Tray Racers! Dev Blog #10: What is Tray Racers!? And Does it have Ray Tracing?

With Tray Racers! set to release in a week’s time, 13th April 2023, we want to give you a refresher on what the game is all about!

Before we discuss anything too advanced let’s start with the basics.

The Four Elements of the Tray Raciverse are Sand ⏳, Speed ⚡, Sunlight 🌞 and Scrump 🦎. If you combine these elements EXACTLY right you will become the raddest, fastest Tray Racer around. Now, there is a complex mathematical equation to do this. If you divide sand by speed then…

OK YOU GOT US we’re joking, BUT there are some key things to know to get the most out of the game! Before we get to it be sure to join the Discord Community to discuss racing tricks and tactics with fellow trayfans: https://discord.gg/R8zTnwaKSA

Ok, for real this time.

The Tray Racers! Camp

The camp is where you head when you join a lobby with friends (or soon to be friends) in Tray Racers! There you can customise your style in the changing room, make music together and most importantly pet Scrump, the resident… lizard-dog?!

The scoreboard here will show your latest race times and stats as well as the running tally for podium points. You can also play some extremely fun games of hide and seek, duck duck goose and giant human pillar while waiting for that one friend to ready up! Or create your own game, the possibilities are endless!

Also, in camp and during races, there isn’t an in game text or voice chat. However you can communicate using emotes, that you can change and assign to different keys/buttons in the changing room. Dab emote if you understand!

Once everyone is ready you’ll head into the race 🌵🌞💨

The Race Structure

In Tray Racers! you have to get from the top of the slope to the bottom as fast as you can! Every track in Tray Racers! is randomly generated from a variety of vibrant biomes like the Cactus Forest, Hot Springs and Camello Dunes; so you’ll never know what the fastest route down is until you start racing.

That is why races are split into two sections, the practice and the final race.

⌛ In the practice you get 5 minutes to set your fastest time, exploring the different routes alongside the other racers. You can call your trusty Giant Sand Worm to return you to the top of the slope whenever you want.

⏰ After the practice comes the final race, when everyone is returned to the start line for one last chance to nail the perfect run. Whoever gets the fastest combined practice and final race time will be at the top of the podium! But take note, restarting during the final race will not reset your time so don’t do it unless you are really stuck.

If you want to make it to the top of the podium there are lots of different ways to get speed while shaving off those precious seconds and Ray Tracer is here to help.

Ray Tracer’s Tips and Tricks

The legendary tray racer, Ray Tracer, runs the tutorial out on the dunes and will teach you the basics of how to play, but here - straight from Ray’s Book of Zoom - are a few extra ways to go fast, and we all know you GOTTA GO FAST! 💙

The secret to leaning! 🤫 Leaning forward downhill or leaning backward uphill will help you pick up speed but be careful, leaning the wrong way will slow you down so watch out for the warning exclamations when leaning! What you might not know is that leaning in mid air can also help! Lean back to get more air time (perfect for pulling off triple tricks) and lean forward in the air to drop down fast and get back on the ground (great for catching a ramp or boost.)

A one trick, two trick, three trick, boooooooooost! ⭐ While you are in the air you can pull off a trick for a small boost but that’s not all, after finishing your first trick you can pull off a second and then a third for even bigger boosts (and cooler looking tricks)! Be careful though… if you land while pulling off a trick, or try to pull off the next trick too soon, you will fumble and lose speed. And remember you can lean back while in the air to slow your descent and pull off more tricks!

Braking isn’t just for losers, it’s for winners too! 😎 You can tap the brake to slow down just enough to turn those tight corners in the caves or to slalom between some dense cactus clumps. Just a tap is enough, holding the brake will quickly bring you to a halt. By default brake is shift on keyboard and either of the triggers on controller.

Always be boosting! 🌊 Any time you see rushing wind through an archway, over a ramp or in rushing rivers it will give you a boost! Aim for these even if they are a bit out of the way and you are sure to be zooming in no time. Watch out though, sometimes the shifting sands will put these boosts in places that send you flying into a wall or worse… a WASHING LINE.

Chill out in style! ✨ If you are racing in the same fit every session you’re missing out. It might not make you objectively faster but switching up your style will sure make you feel faster! Remember you can hop off your tray at any time to walk around and show off your new fit, explore your race path options, pet a frog or jump out of a tight spot. By default you can get off your tray with B (for board) on keyboard or the X button on an xbox controller.

The Weekly Races

As well as the regular online races you can also race solo against the leaderboard in the Weekly Races! Every day a new race will show up and stick around for the next seven days. Everyone races on the same tracks and sets times on a global leaderboard. These are a great way to race the same track a few times in a row. Show off your fastest high scores so your rivals can try to take you on! Be kind and share the shortcuts and tips you’ve found to help them climb the leaderboard! 🌵

Now you know the basics (and the not so basics) you are more than ready to round up some fellow racers and hit the slopes when Tray Racers! launches on April 13th! Be sure to wishlist the game and follow us on our socials for updates 👇

@trayracers on Twitter @trayracers on TikTok @trayracers on Instagram

Oh and yeah the game doesn’t have Ray Tracing™ just the legendary Ray Tracer.