Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor - FAQ

What is Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor?

Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor is an all-new game developed by the Dovetail Games team in collaboration with Mattel. It features your favourite characters from Thomas & Friends™ and allows you to explore the Island of Sodor like never before. You will be able to walk around all the famous locations you know and love. Be part of the stories and help Thomas and his friends complete jobs around the island.

When will Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor be released?

Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor is out now on PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, Epic Games, and Nintendo Switch.

Where can I purchase Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor?

Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor is out now and a digital copy can be purchased at the links below.

• PlayStation
• Xbox
• Steam
• Epic
• Nintendo Switch

Content

What content is included with Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor?

There are 8 Stories to play along in Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor, as well as 3 other Game Modes: Timetable Mode, Explore Mode, and a Shunting Challenge.

• Story Mode – This is where you play along with some of your favourite Thomas & Friends™ characters through a story, doing tasks along the way.
• Timetable Mode – This is where you select a character and drive a day in the life of that character on the Island of Sodor. You can select a service at certain times of the day you would like to drive.
• Explore Mode – This is a mode where you can walk, ride and drive trains around the island at your freedom. 
• Shunting Challenge – This is where you get a challenge to shunt Troublesome Trucks into a certain order in as few moves as possible to try and beat your personal best.

In addition to these modes, players will be able to take screenshots of their experiences with Photo Mode, allowing them lots of options to capture their favourite moments of Thomas & Friends™.

What additional content is included with the Deluxe Edition?

The Deluxe Edition includes James and 4 new stories.

Which characters are in the game?

You will see plenty of characters in the Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor game as you travel across the island, including:

• Thomas the Tank Engine
• Percy 
• Gordon
• Emily
• Diesel
• Annie and Clarabel
• Troublesome Trucks
• Bertie
• Sir Topham Hatt
• James (included with the Deluxe Edition or available as a separate purchase)

Why did you choose these characters and locations?

We chose the characters and locations to give players a varied gameplay experience across the Island of Sodor, bringing the places and faces you know to life like never before.

Where did the inspiration for these stories come from?

We have a mix of original Stories, including Thomas & Gordon, with some stories written by passionate Thomas & Friends™ fans in our Dovetail Games team, as well as input from the team at Mattel.  

What future content can we expect from Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor? 

We will support Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor, taking on board any feedback from the community following launch and ensuring the best experience possible. We are excited to share this brand-new journey with you all, and following the release, we will be back to talk more about any future developments we have in mind.

Purchasing

How much will it cost?

• Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor will cost £29.99 / €34.99 / $39.99 - Core Game including 8 Stories in Story Mode, Shunting Challenge mini-game, Timetable Mode, Explore Mode, 5 engine characters – Thomas, Percy, Emily, Gordon and Diesel
• Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor: Deluxe Editon will cost £39.99 / €44.99 / $49.99 - Core Game including 12 Stories in Story Mode, Shunting Challenge mini-game, Timetable Mode, Explore Mode, 6 Engine Characters – Thomas, Percy, Emily, Gordon, Diesel and James.
• Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor: James Add-on will cost £12.99 / €15.99 / $16.99 - 4 Stories in Story Mode, inclusion into Timetable Mode and Tanker Stock

For additional currencies please check out the table below. The prices below are from Steam, but other platforms may vary slightly due to using a different pricing matrix.

Will Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor be on Xbox Game Pass?

Unfortunately, Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor will not be on Xbox Game Pass for launch.

When can i purchase a boxed copy of Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor?

The boxed copy of Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor will be coming soon, but won't be available at launch. When we have a confirmed release date, we'll share it with you all.

Where will I be able purchase a boxed copy of Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor?

When released, you will be able to purchase a boxed copy of Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor Deluxe Edition (including James Add-On) from the following retailers. Please be aware that these retailers use placeholder release dates.

Gameplay

Can I take photos in the game?

Yes, a comprehensive photo mode will be available from the pause menu.

Can I change the character’s facial expressions?

In Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor, characters have reactive faces and expressions which you can see during the stories and other game modes.

Coming as a post-release update, you will be able to freely change the expression of your character using the in-game menu.

Can I create my own scenes and place characters along the route?

Yes, in Explore mode, you will be able to freely place characters along the route.

Can I drive the characters using the cab controls?

Yes, you will be able to control Thomas and his friends in the cab, but there will also be simpler controls available when you start the game.

All the engines will have their Regulator/Throttle, Reverser to select Forwards and Backwards and Brake operable from the driver's seat. The physics of the engines won’t change, but will give you a more realistic experience of a train driver on the Island of Sodor.  This will be under ‘realistic controls’ in the Settings menu.

Technical

What platforms are supported?

• Steam
• Epic Games
• Microsoft Game Store
• Xbox One / Series S|X​
• PlayStation 4/5
• Nintendo Switch (Switch 2 via Backwards Compatibility​)

What languages are supported?

Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor will support multiple languages in both in game audio and in game text below is which languages are supported :

What are the PC system requirements?

Minimum (720P, 30fps average):

• OS: 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11
• Processor: Intel Core i5-4690 @ 3.5 GHz or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X @ 3.7 GHz
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 460 with 2 GB VRAM or more
• DirectX: Version 10 or higher
• Storage: 10 GB available space
• Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
• Additional Notes: Requires mouse and keyboard or Xbox Controller

Recommended (1080P, 60fps average):

• OS: 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11
• Processor: Intel Core i5-9600K @ 3.7 GHz or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 @ 3.6 GHz
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB or AMD Radeon RX 5700 with 8 GB VRAM or more
• DirectX: Version 10
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 10 GB available space
• Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
• Additional Notes: Requires mouse and keyboard or Xbox Controller

How have you re-created the Island of Sodor? 

The team looked at locations throughout all eras of the brand, from publishing to content, to build the best version of Sodor. Examples include: Elsbridge Station, Tidmouth Station, and Vicarstown Station, which are variants from the publishing and content series.

Some locations have had to be modified to make them fit and work with how the game works, but we have recreated these locations as faithfully as possible to the original.  

We have also used an original 3D map made by P.R. Wickham in 1950 for the Rev Wilbert Awdry, based on his sketches and design. Awdry used this map when introducing new railways and branch lines into the books, finding places that made sense in the topology and where they would fit. The map was 3D scanned for Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor to get the topology of the Island of Sodor. The Relief Map currently hangs on the wall in the recreation of Rev. Awdry's Study in the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum at the Talyllyn Railway.

The Island of Sodor has been slightly scaled down to allow for all audiences to play. However, we have made sure all your favourite locations are in the routes, and you get the same timeless feeling of what the books and TV series showed.    

One of the main location differences is Knapford Station, which has had its platforms on the middle roads changed to through platforms. This is to allow it to work with the Timetable Mode and the flow of the station.  

Also, in some locations, the platforms and stations will seem larger and longer than in the book and TV series; this is to allow for stopping locations and to fit larger trains.  

How have we worked with Mattel on the production of the game? 

We have been working closely with Mattel for all-important source material from the book and TV series, creating the nostalgic stories, and making the Island of Sodor feel as immersive as possible.

What characteristics do the characters in Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor have?

To provide an authentic railway experience, we've made some adjustments to the characters to reflect their real-life locomotive designs (for example, Emily being a GNR Stirling Single, and Gordon being an LNER Pacific locomotive).

The sounds of each of the engines have come from the Thomas & Friends™ TV series, alongside our vast library of real-life railway sounds, to provide true immersion and railway ambience.

For those who have played Thomas & Friends™ Visit the West Somerset Railway on Train Sim World, we've made some changes to the characters featured in that Add-on, including:  

• All-new changeable facial expressions - when in Explore and Timetable Modes. These will be different depending on the character, and can be chosen by the player using a selectable wheel when inside the character Note: Selectable facial expressions will be available as a post-release update
• Rivets – Resizing and changing to fit closer to the real loco basis   
• Cabs – Adding real-life loco-based cabs to the characters and making controls usable
• Weathering – Adding coal dust to the back of bunkers and around the top of tenders
• Handrails – Repainted and redesigned to match the real-life locomotives 

Community Video Guides

How do I play explore mode mode in Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor?

The following video explains how to spawn a train in Explore Mode, and set a path so you can travel across the island of Sodor:

• How to play Explore Mode

Where do I start as a beginner?

If you are new to Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor we'd highly recommend the following videos to get you started:

• How to Play - Beginners Guide
• Main Menu Navigation Guide
• Pause Menu Guide
• Photo Mode Guide

Gameplay Videos

If you are not sure what to do next, please check out the following play through of the stories in Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor.

• Introduction to Sodor
• Thomas & Gordon
• Thomas Goes Fishing
• Thomas and Bertie
• Percy's Troublesome Day - Part 1 
• Percy's Troublesome Day - Part 2 
• Gordon & the Troublesome Trucks 
• Emily and the Express 
• Branching Out 
• Shunting Showdown
• Leaves
• Jack Frost
• James and the Van
• First Class Engine

Troubleshooting Tips

Where can I learn how to play?

The Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor Guide contains everything you need to enjoy your time with the game.

What do I do if I get stuck on the Character Selection Screen? - "Failed to Create Profile

We're seeing some people struggling to get past the character selection screen. Typically this is caused by a player's Windows Security/Antivirus settings blocking the game from creating a save file. To resolve the issue, please take you time to carefully review each of the solutions provided in the following support article: How to Resolve Profile & Save Game Issues

If you are seeing a similar problem on consoles, please try entering a different profile name.
 

How do I get past red signals in Explore Mode?

To fully enjoy Explore Mode you will need to Set a Path using the in-game map, as indicated by the pop-up. This will clear a path to your destination, turning the signals green and allowing you to explore the Island of Sodor. To understand how to do this, please check out the following guide from the community.

How do I get past this red signal in Timetable Mode?

If you find yourself in stuck in front of a red signal and the game is telling you to "Stop & Wait" you may need to Contact the Signaler to proceed. When you are in this situation, we'd recommend that you go through the following steps...

1. Slowly approach the signal 
2. Wait a brief moment to see if the signal changes
3. Press the TAB key (Hold Circle/B on consoles) and select "Contact Signaler"
4. If the response is "Proceed at a Restricted Speed" you may pass the red signal.

What can I do if my game crashes?

If you are experiencing any technical issues, please put aside some time to carefully work through our troubleshooting guide. The guide will take you through the necessary steps to make sure you PC meets the minimum requirements of the game and how to troubleshoot any technical issues that persist.

Troubleshooting PC Technical Issues Guide

Social

Where can I find updates about Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor?

You can learn more about Thomas & Friends™: Wonders of Sodor through our website and social channels. Join the conversation and talk about all things Thomas & Friends™ on our official Discord channel.

• Website
• Discord
• YouTube
• TikTok
• Instagram
• X
• Facebook
• Forums