(some over-the-top action from last year's DAC tag tournament)

The sun has set on the seventh day of December, and a whopping nine levels have been released as part of this year's Distance Advent Calendar! Lots of talented community members have contributed to the event, and as a longtime player myself, I'd like to recap this week's releases, for those who may have missed them. You'll be hearing from a couple others in the next two weeks writing similar posts.

But, before we get to that:

DISTANCE TAG TOURNAMENT: THE FOURTH ONE
It's been a while.

After a lengthy hiatus, the community-driven Tag Tournament is back for another few rounds of competition! Players will be pitted against each other in an original level to be revealed at the event, eliminating each other until one is crowned Tag (King|Queen|Emperor). The whole thing will be streamed live on Saturday, December 10, beginning at 11 AM PST! Krispy and Splaysh are sure to crank out some extra-juicy production for this one.

WATCH HERE: https://www.twitch.tv/splaysh
SIGN UP TO COMPETE HERE: Inquire on the Distance Discord server.

Hope to see you there, one way or the other!

Did you know? Normally at this time on Saturdays, the community hosts a multiplayer event where everyone can join and play! It's called Speedy Saturday, and you can find out about it and link up with other players on the Distance Discord above.

DISTANCE ADVENT CALENDAR - WEEK 1

Don't know what Distance Advent Calendar is? Check out the announcement post!

#1: Distance Galaxy - Platoonsgt1


The opener of this year's DAC is of a scale nothing short of stellar. Distance Galaxy is a massive level, spanning five unique environments across individual "planets". While the level is incredibly long (an average run is 20 to 40 minutes depending on skill level), it's very well-paced and definitely worth your time in my opinion. The interplanetary cannons are a bit fiddly, though.

#2: Today - Backgrounds'


As per usual with Backgrounds' levels, Today is quite thematic, with a backstory to match. It puts its gimmick to good use, combining it with an overall elegant track design and a detailed environment (including some sweet weather effects). It's a smooth ride, though it's possible to miss the checkpoints, so keep an eye out for them.

#3: Tomorrow - Jay2a


Though it hews closer to a traditional Distance track, Tomorrow retains its own aesthetic flavor. The wide, sweeping curves complement the buildings set against the cloudy sky, and the obstacles and occasional road transfers keep you busy...or, dare I say, engaged.

#4: The Day After Tomorrow - Siddey10


The Day After Tomorrow is centered around escaping a superstorm, and as such, it's chock-full of those gorgeous weather effects. The track neatly introduces the car's abilities and has you weaving around barriers, even throwing a couple oddball road transfers in there. Fortunately, this is the final track with the joke naming scheme devised on a whim in the ol' DAC planning chat.

#5: Natural Gift - Phimeek


Natural Gift is very much a nice present from Phimeek, letting you barrel through beautiful forests and caves at what feels like an alarming rate of speed. The track flows exceedingly well; there are several road transfers that feel amazing when you nail 'em just right. Plus it's got more rain and water. It's so pretty, I love it.

#6: Challenge Pack #1!


This year, DAC includes a couple of Challenge Packs, where multiple creators push out Challenge levels on the same day to breathe new life into the neglected game mode. Here's our first set:

• Widening Transfers by MCrekna1 - A simple track executed elegantly. You're presented with many wall-to-wall road transfers, but the tracks keep getting farther apart! Use of the grip ability in midair is advised.
  
• Cyberspace by Mafn - A very tight track focused on numerous transfers in quick succession. There are many paths, but all of them require being very dextrous with the car. Not for the faint of heart.
  
• Trapped Under Ice by fzeroman - A lengthy endurance level, in the classic fzeroman style. The titular ice-trapping comes across well through the environment design. Consists of many, many pop-up blockers, sometimes unfair ones; you'll crash several times attempting this one.