Tren-ding #2

Oi oi! Here comes trouble. Ready for another round of brilliant Tren coMmunity creations, are you? Well, lucky you, as we've worked hard to wrestle some of the most interesting Tren tracks in the Dreamiverse out of the hands of those plucky Trengineers.

Another five coMmunity Tren creations have been selected for your perusal right here, and we reckon you're going to like them. Love them, even. Why? Because we selected them, and frankly, our judgement is impeccable. Alright, that's enough questions, let's do the locomotion over to the first pick.

Tren in the deep Blue! Custom Track.#

by jcpennythe3rd

Estimated playtime: 5 minutes

We're not exactly sure why jcpennythe3rd took a look at Tren and immediately thought, 'What if Tren, but drowning?'Regardless of the madness, the method behind it is rock solid, as this is a brilliant track that mixes the challenging puzzling of Tren with an assortment of underwater elements. This is a cargo-heavy track, and the joy of it comes from figuring out exactly how to get the cargo in the first place, where it needs to end up, and most importantly, when it needs to be there. Needless to say, you'll be making liberal use of the button for decoupling and ridding yourself of those burdensome loads. Honestly, though, one of the best things about this track is the constant element of surprise, with unexpected additions popping up all the time. Watch out for the whale - it might just wash you away if you're not careful!

Re-tren#

by thelastcone

Estimated playtime: 10 minutes

This has to be the creepiest Tren track we've experienced so far, so it's very convenient timing that we found it just in time for the spooky season! Set in what appears to be an old garage, with a classic car taking up much of the space, Re-tren brings in creepy baby dolls, disturbing lighting, and headbanging metal music to really hammer home the fact that you've entered a nightmare Tren world.

Despite the unsettling decor, the mechanics behind the level are ingenious, with a particularly clever Popter appearance that shakes things up in the middle of the track. The track itself also really has an impressive sense of scale, as driving your Tren around the whole garage (and even over the car!) is a hefty experience that will challenge your navigation skills. Just don't try to babysit that doll - you will absolutely get cursed.

Deliver and Dash#

by YT_JCritical

Estimated playtime: 5 minutes

When we saw the description for this track, we just had to give it a go. The words "100% Hardest Tren Level" are deliberately trying to challenge you, right? Followed up by another taunting sentence: "Play if you dare".

Anyway, how hard could Deliver and Dash actually be? Turns out, incredibly hard. We'd like to direct the rest of this discussion directly to YT_JCritical, and ask - are you happy now? Did you want to see us cry hot, salty tears of pain? To break down in a fit of rage, cursing our forefathers, and weeping at how unfair the world can be? Because you managed. You did it. Congratulations.

But perhaps anyone who watched the Tren launch day stream could have anticipated that happening, as we did show that we're perhaps not the best at the game. But that's okay, it's not like we're the company that made the game in the first place. Oh, wait...

Tren Loops and Lambs#

by Squoosh

Estimated playtime: 10 minutes

Onto something less rage-inducing now, and we've arrived at - oh, look it's the British countryside. Complete with an abundance of sheep and checks notes loop-the-loops? We can't say we've seen too many loops in our yearly jaunts out into the pure terror of the natural world, but perhaps we just didn't notice them before. Now that we've taken a look out the window, we can indeed confirm that they are everywhere.

In this track, Tren has taken on the role of a temporary tractor, herding lambs in the most extreme way possible by forcing them to become cargo. But despite our expectations, the sheep seem more than happy to participate in speeding through loops and tight curves across the countryside. We're particularly impressed by Squoosh's level design for this track, as not only are the backgrounds and setting absolutely gorgeous, there's also a tight and precise level of accuracy needed to complete it. Trains, fields, and sheep. It's all the best bits of the countryside, without the ever-present threat of stepping in an oversized poo.

Tren Passenger Expansion Kit#

by Blowertron

Estimated playtime: N/A

Our last pick for today is not actually a track at all (blasphemy!). Instead, we wanted to highlight Blowertron's Tren Passenger Expansion Kit, which, whilst compact, features some helpful additions that can help to flesh out the world of Tren even further. First of all, they've included a pre-made attic scene for creators to mess around with, meaning that you don't have to spend hours carefully sculpting each wooden beam to within an inch of its life. A station and Tren carriage are also present, giving you additional items to design your levels with. But the best bit is probably the new passenger quota barrier - meaning that you can easily create barriers that won't open without the correct amount of passengers included. We're sure to see people start to explore the use of these new features in their own coMmunity creations, which means more great creations to feature in future installments of Tren-ding. We're essentially just making our own work, huh?

And there you have it, folks! Another selection of coMmunity creations that riff on the theme of Tren. If you want to check out Tren, or - heaven forfend - haven't even played it yet, never fear. You can add it to your Play Later list at the link below. We won't hold a grudge if you don't. (Much.)

We'll be back with more Tren coMmunity picks, so stay tuned to see what else we pull out of the Treniverse.