Shred to the Beat: Fresh Tracks Turns Ski Runs into Roguelite Rhythm Combat
Fresh Tracks is a roguelite rhythm skiing game by indie studio Buffalo Buffalo, released on August 26 for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. The game combines lane-based skiing, rhythm-based slashing, quick platforming and combat across randomized runs, while allowing players to keep some unlocked equipment between attempts.
- What the game is: genre, developer, platforms, release date.
- Core mechanics: movement, slashing, rhythm-linked sword abilities.
- Roguelite systems: randomized songs, rewards, shops, and persistent unlocks.
- Progression: Mythics, weapons, difficulty options, and bosses.
- Soundtrack and content scope.
Gameplay basics
In Fresh Tracks players travel through the realm of Norwyn on skis, moving between lanes and reacting to incoming obstacles. Controls let you jump sideways, jump upwards and lean left or right to avoid hazards. Objects and enemies that glow light-blue are meant to be slashed with your sword instead of dodged. Timing slashes to the beat charges the sword’s special ability.
Swords and abilities
The first sword in the game has a health recovery special. Additional swords are unlocked over progress and provide different abilities. Special abilities charge when successful slashes are performed on the rhythm—therefore accuracy on the beat directly affects your options during a run.
Roguelite loop and randomization
Runs consist of a sequence of randomized songs. For each step you are offered two or three song choices, and each option includes a randomized difficulty level plus a randomized reward. Players collect a currency called “whyspers”, which can be spent at a flying item shop that appears after two successfully completed songs. Some equipment and unlocks carry over between runs, while a failed run requires restarting the journey.
Bosses and level length
Standard songs typically last around four minutes. Boss songs are longer—generally over seven minutes—and change gameplay patterns with more varied obstacles and enemy encounters. Boss levels act as high-stakes checkpoints within a journey and are noted for increased difficulty.
Difficulty and player options
Fresh Tracks includes four difficulty presets, from Traveller (easiest) to Champion (hardest). Difficulty affects factors such as available health items and heart containers, but the core lane and rhythm mechanics remain consistent across settings. In addition, songs are graded using the universal ski trail icons: green circle for beginner, blue square for intermediate, and black diamond for expert.
Progression, Mythics and soundtrack
Each run is accompanied by a Mythic, a god-like figure that grants passive buffs and delivers short background stories between songs. More Mythics unlock as players progress. The game advertises a 28-track soundtrack spanning multiple genres, and certain Mythics have genre preferences that influence available music in a run.
Platforms and availability
Fresh Tracks launched on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X on August 26. The game is developed and published by Buffalo Buffalo.
