What Tray Racers! is
Tray Racers! is a free-to-play arcade racer from Bit Loom, the team behind PHOGS!. You play as one of a ragtag gang of kid speedsters, and your only tool is a tray. You grab it, surf down sand dunes, and slide, drift and pull off tricks on the way to the finish line. The setting is a bright, cute version of the post-apocalypse: the survivors rebuilt their lives in solarpunk settlements, living more in harmony with nature, and the world is full of bouncy cactus forests, chaotic canyons, wastelands, cute bugs and other critters, plus herds of giant Camellos. Every race takes place on a track that is randomly generated, so the vistas, hazards and surprises differ from run to run.
How your group plays together
Races are online PvP, run solo or with up to 16 players, so a whole Discord group can end up in the same lobby. There is no way to hinder other players during a race, so nobody gets knocked off their tray by the rest of the group; winning isn't the point so much as getting there in style. Instead of attacking, you show off: pull tray tricks and combos, and use near misses to gain bonus speed. Silly emotes let you goof off mid-race. Between races everyone hangs out at the Camp, a relaxed lobby where you can play the musical instruments, look at the starry sky, and use a dedicated pet-the-thing button on the creatures wandering around — Scrump is the friendly one the developers are fond of.
Before you start
Expect a casual, family-friendly party racer rather than a serious one: the tone is colorful, cartoony and wholesome, with a positive take on the end of the world. You can give your racer a makeover with different threads, hairstyles and custom tray paint-jobs, so pick a look before your first race if you want to stand out. Since tracks are procedurally generated, learning a specific course won't help much — reading the dunes and the hazards as they come is what matters. The game is built for online multiplayer, so you'll need to be able to play with others to get the full party experience.