There are plenty of games out there with overt Christmas themes, as some of our December content will have indicated. Sometimes games that are perfect for the Holiday season miss out on the limelight because they don’t quite wear their Christmassy nature on their sleeves. One such game is Tracks – The Train Set Game.
Making Tracks
Track is an amazing game. It’s a nostalgic creativity toy based around the classic wooden train sets that have been a staple of childhood for hundreds of years. Even grandparents would feel nostalgic playing Tracks, maybe even great grandparents.
Despite being in it’s very early stages Tracks already has a pretty sizeable community on Steam. It’s also filled with a pretty impressive array of different track and scenery objects for a game that is still in early access. Needless to say as time goes by more and more has been, and indeed will be, added.
Atmospheric
Features aside it is the atmosphere that makes Tracks such a good game for the holidays. While wiling away hours building a track born of childhood dreams, the player inhabits an ethereal wonderland. It starts out as a blank white void, but you can control the material the ground is constructed from. You also have other environmental controls like the weather, including the all important snow option.
So while you build your dream track, the snow falls. Whirling around like it dances on a gentle breeze. You place down track, testing ass you go to make sure it’s just the way you want it. Maybe even pop down some Christmas trees and lights on all the houses. To top it all off the entire thing is accompanied by gentle piano music.
Painting a Picture
Tracks basically ends up being one of the most relaxing, feel-good experiences out there. Picture the scene: you’re sat in your house, surrounded by the holiday decorations of your choice, maybe some Christmas specials playing on the TV. You spend hours building the perfect little Christmas village, snow gently falls as your track winds its way between the picturesque houses.
If that little picture we just painted for you does completely sell you on the idea then you should probably also know that Tracks includes the option to have your train constructed entirely out of gingerbread. It even has little candy cane decorations.
When Christmas time rolls around many gamers want Christmas games to play during the season, preferably those that aren’t terrible. Often times you can find lists of the best Christmas games to play. More often than not these lists, and gamers themselves, entirely pass over games like Tracks that just feel Christmassy.
Ho-Ho-Ho
Just remember when you’re done playing the same crop of Christmas skinned triple A DLC’s this year that Track exists. It’s worthy of your time if you even sort of have an inner child left inside you. Shove on some Christmas music, put on the ugliest jumper you’ve got available to you and bask in the warming glow of nostalgia that emanate from your computer screen.
