Choo Choo Charles: Who is the solo developer behind the horror hit?

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Have you looked into the eerily grinning face of spider locomotive death yet? Indie title Choo Choo Charles is going viral on social media right now – much to the delight of developer Two Star Games. The studio”s sole employee is Gavin Eisenbeisz, who has been developing video games since childhood. We introduce you to the developer and his projects.

The beginnings until today

While other 12-year-olds preferred to gamble on video games, a different passion had been ignited in young Gavin Eisenbeisz: video game development. And so it was that shortly after his 13th birthday, he began developing his first horror game. The long road to today”s release of Choo Choo Charles had thus begun.

However, the now 20-year-old also knows that all beginnings are difficult. In a video, he talks about the development of his first game with a good dose of self-irony.

A lot has happened to Gavin Eisenbeisz since then. After using the Blender game engine for his first development steps in 2013, he finally switched to the Unreal Engine 4 in 2014, followed by the founding of his studio Two Star Games in September 2019, which released its first title two months later: (My Friend is a Raven). The game is still available for free on Steam

A year of silence was finally followed by a productive 2021, during which twelve months Two Star Games released Cloud Climber, Night in Riverager and My Beautiful Paper Smile For the latter, Eisenbeisz even won the award for “Best Horror” at DreamHack Atlanta Indie Playground. Now, after another year of development, finally comes the release of Choo Choo Charles.

It must have come as a surprise to Gavin Eisenbeisz that this whimsical horror game would be such a massive success. In a (interview with PC Gamer) he explains that the reactions on social media were overwhelming for him. However, as he explains in a short launch clip, he”s grateful for the great support he”s received over the past year.

The Style of Two Star Games

Gavin Eisenbeisz”s titles stand out for more than just his love of horror. We usually experience them in a dystopian world in which the protagonist has to fend for himself. Isolation and loneliness are just two of the themes that often accompany us.

In addition, there is the whimsical, almost grotesque drawing style that Eisenbeisz uses in his projects. Masks like the one in My Beautiful Paper Smile or the eerie grimace of Choo Choo Charles himself constantly trigger a feeling of unease in us. This visual perception is reinforced by the atmospheric soundtrack.

This surreal style by Two Star Games is definitely not for the faint-hearted. But if you”re in the mood for some scary chills and surreal stories, you”ll get your money”s worth with the games of Gavin Eisenbeisz.

By the way, did you know that this scary monster will soon have an almost identical (scary plush version) 

It should be available in a few days, so you can cuddle blissfully at night with this nightmare material from Zug.