It’s a big day in the Dreamiverse, folks. Try not to go off the rails with excitement as we reveal that our arcade puzzler, Tren, will be pulling into the station exclusively in Dreams on August 1. On top of that, Dreams will also be coming to PlayStation Plus Game Catalog (available to all PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members) that very same day. That’s er… next week. Wow, that’s real soon. We’d better get those wheels moving.
Good news for all budding Trengineers, then. We’re also trying to keep our composure, as our latest Mm Original has been an absolute labor of love from us here at Media Molecule. This is by far the biggest creation that Mm has released since the initial launch of Dreams way back in 2020 (oof, we feel old).
Still, you might be asking: what even is Tren? Well, to use some BeechCorp* marketing speak, Tren is a remarkable toy engine that challenges you to solve a series of puzzles by getting it from one end of the track to the other. Sound easy? You might think otherwise once you’re faced with the flips, tricks, and acrobatic feats required to complete some truly wild tracks.
Nostalgia trip
We first revealed Tren back in 2021 at our in-game community convention, DreamsCom, and it’s only grown in scale and ambition since then. Tren began life as the brainchild of our creative director John Beech, who saw the potential of using Dreams to create an ode to his childhood. At its heart, Tren is a game all about the joy of play – after all, while we all have to grow up eventually, you don’t have to lose that spark of childlike wonder.
In John’s own words:
“Hi all, it’s me, John Beech (sometimes CEO of BeechCorp), popping in to say a few words about Tren.
Designing and working on Tren has been a huge career highlight for me. Starting out as a solo passion project I worked on in my spare time, to a full Mm Original experience utilizing all the great skills and talents of the wonderful people at Mm, every moment has been a joy.
It’s chock full of personal Easter eggs and references, not just from me, but everyone in the studio who worked on it too.
It’s been built with love, care, and respect for what came before, and I cannot wait to see what the incredible Dreams community does with the Tren kit once they get their hands on it.”
We’ll also be catching up with the rest of the Tren team live on launch day at 5 pm BST over on our Twitch channel while streaming our very own playthrough of the game.
– John Beech, CEO, BeechCorp
The Tren bootscreen. Can you feel the nostalgia? [Captured on PS4™ Pro]
Tren is a homage to classic wooden train sets, with an Mm twist. [Captured on PS4™ Pro]
Hew-it-yourself
With the release of Tren, we’ve also included a new kit featuring over 550 elements, which you can play around with to make your very own Tren tracks. And, as part of the Play & Edit feature in the template, you can alter any of our tracks to create your own delightfully devilish challenges for other players to sweat through.
The Tren Set features over 550 elements for you to create the Tren tracks of your Dreams with. [Captured on PS4 Pro]
Tren’s a really personal game for everyone on the Tren team, and they’ve worked so hard to capture the feeling of being a kid opening up a new toy. We hope it fills you with the same spirit of wonder that we all felt the first time we saw it.
You can make some devious tracks in Tren. [Captured on PS4 Pro]
As you can see here, Tren tracks can quickly go off the rails. [Captured on PS4 Pro]
The world map offers some more chill environments for you to tootle around. [Captured on PS4 Pro]
Plus more
As if that wasn’t enough, Dreams will also be available as a Monthly Game for all PlayStation Plus members to redeem from August 1 – September 4 and add to their library. Dreams will also come to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for Extra and Premium members starting August 15. If you haven’t yet explored the wilds of the Dreamiverse, this is the perfect opportunity to look at the phenomenally creative stuff the Dreams coMmunity has been up to.
All aboard for Tren, then. And if you’re new to the world of Dreams, there’s truly never been a better time to jump in with PlayStation Plus. See you over in the Dreamiverse!
*(The fictional, and ever-so-slightly sinister, corporation behind Tren. For more information, stay tuned to our socials – we think we’ve found a game manual in the attic…)
Dreams requires an internet connection and a PS Plus membership. PS Plus is subject to a recurring subscription fee taken automatically until cancellation. Age restrictions apply. Full terms: play.st/psplus-usageterms
