Introduction

Driving games can come in various flavors. You have open-world vs linear, arcade vs simulation, tarmac vs dirt, 2 wheels vs 4 wheels, strawberry vs vanilla… Since everyone has their own taste, I’ve added a bit of everything.
 

15. Need for Speed: Heat (Windows, PS4, Xbox One)

Need for Speed: Heat Walkthrough

Aaah, the classic franchise. It does not quite make the waves it did 10-15 years ago, but still worth a play. You play in an open world based on Miami - it’s called Palm City. You can race during the day for cash or at night for reputation. There are also police chases like in previous games and the main story focuses heavily on police.

14. Absolute Drift (Windows, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Switch)

Absolute Drift - Tokyo World Record

This one is all about drifting. It’s one of those games where it’s a lot harder than it looks. Drive through various stylized tracks, perfecting your drifting lines, or explore the free roam areas where you can unlock levels and cars. 

13. Wreckfest (Windows, PS4, PS5,  Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia, Switch)

Wreckfest Gameplay

There’s a clue in the name. Wreck. Fest. What sets it apart is that it has realistic damage to impacts the way your car drives. There are two gameplay modes. One, banger racing, is a standard race and two, demolition derby, is about who can be the last one standing. 

12. Trials: Rising (Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia, Switch)

Trials: Rising Top 10 World Records

The Trials series places you on a motorbike and pits you against a series of tough obstacles, all in what’s called a 2.5D world. What that means is that scenery is 3D, but your motorbike is on a predetermined path, running across the screen. So what’s the challenge? You don’t steer left and right, instead, you control the tilt of the motorbike which can give satisfying results, but more often than not, devastating ones. 

11. Euro Truck Simulator 2 (Windows, Linux, macOS)

Euro Truck Simulator 2 Gameplay

Ah yes, the dream. Driving for hours through dull farmlands. Stopping for gas. Picking up hookers. Yes, uncle Sam really had it all now that I think about it, and you can too with Euro Truck Simulator. Work your way up from a delivery driver to a truck company CEO with loads of employees, picking up and dropping off cargo all across a condensed version of Europe.

10. rFactor 2 (Windows)

rFactor 2 Gameplay

The first racing simulation entry on the list. Want to know something wild? Professional racing teams use this game to train their drivers. It has detailed physics, it models suspensions and tires to the t. Worth checking out if you’re interested in sim racing!

9. Distance (Windows, Linux, macOS, PS4)

Distance Gameplay

Its developers call the game an “Atmospheric racing platformer.” Your aim is to survive several obstacles on a track in a neon-infused futuristic city. There are many game modes including sprint, challenge, stunt, trackmogrify, and reverse tag. Another great move by the developers was to include a level editor - let the creative juices flow!

8. iRacing (Windows)

iRacing Gameplay

Another racing simulation. This one has been going since 2008 and uses a subscription model, with regular updates. It takes its simulation title seriously. There are real-world cars, real-world tracks, and real-world events. Another one to put on the checklist if you want to start your sim racing journey.

7. BeamNG.drive (Windows)

BeamNG.drive Gameplay

Like Wreckfest, BeamNG uses soft-body physics to simulate damage and handling. There are various modes to try out. Play the Time Trial where you compete against your personal best. Play the campaign that places you in various scenarios. Or try free roam mode which really, really does give you freedom. Gravity and wind are at your behest. Fire a cannon at your car, because, why not?

6. Dirt Rally 2.0 (Windows, Xbox One, PS4)

Dirt Rally 2.0 Gameplay

Professional rally drivers were consultants during the development of this game. There are over 100 layers of surface to simulate degradation. These guys take simulation seriously. The weather will change as you drive, and along with the other factors, your grip will vary across a ten-minute drive. Full focus needed.

5. Assetto Corsa (Windows, PS4, Xbox One)

Asseto Corsa Gameplay

One of the most respected racing sims out there. The race tracks in the game used laser scanning technology. You can adjust every imaginable thing in your car - Mechanic Simulator: Yes. If you get really into it there are various leagues you can join, each with their own etiquette.

4. Dirt 5  (Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia)

Dirt 5 Walkthrough

Less focused on the simulation part of things than Dirt Rally 2.0, but still very good at simulating the rally experience. This game has a story mode that pits you against a rival. A classic tale, one for the ages.

3. F1 2021 (Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)

F1 2021 Gameplay

It’s all in the title. This series is becoming a bit like FIFA, but this game came with a new idea: story mode. So along with all your favorite circuits, you can experience all the god damn drama that comes along with you. I would say “Yes Michael, yes, this is so right.”

2. Forza Horizon 5 (Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)

Forza Horizon 5 Walkthrough

What sets this game apart is the size and detail of its open world. Set in a fictional Mexico, you can explore a volcano, jungles, beaches and even temples. It also introduced a battle royal mode, where you race opponents in an ever-shrinking arena where you can upgrade your car by finding drops or by beating an opponent when you race.

1. Trackmania (Windows)

Professional Trackmania player Spam discovers the Spring 2022 Trackmania Grand League tracks.

How could I not? Such simple controls. Such intuitive physics. Mechanics with more depth than the Marianna trench. This arcade racing game will have you spending hours on a single track eking out an extra tenth as you learn how to drift, or how to ice slide, or how to manage your gears on dirt. Easily in first, hard to put down.

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