Welcome aboard the train! What was supposed to be just a regular commute took a strange turn after a mysterious tunnel caused everyone to forget their destination, even you! Where is everyone headed? What is really going on? Is it even a real train? Whatever happened, it’s up to you to find out! 

You won’t be doing it alone either - there are dozens of other passengers on board who all want to know where they’re going. But… not everybody will want to work together. It’s up to you to resolve differences, using a card-based battle-of-wits system, where the goal is to resolve conflict and find common ground. Who knew that talking things out would get more done than fighting? 

The personality of the 🐞ladybug🐞 is defined by you throughout the adventure. The choices made as you interact with passengers will affect the story’s path at every step throughout the train - you can really be you! 

Encounter a diverse collection of characters to meet, greet, and talk up! Every one of them is an adorable critter, with defined personalities, personal struggles, looks, and quests! From a 🕷️shy spider to a real Queen Bee🐝, everyone you meet will leave an impression. Especially if you run into the biker wasps and their gang… you don’t wanna mess with them! 

And maybe along the way, you’ll discover something about yourself too!

Conflicts inevitably arise when dozens of bugs are stuck on a train heading in an unknown direction. Tracks of Thought is all about resolving conflicts through empathy and communication. Pick your cards and try to find common ground with others to solve problems together.

What tactics will you employ to resolve conflicts? Will it take logic and reasoning? Being sensitive and caring? Inspiring and charismatic? Find out what makes others tick and overcome their reservations to continue the adventure! 

 

And be careful! Your decisions and personality shapes your card deck and the difficulty of future encounters. Are you someone who solves problems with logic? Well you might have a hard time against someone who thinks creatively!

It’s a long journey to the Control Room (it’s a strangely long train). Each carriage is a world unto itself, all with their own passengers and challenges to overcome - from finding lost earbuds to instigating a worker revolution. Every encounter may yield new cards and little nuggets of wisdom that will help our Ladybug on a fruitful journey of self-discovery and reflection. 

Get matched with an unlikely ally who will be your polar opposite. Together, you must get to the end of the train, the Control Room, and discover where you’re really going. Who's gonna be YOUR match? Play the demo on Steam to get a sneak peek!

Besides the companions, Tracks boasts a lineup of unique and charming characters that you can meet and learn more about by lending a helping hand. From recovering a stolen priceless necklace to interfering in a sibling rivalry game of hide-and-seek, there’s never a dull moment on board this train!

Hi, it's Esmeé - creative director of Tracks of Thought. This silly little bug game game is very personal for me. I've struggled with communication all my life. As humans, we're all very unique, and trying to connect and resolve our differences is a constant uphill battle. Sometimes, I just wanted the time to stop so I could find the right words to say, to make another person feel heard, supported, or push back in a way that they will surely understand. This lead me to dive deep into behavioural theory and trying to apply it in my own life, and my relationships with people started to slowly improve and bring me more joy! One day, being on the long train ride where the time stands still and overthinking comes easily, I came up with an idea of representing this universal human struggle in a turn-based game mechanic. Inspired by games like Paper Mario, Night in the Woods, and Spiritfarer for their cozy yet touching themes, atmospheric 2.5D art and coming-of-age narrative - Tracks of Thought was born.

Thank you for supporting our vision through this campaign! It means the world to me. I hope it makes you feel seen in your beautiful complexity as a human being, and maybe understand yourself and others around you a bit better <3

Tracks of Thought is very proud to be a game featured in the Wholesome Games showcases!

Your interest in Tracks of Thought is something we very much appreciate, and in return we have tons of great rewards for you!

Tracks of Thought is made by Tidbits Play: a women-led team of young game devs based in the Netherlands. Obviously we love video games, but besides that, we share a passion for tabletop games, soft and cuddly pets, making silly jokes and of course all things bugs! All we hope is that you’ll have the same amount of fun playing Tracks as we have making it.