Update 016 — experimental Power Towers and exploration
01A new experiment, with two purposes
In its 9 October update, Washbear introduces the Power Tower as its most experimental feature so far. The studio gives it two purposes: refilling the player’s power meter while exploring, and travelling quickly to reach areas that would normally be inaccessible. This describes an exploration feature; the announcement does not identify it as a generator for the train’s onboard power systems. No recharge amount, cost or activation requirement is provided.
02Its name and future are still undecided
Washbear is unsure whether the towers are too powerful and says playtesting will help answer that question. The team also dislikes their current name and invites suggestions. Most importantly, it explicitly warns that this feature might not make it to Early Access. Power Tower is therefore the name used in this development report, not a settled system or a promised launch feature. The post supplies no final network layout or traversal rules.
03Height as a way to read the world
A separate section describes taking the train up high slopes to get a better view of interesting destinations. The studio presents elevation as a way to spot places to investigate next. This concerns the train’s position in the landscape, rather than a new limit on how many floors players can build. It adds no numerical slope threshold, upgrade requirement or guarantee that every destination can be reached this way.
04Holding the button to chop wood
The quality-of-life example changes the input used when harvesting wood: instead of pressing the mouse button for every axe swing, players can hold it down. The team uses this small interaction to explain how usability improvements also consume development time for a two-person studio. The post does not announce a faster harvest rate, a new axe or changed resource yields. It describes the input improvement, without establishing its availability in a public build.
05What this update leaves open
Update 016 closes with recent playtest pictures and the usual warning that features may change before and during Early Access. It gives no new release date or public-demo opening. The current Steam page still says the game is unavailable; the Playtest app’s metadata does not establish public access. This report covers the new written development details. It is not a tested route, a harvesting guide or proof that the experimental towers will survive into the released game.
“This is an interesting example of a feature that might not make it to Early Access.”Source language: English · Original wording preserved.