RPG with a dramatically different, far more upbeat art style and atmosphere. WildArts then returned to its first-person horror roots in 2025 with Caput Mortum, which traded the bright colors of Born of Bread for a much more gritty, sinister color palette.
Fright Train Looks Like a Mash-Up of Resident Evil Zero and Star Fox
A sort of blend of its previous two releases, WildArts’ upcoming Steam game Fright Train takes the otherworldly horror elements of Caput Mortum and gives them a more stylized makeover, injecting a little bit of whimsy along the way. The general premise of Fright Train sees players assume the role of Doug, a paranormal special agent who’s been tasked with ridding a moving train of its mutated inhabitants.
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Set in Antarctica, Fright Train is described as a “third-person action survival horror roguelite” on its official Steam page. Along with eliminating any spooky threats found on board, players will need to maintain the train’s parts so that it keeps moving. If the train stops, it’s likely to be boarded by another wave of abominations.
While it’s obviously not a one-to-one likeness, the general concept of a survival horror game set on a train infested with mutant creatures might easily remind fans of Resident Evil Zero‘s opening sequence. Though there are, of course, some key differences in each titles’ gameplay, with Fright Train featuring a procedurally generated train and a roguelite structure that rewards players for successful repeat runs. Fright Train also features a unique inventory management system, whereby an item’s location on the protagonist’s body affects how quickly that item can be used in combat.
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Image via Black Lantern Collective -
Image via Black Lantern Collective -
Image via Black Lantern Collective
Resident Evil fans might also find a familiar narrative and tone in Fright Train, as according to the game’s Steam description, it’ll feature a “B-movie style story.” That all said, Resident Evil Zero might not be the only game Fright Train reminds players of. The aforementioned protagonist, Doug, is a big anthropomorphic dog, who seemingly belongs to an elite organization of other talking animals. This isn’t dissimilar to the Star Fox series.
A free Steam demo of Fright Train is available now, with a full release currently set for September 15, 2026. Another neat element of Fright Train is that its developer is also proudly anti-generative AI, with a big “Made by Humans” logo appearing at the bottom of the game’s Steam page and on the front page of WildArts’ website.
