The Polar Express Walkthrough: Chapter-by-Chapter Guide
The Polar Express game has 15 levels spread across six chapters. This walkthrough takes them in order, so you can see where each stage fits.
In this article
The Polar Express walkthrough below takes you through the whole game in order, so you can follow it from the first level to the last. The game has 15 levels across six chapters [1]. Those levels let you explore areas on the train and at the North Pole [1].
Many players get stuck on one tricky spot, so a step-by-step guide helps you move on without guessing. This walkthrough goes in order so you never skip a stage. Each step below picks up exactly where the last one ends, so you always know where you are.
Think of the walkthrough as a train ride with stops along the way. Each section is one stop, so you can see how far you have come and what comes next.
Which platforms and versions does the walkthrough cover?
The Polar Express game came out on GameCube, PS2 and PC. [2] The written walkthrough in this guide is built on the GameCube release, so every button name and control it lists comes from that version. [3]
The author wrote it for the GameCube, so the steps match that system first. If you play on PS2 or PC, you can still follow the same path through the levels. Just check the on-screen prompts for the buttons, because the controller layout on those systems may differ from the list below.
Following the walkthrough on PS2 or PC
The safest approach is to read each step, then find the matching action on your own controller before you move on. Look for the button that jumps, throws and pushes, and test them in a safe spot on the train. That way you won't waste time guessing during a chase or a timed moment.
Keep your notes simple. Write down which button does what on your system, and keep that list next to the controller. You only need to do this once, and it saves you from hunting for the right button every time a new level starts.
Using the PC video
The PC video is a different kind of help. It is based on the movie and is played on PC in full HD with no commentary. [2] If you prefer watching to reading, it lets you see how a level plays out before you try it yourself.
Watch a section, then return to the written steps and play it on your own. Watching first can help you spot the path, while the written steps help you keep your place as you go.
Which version should you start with?
If you own a GameCube, start with the written steps, since they were written for that release. If you own a PS2 or a PC, use the walkthrough as your route map and let the on-screen prompts guide the buttons. Either way, you can finish the game by following the same order of levels.
How are the six chapters organized?
The walkthrough's first four chapters run in a fixed order, from Chapter 1, The Polar Express, to Chapter 4, Back on Board. [4] Each chapter has its own name, so you can always tell where you are in the story.
The first four chapters
Chapter 1 is The Polar Express, and it is the first chapter you reach. [4] Start here and finish it before you move on, so the rest of the story makes sense.
Chapter 2 is The Rooftop. [4] It comes straight after Chapter 1 in the walkthrough's contents, so do not jump ahead to it.
Chapter 3 is The Engine Room. [4] It sits between the rooftop and the return to the train, so keep it in sequence.
Chapter 4 is Back on Board. [4] It closes out this first stretch of the walkthrough and brings you back to the train.
Using the chapter names
The chapter names work well as checkpoints. Before each session, look at the name of the chapter you stopped in, then find the same name in the walkthrough's contents. That keeps you from skipping a stage or repeating one.
If you are not sure which chapter you are in, compare the setting on screen with the chapter names above. The Rooftop, The Engine Room and Back on Board are different places, so the scene usually tells you which one you are in.
Keep a short note of the chapter name each time you stop playing. When you return, pick up at that chapter rather than starting again, and you will move through the first four chapters without losing your place.
How do you get through the first two chapters?
Start in Chapter 1, The Polar Express, and stay there until you finish it. The walkthrough runs in order, so this chapter is where every later stage begins. [4]
Starting on the train
Chapter 1 is called The Polar Express, and it is the first chapter listed in the walkthrough. Play its levels from start to finish before you go anywhere else. [4]
Don't jump ahead to a later area because it looks like a shortcut. Skipping ahead can leave you confused, since later levels assume you have already done the earlier ones.
Moving to the rooftop
Chapter 2 is The Rooftop, and it comes right after Chapter 1 in the walkthrough. Once you have finished every level on the train, head there next. [4]
Use the same approach here. Play each level fully before you start the next one, and keep to the order the walkthrough gives. If you finish a level and feel unsure whether you missed something, go back only as far as that level, then continue forward.
Finishing each level in order
The rule for these first two chapters is simple: finish one level, then move to the next. Don't skip back and forth between areas, or you'll lose track of where you are.
Here is how a typical run looks. You complete the levels on the train, cross over to the rooftop, and keep going one level at a time until the rooftop is done.
Staying in order also keeps the rest of the walkthrough easy to follow, since each stage picks up where the last one ended.
What happens in chapters 3 and 4?
Chapter 3 is The Engine Room, and Chapter 4 is Back on Board. Play them in that order, and don't jump ahead. [4]
Chapter 3: The Engine Room
Start The Engine Room only after you have finished Chapter 2. Work through its levels from first to last, and finish each one before you open the next. If a level feels hard, stay on it rather than skipping to something later.
This matters because each stage builds on the one before it. If you skip ahead, you may reach later levels without the context they assume you already have.
Chapter 4: Back on Board
Chapter 4 is Back on Board, and it follows The Engine Room in the chapter order. [4] Begin it only once Chapter 3 is complete. Use the same habit as before: clear each level in sequence.
Keeping the order straight
The quickest way to stay on track is to keep a simple run order in mind:
- Chapter 3: The Engine Room
- Chapter 4: Back on Board
When you finish Chapter 4, you have completed the middle of the game. Moving through these two chapters in order makes the later chapters easier to follow.
Is there a written walkthrough or a video to follow?
The GameCube version has a written walkthrough you can read for free, and there is also a full-HD video walkthrough played on PC. Which one you pick depends on whether you like reading steps or watching them.
Is there a written walkthrough for the game?
Yes. The written walkthrough was made for Nintendo's GameCube version of The Polar Express [3]. It is free to read, and its author sets conditions for anyone who shares it: the text must stay whole and intact, and the creator and the original source must be credited [3].
Is there a video walkthrough?
Yes. One video walkthrough is a full-HD recording played on PC, with no commentary [2]. You watch the gameplay and follow along at your own pace, which is handy if you want to see exactly how a stage plays out.
Which format should you use?
Choose the written walkthrough if you want to read a step, switch to the game, and come back. Choose the video if you would rather watch someone move through a level and copy what you see. You can also use both: read the written steps for a tricky stage, then watch the video when you get stuck on a jump or a moving object.
Can you use the walkthrough as a sharing copy?
Yes, as long as you follow the author's terms. The walkthrough is free to use and display by anyone on these conditions [3]. Your copy must not be sold or included in a sale as a bonus or giveaway [3].
What should you do if you are stuck?
Find the stage in the written steps first, then check the matching part of the video if the written steps leave you unsure. Pause the video at each key move so you can match it to your own screen. Once you clear the stage, return to the written steps for the next one.
Where should you go next in the game?
The simplest way to finish the game is to play it in order, one chapter at a time. Skipping ahead makes later chapters harder to follow, so keep the sequence straight from the first level onward.
Use each chapter name as a checkpoint. When you finish a level, check which chapter you are in and whether the next level belongs to it. Across the 15 levels, the six chapter names give you a clear map of how far you have come [1].
If you get stuck, go back to the start of the current chapter instead of jumping ahead. Replaying a short stretch is faster than guessing your way through a level you missed.