“Over Jump Rally” is one of the five candidates that want to deliver the perfect racing game in 2024.
Indie racing games are like buses: you wait forever for one to take you where you want to go, and then five come at once – except they’re cars, not buses. Strained metaphor aside, you’ll be amazed at how many small studio rides 2024 will bring – and in most cases, solo developers are doing the hard work on their own.
Here are five fantastic looking indie racing games that we hope will reach us later this year – even if one of them needs the crucial support of an industry giant to get the release it truly deserves.
Parking garage rally track
Developer and publisher: Walaber Entertainment LLC
Platforms: PC
Share: 2024
There’s only one thing better than a game with a literal title: one that also sounds like an absolute blast. This is the case with Parking garage rally trackwhich combines a visual aesthetic of Sega Saturn with influences as diverse as Initial DGroup B, Mario Kartand that terrible tutorial test from the original driver.
Parking garage rally track is the creation of Tim “Walaber” FitzRandolph, a former VP of Creative at Disney and NBCUniversal and a thoroughly nice guy. As his side project PGRC is set to arrive in a small release on Steam sometime this year – with a few cars, tracks, online leaderboards, and other straightforward features – as well as Steam Deck support from day one.
I’ll let him explain the game himself – and don’t forget to watch Walaber develop it every week on Twitch:
Add Parking garage rally track to your wish list here.
#DRIVE rally
Developer and Publisher: Pixel-perfect guy
Platforms: PC
Share: Fall 2024
From one great looking 90s inspired rally game to the next, #DRIVE rally goes to the other side of the console war to channel PS1 classics Colin McRae Rally through a slightly more comedic art style. It’s a neat trick, as it helps Polish developer Pixel Perfect Dude recreate classic cars without having to purchase a license: the Audi Quattro, Lancia Delta S4, Stratos and Fulvia, and many more are included.
Admittedly, the more cartoonish images are paired with something even funnier: a co-pilot voicing Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dutch predator, who barks orders and scolds you for taking corners badly. If this is a key feature and Biomutant If that’s anything to go by, the joke could prove to be a bit of a no-brainer in the long run – we’re keeping our fingers crossed that it always hits the mark, as it could be a real selling point in itself.
Set #DRIVE rally on your wishlist on Steam.
Hot lap racing
Developer: Zero Games Studio
Editor: Maximum entertainment
Platforms: PC and Nintendo Switch
Share: 16th of July
As the only game on this list that has official licenses (at least for now), Hot lap races already has a well-known lead over the competition – but considering that these partnerships include cars from the DTM (Opel Calibra, Alfa Romeo 155), Le Mans (Ligier JS P320), TOCA-era British touring cars (Renault Laguna) and absolute dirt like the Renault R5 Turbo, you know you’re going to have a good time.
Zero Games Studio, a French indie company, promises to deliver one ForzaHorizon-like “Simcade” approach with a multiplayer focus and more than 15 licensed or custom tracks with 70 layouts. This looks great; it’s just a shame it’s limited to PC and Switch (for now).
Add Hot lap races to your wish list here.
Super Polygon GP
Developer and publisher: Rozz games
Platforms: PC
Share: May 23 (Early Access)
This week the newest contender in low poly Virtua Race-like spin-offs are in Early Access and some signs suggest that it is one of the best yet. After the success of Formula retro racing, Hotshot RacingAnd slipstream, Super Polygon GP hopes to up the ante with faster antics and unmatched handling.
It’s the brainchild of Rozz Games – solo British developer Ross Pateman – whose vision of creating an F1 race car with more than a few nods to the past is admirable. It might take a little longer to get where it needs to be, but Pateman is just a person – it’s him even learning how to edit promotional videos in no time. It’s good that he has a lot of talent.
Wish list Super Polygon GP Here.
Skip rally
Developer and publisher: Bonsai Red
Platforms: PC
Share: Will be announced
Ask 100 arcade racing fans what they want in a remake and you’ll get the most boring round Family disputes ever, as there would only be one answer on the board: Sega Rally Championship. Skip rally promises an indie homage to the 1994 main attraction, recreated in Unreal Engine 5 and retaining the arcade driving style of the original game.
There’s one obvious problem, though: it’s completely unofficial, but recreates the game’s race tracks, as well as the iconic Lancia Delta HF Integrale and Toyota Celica, with the iconic Martini and Castrol liveries. Developer Bonsai Rosso – aka Italian solo developer Alessandro Schiassi – knows it can’t be released without Sega’s thumbs up. In fact, About jumpThe Steam listing clarifies: “This game is a proof of concept in hopes of receiving approval from Sega.”
My dearest Sega, please: try it. I have seen Skip Transform from a small passion project into a real, tangible and beautiful recreation of one of the greatest games of my childhood – one that we all saw thousands of children playing in arcades across the UK, US, Japan and elsewhere.
Skip Rally Maybe it doesn’t 100% meet the company’s high standards, but it sure likes cash. Sega: Work with Bonsai, provide the permissions, support their vision and you will receive the license(s) to print money. Unless? Set it directly; Schiassi offers the perfect mix of talent and passion.
Keep an eye on Skip rally by adding it to your wish list.
Any recommendations for an indie racing game coming out in 2024? Drop a line in the comments – we’re all friends here and always want to support our indie friends.