The Trail tips - How to get a head start on your trip

The Trail is the latest effort from Peter 'Curiosity killed the Godus' Molyneux's 22Cans studio, and it's quite beguiling.

We're not quite sure how to describe it. It's a bit auto-runny, a bit crafty, a bit social, a bit freemium, and very beautiful.

While the game goes out of its way to ease you in gently, its inherent oddness might mean that it takes a while for all of its constituent parts to click. Allow us to help you on your way with a few starter's tips.

Early on it seems natural to grab all of the items you find dotted along your path. As you progress though, you'll soon bump up against the limits of your bag's storage, with items spilling out all over the place.

As such, don't grab stuff that isn't immediately useful to you. If it's not edible, not part of your mission, or not an ingredient in something you intend to craft at the very next camp, don't bother with it.

This sounds like an obvious tip in a freemium game, but it's especially good advice in The Trail. That's because these videos frequently turn out genuinely useful items for you, including clothing and mission-sensitive ingredients.

Better still, you can see precisely what you'll get for watching the video by looking at the lady's sandwich board. An informed freemium decision - we like it.

Don't have an axe? Just stick around when another traveller is chopping and grab their wood (ahem).

Trading in The Trail is presented as a game, which can lead to some confusion as to its purpose. You really don't need to try and win every single trading phase. The gift you get for doing so is often pretty unhelpful.

Rather, you should use this phase for making money by selling unneeded crafted items and purchasing the last few items you need for a crafting recipe.

As such, you should enter the trading phase as a last step whenever you enter a camp.

Don't forget to keep an eye out for racoon tails - they with grant you the items you need to complete your missions, which is the key to improving your traveller.

Ideally, you should never not have a hat on your bonce. Replace highly worn hats before they expire or keep a spare to hand.

Your headwear is vital to your survival - even more so than jackets and trousers - because they give you extra hearts.

If you take on a recipe that demands food (like apple juice) as a mission, make sure you have an ample source of alternative food. You can't use the item that's contributing to the recipe, even if you're starving.

Do you have any handy tips for your fellow trail travellers? Do share in the comments below.