# MageTrain — Fast-paced pixel art snakelike

> Assemble and upgrade a magical hero train for auto-battler arena survival. (iPhone/iPad app by Benjamin Dressler.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magetrain/id6479560703 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Benjamin Dressler](https://appshunter.io/developer/1522414392)
- Category: Games, Action, Role Playing
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 3.14/5 from 7 App Store ratings · 17 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 12.0 · 226 MB
- Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish, Ukrainian
- Released: 2025-04-08
- Data updated: 2026-08-22
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magetrain/id6479560703/reviews.md

## What is MageTrain?

MageTrain – Assemble a Magical Battling Train!

Lead a growing train of powerful heroes through relentless enemy waves in this unique blend of Snake and auto-battler action. Position your heroes strategically, level them up, and generally avoid running into things in fast-paced arena battles.

Features:
- Build Your Train – Recruit and arrange a squad of auto-attacking heroes.
- Level Up & Upgrade – Strengthen your team with powerful abilities and synergies.
- Unlock Unique Heroes – Discover new warriors with distinct skills.
- Collect Gold & Power-Ups – Every run is a fresh challenge with new rewards.
- Survive & Conquer – Navigate arenas filled with relentless foes.
- Roguelike Replayability – Adapt and strategize as every run unfolds differently.

Can you master the MageTrain and forge an unstoppable magical conga line? Play now!

## Key features

- Build Your Train of heroes
- Level Up & Upgrade abilities
- Unlock Unique Heroes
- Collect Gold & Power-Ups
- Survive & Conquer arenas
- Roguelike Replayability

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mortus the Necromancer | $0.99 | one-time |
| 8-for-5 offer! | $4.99 | one-time |
| 2-for-1 offer! | $0.99 | one-time |
| Iwan the Witcher | $0.99 | one-time |
| 6-for-3 offer! | $2.99 | one-time |
| 2-for-1 offer! | $0.99 | one-time |
| Grynda the Viking | $0.99 | one-time |
| Aramir the Archer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Havelock the Assassin | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ambrosius the Wizard | $0.99 | one-time |
| Berg the Dwarf | $0.99 | one-time |
| Giz the Priest | $0.99 | one-time |
| Rex the Beastmaster | $0.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of MageTrain?

Overall sentiment: neutral

**Pros**

- 🚀 Brings back the nostalgia
- 👍 Fun twist on a classic
- 👍 Cute pixel game
- 👍 Really fun

**Cons**

- 🐛 Wraiths are OP
- 💰 Cheeky difficulty ceiling designed to incentify spending
- 💰 Impossible to get enough gold to unlock more characters
- 🐛 So many bugs
- 🤔 Can't actually play the game

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Can't make a team
- Debug menu left in with ability to unlock all heroes and get infinite gold

**Most requested features**

- More character improvement and overall smoothing
- Ability to improve heroes between runs, their gear, etc.

## Recent user reviews (10 of 17)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magetrain/id6479560703/reviews.md

### 3/5 — Too easy

*2025-09-12, version 1.2*

this game is too easy, but it is impossible or almost impossible to save up coins to buy a hero +- 2000 coins, so I suggest making some difficulty modifiers, with which the player will feel the difficulty and get more coins

### 4/5 — Fun and unique concept but still early

*2025-06-14, version 1.2*

Definitely has room to grow but what we have is fun to play. Do wish when your allies revive mid-match they went back to their original spot, gold and power ups despawn a little fast and walls wouldn’t sometimes hit for half your health bar. Still it reminds me of the classic snake game and while a little bare what it does have is pretty solid and worth checking out.

### 3/5 — Good framework, but currently repetitive

*2025-05-29, version 1.2*

I think this is a game that has a lot of room to grow. 
Pros:
-Classes are unique, though I think something to make the level ups feel impactful both when they’re a follower and a leader would be great.
-World map is cute, art is good overall.
Cons:
-Gameplay doesn’t have much variation to it. Something incentivizing exploration (and maybe some more bigger, more linear maps) could help, as currently you walk in circles until you or the enemies die
-Attack hitboxes are very confusing. I’m not sure I actually ever fully understood WHY I lost health. More distinct visuals from enemies and a bestiary could likely help with this.

### 5/5 — Better Nimble Train

*2025-05-21, version 1.2*

Brings back the nostalgia of playing Nimble Train but without the paywall subscription half brick want now. Amazing game and will be following closely, can’t wait to see more character improvement and overall smoothing!

### 3/5 — Could be great!

*2025-05-19, version 1.2*

I think this has a lot of potential. Could be very addicting and fun. Just need to iron out some kinks!

### 5/5 — Fun game!

*2025-04-30, version 1.2*

Really fun game! I was looking for a new game to play when I came across this one! I read the other reviews which weren't very favourable, so I didn't have very high expectations going in, but this game was actually pretty fun! It's simple, not over complicated and I enjoyed playing it a lot more than I though I would. It's something I think I'll play often to pass the time, and it has no ads which is very great! I think the other reviews were definitely super harsh. Also, another review said it was impossible to get other characters without buying them, but that's not the case at all! You get the gold from playing, and also if you choose the gold on the path you can randomly get different amounts of gold! Some characters will take longer, but it's very doable and more fun than being able to get everything easily! Would definitely recommend giving this a try!

### 5/5 — Fun twist on a classic

*2025-04-29, version 1.2*

It’s like a modern version of Snake but with heroes and roguelike progression. I’m enjoying playing with the new necromancer hero - the little skelly minions are fun to summon. Looking forward to seeing where the dev takes this game!

### 5/5 — Finally a good app game

*2025-04-27, version 1.2*

It’s been so long since I have downloaded a game from the store.

Most of them just want your money with no real gameplay.

This game fun gameplay, cool characters and barely any in app purchases.

Thank you for this game.

Ps. One day I hope boss fights are a thing in this game.

### 4/5 — Fun but..

*2025-04-21, version 1.1.3*

Wraiths are OP, AE strikes from across the screen and with 3 or more of those bad boys steaming around you, it’s quickly game over even with a solid team. Smells a little like a cheeky difficulty ceiling designed to incentify spending real money on additional characters. Fun up until that point tho!

### 1/5 — Mommy train

*2025-04-21, version 1.1.3*

Just a dumb game would love to run a train on the mother of the person who created this

## Frequently asked questions about MageTrain

### What is MageTrain?

MageTrain is a game that blends Snake-like gameplay with auto-battler mechanics. Players lead a train of heroes through enemy waves, strategically positioning and upgrading them to survive arena battles.

### What are the main features of MageTrain?

Key features include building and arranging a train of auto-attacking heroes, leveling them up with powerful abilities and synergies, unlocking unique heroes with distinct skills, collecting gold and power-ups, and navigating arenas filled with foes. The game also offers roguelike replayability.

### How does MageTrain make money?

The application is free to download and play, but it offers in-app purchases. This means players can buy items or enhancements within the game to progress or customize their experience.

### What kind of gameplay can I expect from MageTrain?

You can expect fast-paced arena battles where you must strategically position your hero train and avoid running into enemies. The game combines the classic Snake mechanic with auto-battler elements, requiring both quick reflexes and tactical decision-making.

### Is MageTrain suitable for casual players?

While MageTrain offers fast-paced action and strategic depth, its roguelike nature means each run is a new challenge. The ability to collect gold and power-ups, along with unlocking new heroes, provides a sense of progression that can appeal to both casual and more dedicated players.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.2 — 2025-04-25

Update 1.2: The Undead are here!
- 2 NEW heroes to unlock!
- The Necromancer drains life and summons minions
- The Witcher wields a poisoned blade and sends out rabid bats
- Balancing: Early game made easier and some late game tweaks
- Health bars remain visible when health is below 80%
- Bug fixes

### 1.1.3 — 2025-04-18

1.1.3:
- Retry now costs less gold (but scales the further you come)
- Added more translations
- New shop with some sweet discounts!

### 1.1.2 — 2025-04-15

1.1.2: Balancing & Localization 
- Early game difficulty has been lowered
- Hero power curves slightly increased
- First batch of translations: German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Ukrainian, Japanese, French, Korean

### 1.1.1 — 2025-04-09

Hotfix!
- You can now drag heroes in the group builder screen (as well as tap-tap)
- Added damage numbers
- Fixed some bugs in the tutorial

### 1.0 — 2025-04-08

No release notes.

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## More apps by Benjamin Dressler

- [Crux: A Climbing Game](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crux-a-climbing-game/id1522414390)
- [Crux: The Great Outdoors](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crux-the-great-outdoors/id1590750590)
- [One Million Miles](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/one-million-miles/id1626645595)

All apps by Benjamin Dressler: https://appshunter.io/developer/1522414392

## Related topics

[snkrx](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/snkrx) · [nimble quest](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/nimble-quest)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-22.*
