Anant Express

Midplayz
Aug 12
3 min read

Updated: Aug 17

Exit 8 But Indian?

Anant Express is not your typical horror game fare…no ghost-filled mansions, no zombie hordes chasing you through foggy streets. Instead, you’re stuck inside a haunted sleeper-class Indian train, where the claustrophobia isn’t just physical, it’s mental. At first, you’re just another passenger minding your own business, but pretty soon, you realize this isn’t your average overnight journey. The compartments aren’t quite right. The people seem…wrong. And the train itself? It’s like it has a mind of its own.

What starts as an intriguing premise quickly becomes a tense game of observation, patience, and paranoia. You’ll spend as much time looking over your shoulder as you do scanning every inch of your surroundings. And if you miss even the smallest change? Prepare to be booted back to the start like a passenger without a valid ticket.

About This Game

Storyline

You begin as a traveler on the Anant Express, with no context other than the hum of the rails and a ticket in your pocket. But as you move forward, a conductor warns you…almost cryptically…to watch yourself, unless you want to “get stuck”. It’s soon clear that the train is caught in a bizarre loop, dragging you back to the first compartment again and again whenever you make a wrong move.

As you progress, you learn about the train’s eerie connection to Blara Junction, an abandoned station tied to a tragic and unsolved accident. Scattered notes, personal items, and haunted objects give you fragments of the backstory. The mystery is interesting in theory, but it never fully blossoms into something that grips you. You get enough to understand there’s a dark history, but not quite enough to feel deeply invested in the characters or their fates.

Gameplay Mechanics

Here’s the deal: if something in the compartment is off, even in the tiniest way, you turn around and go back through the door you just came from. If nothing seems wrong, you move forward. Simple rules, brutal execution.

Anomalies range from in-your-face (floating bubbles, impossible room sizes) to blink-and-you-miss-it subtle (blood behind a sleeping passenger, weird items placed in rather normal objects). And the game doesn’t tell you what to look for at all. You’ll find yourself staring at luggage racks, lamp fixtures, and sleeping passengers like a paranoid detective, unsure if you’re seeing things or losing your mind.

Make the wrong choice? You get sent all the way back to the first car, and your progress evaporates. This constant resetting turns the game into a mix of careful observation and trial-and-error guessing. For some, this will be thrilling. For others, it’ll be maddening.

The loop mechanic does create genuine tension, you never know if the next compartment will be your last step forward or a humiliating trip back to square one. But with anomalies so subtle, many players will default to luck-based guessing rather than true skill, which can undercut the sense of accomplishment.

Visuals & Audio

Visually, Anant Express won’t wow you with cutting-edge graphics, but it nails the mood. The dim, flickering lights, the grimy interiors, and the narrow corridors do a lot to make you feel trapped. The minimalist UI helps keep you in the moment, and the sound design is where the game really flexes its muscles, creaking metal, train horn, and sudden environmental shifts keep you constantly unsettled. The atmosphere works, and it’s clear the focus was on mood over spectacle.

Pros

Unique Indian sleeper-train setting, a rarity in horror games
Strong atmosphere supported by excellent sound design
Psychological horror without relying on cheap jump scares
Replayable elements with alternate endings for explorers

Cons

Anomalies often too subtle, leading to frustration over skill
No guidance on what to actually watch for
Story is serviceable but lacks emotional weight

Conclusion

Anant Express is a ride worth remembering, at least for its originality in theme. The setting is fresh, the atmosphere is thick, and the psychological horror beats are handled with restraint. But it’s also a game that demands patience and near-superhuman observation skills. For players who enjoy methodical exploration and the creeping dread of “something’s not right”, this train trip could be unforgettable.

For everyone else, the endless loops, barely-there clues, and trial-and-error gameplay might make it feel less like a thrilling ghost story and more like a frustrating, never-ending commute.

Rating: 8/10

That woman with the fruit basket was suspicious and creepy…