Here’s a free miniature town-builder with trams from the creator of Viewfinder

Sometimes I want to play a video game, and sometimes I just want to assemble a quiet little Dutch town with iron bridges, fountains and dinky trams bustling about like bumble bees. The project in question is Tramstertram. Aside from being a terrifying feat of punmanship, it’s a browser-based building toy from Matt Stark, creator of the really rather lovely Viewfinder.

Released a few hours ago, Tramstertram gives you a rotatable 3D scene with a choice of tiles to plonk down – townhouses, streets, tram rails, and parkland, all of which coalesce into larger structures when you slot them together. It’s a homage to Townscaper, but not nearly as elaborate, just a small gift left on a digital windowsill for any passerby who, for whatever reason, might need to lose a few minutes enjoying the sight of a tramcar sparking and trundling along a row of trees.

Tramstertram comes with a small selection of prefabricated towns, including a fourth map that gives away the alchemy behind the tile combinations, and the ability to copy-and-paste a world code to share your creation. If you’re not so keen on trams, Stark has extensive prior for this kind of thing. He’s made similar building toys involving treehouses, fishtanks, and mining carts.

Nice note to end the week on, I think? If you need a bit more meat on these bones, keep an eye out for the “whimsigoth” cottage builder Tiny Glade, due for release this year – Kiera loved it.