Tren-ding #1

Welcome to Tren-ding, a new series where we'll be exploring some of the funky fresh creations themed around everyone's favourite tiny train, Tren! The coMmunity reception to Tren has been wild, and we wanted to take a moment to celebrate some of the phenomenal additions that you've been making to the Treniverse.

We've got five tantalisingly tooty Tren-related goodies, presented in a platter of comMunity treats. A train driver's ploughmans, if you will. You won't? Well, let's get going regardless.

Tren: The Great Yorkshire Coaster#

by spiktikus

Estimated playtime: 5 minutes

Yorkshire has a long history with a number of impressive things, including big hills (peaky), puddings (doughy), and cricket (boring). But did you know that Yorkshire was also where the very first steam train was invented? Yes, we surprise ourselves sometimes with our sporadic knowledge. It is a perfect setting for a Tren level, and spiktikus has kindly obliged. We couldn't be happier that they have, as exploring the Yorkshire coastline in a rollicking rollercoaster Tren ride is a delight. Based on one of their own previous creations, The Great Yorkshire Coast (featured waaaaaay back in Weekly Roundup #31) it expands on that surreal, starlit vision of the Yorkshire coastline with loop-the-loops. (The only thing that could make it better, really.)

We really love to see people adding Tren into their own personal worlds, as Tren seems to fit into a lot of the coMmunity creations made in Dreams. However, it seems to work particularly well here, as the muted blue and green tones of the sculpted landscape meld in perfect harmony with that signature Tren teal. As for the track itself, it's also purely joyful - going overboard on the loops, magnetic tracks, and curves. It never lets up and will keep you guessing all the way through, and whilst it's far from the trickiest Tren track we've come across, it will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. Just make sure you keep your hands inside the Tren at all times.

Treniverse Dash#

by TonberryFeye

Estimated playtime: 5 minutes

Who remembers Dreamiverse Dash? That fun little obstacle course available right from the launch of Dreams has remains a firm favourite among the coMmunity, with a variety of different iterations created to carry on its legacy. And now, we inevitably come to the ultimate installment. Dreamiverse Dash, featuring... Tren.

Utilising the Dreamiverse Dash Kit, TonberryFeye has crafted a track that marries the quick-fire frenzy of Dreamiverse Dash with the arcade antics of Tren - and does it expertly. And you'll have to play it expertly as well, as just like Dreamiverse Dash, this is not an easy track to complete. It takes quick reactions, deft use of the boost mechanics, and excellent balance. But if you're a Tren master already, it's probably nothing you haven't cursed your way through before. We love how the two game styles have been melded together, and the little orange Connie shaped Tren is the icing on a very dash-ing cake! Geddit? Yeah, okay, we won't give up our day jobs.

Cargo Wrecking#

by oooDORIENooo

Estimated playtime: Replayable

This one stands out as a bit of an outlier, but we're accepting of all Tren related creations. It's not really a Tren track so much as it is a Tren-related minigame. But what a minigame it is. Your goal is to use Cren to knock over as much cargo as possible in as quick a time as possible (while Tren chugs around happily in the background). oooDORIENooo's love of all things arcadey has permeated this game, creating an addictive one-more-go experience. There's something so satisfying about knocking over these carefully stacked crates that you'll spend far too long messing about with the destructive powers of Cren. Yet despite it being a very different style of game to the main Tren experience, it perhaps doesn't feel all that far removed. A creation featuring jaunty music and testing time limits? Sounds like a Tren level to us.

Tren: The Cozy Attic#

by Doweel_the_Dude

Estimated playtime: 30 minutes

At this point, you might well be thinking, "This is all fun so far, but one of the things I liked most about Tren is roaming around the charming and homely world map environments. Where can I get some of that?" Well, imaginary reader, let us be the first to tell you to hold your horses and hang on, because that's exactly what Tren: The Cozy Attic seeks to deliver. A whole new section of attic has been created, specifically with the desire to let you explore more of those wholesome sections of the game where you're just chugging along calmly to the good vibes. But this goes further than just a new explorable map area - this is a hefty chunk of extra Tren, featuring a bunch of new levels and tricky tracks. Honestly, this is of such a high quality that it almost feels like cut content from the actual original game itself.

Most importantly, it introduces a whole new Tren vehicle (Trenhicle?) [No. - Ed] that we never knew we needed: the Trenk. A Tren tank. A tank that is a Tren! This unlocks a whole new style of gameplay, focused at firing ping pong balls at targets. Brings us back to our youth, pelting our siblings with projectiles as our mother begs us to just 'be normal'. But as both the game director for Tren, and a tank enthusiast in his own right, we imagine John Beech will be very happy with this latest addition to the Tren family.

Gren Tren#

by byvsen

Estimated playtime: 5 minutes

Nothing is safe from an incurable case of Tren-donitis, not even the iconic animations of byvsen. Bo and Green Guy are back once again, and this time they've found an old Tren set in the attic. We weren't sure that the Bo and Green Guy cinematic universe included Tren, but we guess this could be seen as the equivalent of a cameo appearance? Honestly, we would have been happy with another excellent Bo & Green Guy animation, but byvsen has gone one step further and created a whole new Tren level to explore. This level is a charming and classic Tren style experience, with tight curves and tons of switches to press and cargo to collect. Only this time, you have the beady eyes of Bo peering down at you from above. But don't worry, it's only slightly unnerving, and really gets you in the mindset of what it's like to be a toy about to have a kid's grubby mitts all over it (why are they always sticky?).

And there you have it, folks! A 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.