Train45 Best Romance & Route Pick

Route Comparison at a Glance

Five romance paths share one prologue and one finale chapter. The differences are where they shine:

• Reina Takahashi — easiest affinity curve, perception gear exchanges, grounded office-worker route. Recommended for first-time players.
• Mai Asakura — cheerful gal companion, rewarding bold anomaly decisions. Second-easiest route, strong story payoff in chapter 4.
• Konial — demon train master with lore-heavy ticket mechanics. Hardest affinity curve because most affection comes from anomaly decisions, not direct dialogue.
• Pazuzu — justice-driven angel who reveals Konial's crimes. Mid-difficulty route with strong chapter 5 content, but the finale can lock out the True Ending if you spend Konial's Memo early.
• Butler — owl shopkeeper turned human after chapter 4. New fifth romance route with chest affection, lost-item hints, and a dedicated shop angle.

Every route is canon-compatible with the True Ending, but only Konial and Butler routes give you items the True Ending strictly requires (Konial's Memo and the Copper Bracelet respectively).

Difficulty and Affinity Buildup

Affinity gain comes from three sources: dialogue choices (5–15 points per pick), gifts at rest points (20–30 points per gift), and anomaly decisions (Reina and Konial routes only, often 10–25 points per call). The route lock point for most companions is 60–80 affinity by chapter 4.

Ranked by difficulty (easiest first):

1. Reina: dialogue-heavy route with frequent direct interactions and clear “correct” choices. New players reach the lock point on a clean first run.
2. Mai: similar curve to Reina, but anomaly choices matter more — picking the bold answer rewards her.
3. Pazuzu: chapter 3 decisions matter most. Skipping a Pazuzu event in chapter 3 effectively locks her out.
4. Butler: chest and shop affinity is fun but indirect. Plan to engage the Butler at every rest point from chapter 2 onward.
5. Konial: anomaly-driven affinity is hardest to track. Players without a route plan often accidentally end her run by spending tickets on other shops.

Story Payoff by Route

Each route reveals a different layer of the Train45 mystery. Choose the companion whose answer you most want.

• Reina: the grounded human answer — the train is real, escape is possible, the affection you build is the most “earned” of the five.
• Mai: bright and hopeful — even the bad beats land with humour. Strongest emotional payoff for players who like upbeat routes.
• Konial: the lore-deep answer — her finale explains the train’s purpose and the demon-angel conflict. Pair with the True Ending for the complete picture.
• Pazuzu: the justice answer — her route frames Konial as the antagonist and rewards players who want a clear moral line.
• Butler: the meta answer — the shopkeeper who always helped you turns out to be the fifth romance. His chapter 4 reveal is the most surprising moment in the game.

Players chasing the most story depth usually run Konial first, then Pazuzu on the second run, then pick a human companion (Reina or Mai) for the lighter third run.

True Ending Compatibility

The True Ending requires three elements: Xiao Ke OMEGA (chapter 6 story), the Copper Bracelet (key item from the Butler shop path), and the route 8-31-45-54 sequence. Two of those come from companion runs:

• Konial's Memo drops at the end of her good route. Without it, you cannot reach the OMEGA chain.
• Copper Bracelet drops from the Butler route after chapter 4. Without it, the True Ending's affection bonuses do not extend to Konial.

Players chasing the True Ending as their first good ending should therefore pair Konial's route with Butler involvement, or run two playthroughs: one for Konial's Memo, then one with Butler route leading to the True Ending. Our First Playthrough guide lays this out step by step.

Recommended First-Run Pick

For most new players, the strongest first-run pick is Reina. She has the easiest affinity curve, the cleanest story beats, and her route sets up the True Ending without forcing a chapter 6 reset.

If you prefer lore-heavy routes, start with Konial — but pair it with light Butler shop visits so you collect the Copper Bracelet naturally. If you want the lightest possible first run, pick Mai and save Konial for the second playthrough when you already understand the anomaly system.

Avoid Pazuzu as your first romance unless you have read the Character Routes guide. Her chapter 3 decisions are easy to miss, and an early Pazuzu lock-out locks you into a difficult finale path.

What About the Butler?

The Butler is the most unique route because he is non-human (an owl) until chapter 4, when he transforms into his human form. Affection builds through chest deliveries and shop interactions rather than dialogue choices, so the route rewards exploration and rest-point loyalty over conversation skill.

The Butler’s chapter 4 reveal is widely considered the most surprising moment in Train45, and his finale grants access to the Event Gallery chest scenes that no other route unlocks. Players who skip the Butler route miss a meaningful chunk of post-launch content.

You can run the Butler route alongside a primary companion route — the game lets you keep his shop loyalty while still pursuing Reina or Mai. This is the recommended path for a first run that wants both an easy main route and the Butler’s true ending unlocks.