Hello there!
We’re excited to share a new update on the development of Locomochi, our wholesome puzzle game where you control a tiny toy locomotive, deliver cargo for adorable characters, and explore a cozy miniature railway world 🚂🧩✨
This month has been all about bringing systems together and making the game feel more cohesive as we move deeper into the Vertical Slice phase.
We’ve been expanding the gameplay foundations with new complex buildings and modular systems, including control platforms and rotating structures that allow for more dynamic level design.
A big focus has been making everything scalable and reusable, so we can continue building levels more efficiently in the future.
We’ve made big progress integrating characters and cinematics directly into gameplay, alongside the first implementation of our quest system.
Now characters can properly give requests, guide progression, and help structure each level in a much more meaningful way.
This is a key step toward making Locomochi feel like a living toy world rather than just a set of puzzles.
One of the biggest efforts this month has been improving how players learn the game.
We’ve redesigned the onboarding experience and introduced new communication tools such as:
Tutorial signs (now adapted to the input device)
Instruction beacons (prototype for in-depth mechanics explanations)
A "walkietalkie" hint system
Character-driven guidance through cinematics
The goal is simple: make every mechanic understandable without breaking immersion and using less text as possible.
We’ve also updated the control mapping system to prepare for future scalability and accessibility.
At the same time, we’ve been doing a lot of:
Bug fixing
Branding material reworks
Early VFX integration
Git and building pipeline automations
In general, the game is starting to feel much more stable and connected overall.
In June we’ll be attending PGConnects Barcelona with a very clear objective: playtesting the new onboarding experience after implementing all the improvements based on our latest feedback sessions.
We want to closely analyze players’ first impressions. At the same time, the event will also be a great opportunity to keep connecting with publishers and potential business partners interested in the future of Locomochi.
We’re also preparing for Steam Train Fest 2026, which will be a very important milestone for the project. Our goal is to use the event for our very first public playtesting sessions and start gathering feedback from players outside our internal circles.
It is also a fantastic opportunity to reach part of our niche audience directly: players who already love trains, cozy experiences, and relaxing puzzle games.
Next up, we’ll be focusing on:
Environment blocking
HUB prototyping
More VFX and visual polish
Defining final UI/UX systems (Train Driver ID, coins, progression flow)
This next phase is all about cohesion and presentation: making all the systems we’ve built finally feel like one unified experience.
Thanks for being part of this journey with us 💛
We’re getting closer every day to the world we’ve been imagining for Locomochi.
See you in the next update!
Best regards,
Jon Gomez
Producer & Game Designer
Little Lantern Games