Model train set game Tracks is getting an expanded commercial release

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Build a model train set, then ride around in first-person.

You might have seen me single out model train set game Tracks as part of the Free Games of the Week, or the PC Gamer magazine's Top 10 Downloads section, so I'm pleased to hear that the free prototype is being expanded and made into a commercial release. In the free version, you can build a pleasingly tactile model train network out of wooden parts, but in the full game you'll then be able to hop into the train, and ride around your creation in first-person.

It's a brill idea, and here's a trailer that makes me hopeful that Tracks - The Train Set Game will live up to its winning premise:

As you can see, you'll not only be making train tracks but also cute little villages surrounding them, along with physics objects such as Jenga towers, and "interactive mechanisms like bridges and lifts."

"Once you’ve created your rail network," the Steam Store page elaborates, "you can ride along from inside your train, in first person. You’ll have full control of your vehicle in this view and will be able to adjust the train’s speed and direction. Your train’s weight and momentum are simulated, challenging you to maintain a steady but efficient speed while transporting heavy cargo.

"Build your own train sets at will, or enjoy the set game modes which boast a variety of objectives for you to complete. For instance, Tracks challenges you to design a rail system that accommodates passengers’ commuting needs. Or transport cargo and build the most efficient rail network to complete objectives in the fastest time possible."

Enjoyably titled developer Whoop Group says it's researching Steam Workshop support, and that seems like a perfect fit. Tracks will launch into early access on September 28, so we have a few months to wait yet. (Cheers, RPS.)

Tom Sykes
Tom Sykes

Tom loves exploring in games, whether it’s going the wrong way in a platformer or burgling an apartment in Deus Ex. His favourite game worlds—Stalker, Dark Souls, Thief—have an atmosphere you could wallop with a blackjack. He enjoys horror, adventure, puzzle games and RPGs, and played the Japanese version of Final Fantasy VIII with a translated script he printed off from the internet. Tom has been writing about free games for PC Gamer since 2012. If he were packing for a desert island, he’d take his giant Columbo boxset and a laptop stuffed with PuzzleScript games.