One of the most nostalgic toys from my childhood were wooden train tracks. Linking the pieces, building hills and obstacles, and snapping the magnetic cars to one another to trace my route is still a fond memory, and the inevitable “let’s stack up the extra pieces and slam the train into them!” was always cathartic.
If you also share these fond memories, you may want to check out one of the latest editions to Steam Early Access: Tracks. It’s out now, and developer Whoop Group released the first trailer.
First off: adorable. The little wooden people with their mustaches and suitcases are amazing. Second: this is a perfect toy to bring into the digital world. No one ever had enough pieces (or floor space) to build anything more complex than a loop or two. Now, the only thing limiting your wooden train masterpiece is your own creativity. With all the additional scenery options, and the ability to ride your train in first person view, Tracks looks like it will give all you Planet Coaster addicts a new sandbox to play in. YouTube will surely be full of videos of people who spent tons of time building the perfect wooden train route.
And, of course, you can stack extra blocks on the track and ram through them. Clearly these developers know what they’re doing.
As of now, Tracks is strictly a sandbox game. Whoop Group is looking for community feedback on things like challenge modes or missions, and they have also promised that Steam Workshop support is in the future. This feature regularly helps propel sandbox games to entirely new levels, as near infinite choices become available. Tracks is available in Early Access now for $10. It looks like one for sandbox enthusiasts and anyone with fond memories of little wooden trains.