Tired of the same old AAA racing titles? Yearning for something with a bit more soul, innovation, and maybe even a retro vibe? You’re not alone! The indie game scene is a treasure trove of creativity, and the racing genre is no exception, offering a diverse and often surprisingly addictive range of experiences that you won’t find on the mainstream tracks.
In this article, we’re diving deep into the digital garage to bring you the 20 best indie racing games currently available on Steam. From high-octane arcade thrills to meticulously crafted simulation-lite experiences, buckle up and prepare to discover your next favorite racing obsession!
Horizon Chase Turbo
- Release Date: May 15, 2018
- Developer: Aquiris Game Studio
Horizon Chase Turbo is a vibrant and exhilarating arcade racing game that pays homage to the classic racing games of the 80s and 90s, such as Out Run and Top Gear. It captures the pure, unadulterated fun of arcade racing with its fast-paced action, colorful visuals, and catchy soundtrack.
Why It’s Worth Playing: Horizon Chase Turbo perfectly encapsulates the joy of classic arcade racing. Its vibrant visuals, smooth performance, and incredibly catchy soundtrack (composed by Barry Leitch, the legendary composer of Top Gear) create an incredibly nostalgic and enjoyable experience.
Circuit Superstars
- Release Date: October 12, 2021
- Developer: Original Fire Games
Circuit Superstars is a top-down racing game that puts a strong emphasis on precise driving and racing strategy. Inspired by classic arcade racers and motorsport, it offers a unique blend of accessible gameplay with a surprising amount of depth.
Why It’s Worth Playing: Circuit Superstars stands out for its focus on the fundamentals of racing. The driving model is incredibly satisfying to master, and the strategic elements add a layer of depth that keeps the gameplay engaging.
Absolute Drift
- Release Date: July 29, 2015
- Developer: Funselektor Labs
Absolute Drift focuses on mastering the art of drifting. You’ll navigate a variety of tracks and environments, aiming to score points by maintaining long drifts, hitting specific zones, and performing stylish maneuvers. It offers a pure and focused drifting experience with a clean visual style and a relaxing yet challenging gameplay loop.
Why It’s Worth Playing: Its minimalist approach and clean visuals create a sense of zen-like focus, while the challenging gameplay loop provides a satisfying sense of accomplishment as you master each track. If you are a fan of drifting games in general, this game is a must-play.
art of rally
- Release Date: September 23, 2020
- Developer: Funselektor Labs
From the makers of Absolute Drift, art of rally is a stylized rally racing game that celebrates the golden era of the sport. With a focus on accessible yet challenging gameplay and a beautiful minimalist aesthetic, it offers a unique and captivating rally experience.
Why It’s Worth Playing: If you’re a fan of rally racing or appreciate a stylish and accessible racing game, art of rally is a fantastic choice. Its beautiful minimalist aesthetic, combined with the challenging yet rewarding gameplay, creates a truly captivating experience.
Hotshot Racing
- Release Date: September 10, 2020
- Developer: Sumo Digital Ltd, Lucky Mountain Games
Hotshot Racing offers exhilarating arcade racing action with a focus on drifting and boosting. You’ll race across a variety of colorful tracks, competing against AI opponents or in local and online multiplayer modes. The game features a roster of unique characters and a selection of customizable cars.
Why It’s Worth Playing: With its smooth visuals, tight controls, and exhilarating speed, it’s a perfect throwback for fans of the genre. If you’re looking for a pure, unadulterated arcade racing experience, Hotshot Racing delivers in spades.
Distance
- Release Date: Sep 18, 2018
- Developer: Refract
Distance is a unique and thrilling futuristic racing game that combines high-speed racing with platforming elements. You control a sleek vehicle capable of incredible speeds, jumps, and even flight, navigating treacherous tracks filled with obstacles and hazards.
Why It’s Worth Playing: With its blend of high-speed racing with platforming elements, it creates a unique sense of freedom and challenge. Mastering the vehicle’s controls is incredibly rewarding, and the track editor adds significant replayability.
Slipstream
- Release Date: May 21, 2018
- Developer: ansdor
Slipstream is a fantastic love letter to the classic arcade racing era. Its pixel art visuals are charming and evocative, and the synthwave soundtrack perfectly complements the high-speed action. The smooth drifting mechanics are easy to learn but offer enough depth for skillful play.
Why It’s Worth Playing: With its pixel art visuals, catchy synth-wave soundtrack, and smooth drifting mechanics, it’s a nostalgic trip down memory lane with a modern polish. Slipstream is perfect for gamers who grew up in the 80s or anyone who appreciates the retro arcade aesthetic.
Barro F22
- Release Date: Apr 25, 2022
- Developer: SC Jogos
Don’t let the toy-like visuals fool you—Barro F22 is a total blast. This arcade-style racer drops the pretension and delivers pure, unfiltered fun. It’s a game that knows exactly what it is: colorful, chaotic, and charmingly simple. Think Micro Machines meets Mario Kart, minus the shells but with all the joy.
Why It’s Worth Playing: Whether you’re racing solo or with friends, Barro F22 is perfect for quick bursts of fun or laid-back gaming sessions. It’s a low-commitment, high-reward kind of experience—ideal for winding down after a long day or introducing younger players to racing games.
Redout 2
- Release Date: June 16, 2022
- Developer: 34BigThings
Redout 2 puts you in the cockpit of futuristic ships as you race across a variety of stunning and challenging tracks. The game emphasizes high-speed racing, demanding precise control and quick reflexes to navigate tight turns and avoid obstacles at incredible velocities. It features a deep career mode, online multiplayer, and a robust track editor.
Why It’s Worth Playing: Its intense gameplay, challenging tracks, and stunning visuals create a truly exhilarating experience. If you crave the adrenaline rush of high-speed futuristic racing, Redout 2 is a must-play.
Inertial Drift
- Release Date: Sep 11, 2020
- Developer: Level 91 Entertainment
Inertial Drift is a stylish arcade racing game that introduces a unique twin-stick control scheme for drifting. You control the car’s steering and drifting independently with the two analog sticks, allowing for a level of control and precision rarely seen in racing games. The game features a variety of stylish cars and tracks, each designed to challenge your drifting skills.
Why It’s Worth Playing: While the innovative twin-stick drifting mechanic takes time to master, it provides an incredibly satisfying sense of control. The game’s stylish visuals and catchy soundtrack complement the unique gameplay, creating a memorable and addictive experience.
GRIP: Combat Racing
- Release Date: November 6, 2018
- Developer: Caged Element Inc.
GRIP: Combat Racing is a high-octane, futuristic combat racing game where you pilot gravity-defying vehicles capable of driving on walls and ceilings. You pilot futuristic vehicles equipped with powerful weapons and the ability to flip and drive on any surface.
Why It’s Worth Playing: The game features a sleek and futuristic visual style, along the combination of high-speed racing and weapon-based combat creates intense and chaotic gameplay that’s a blast to play, especially with friends.
Wreckfest
- Release Date: November 6, 2018
- Developer: Caged Element Inc.
Developed by the creators of the FlatOut series, Wreckfest is a high-octane demolition derby and racing game that emphasizes realistic physics and exhilarating crashes. You’ll participate in races where the goal is to cross the finish line first, but you’ll also be encouraged to ram and wreck your opponents.
Why It’s Worth Playing: With its blend of traditional racing with demolition derby elements, Wreckfest offers a unique and engaging gameplay experience that’s unlike anything else. If you enjoy the thrill of destruction and the satisfaction of a well-executed crash, Wreckfest is a must-play.
Victory Heat Rally
- Release Date: October 3, 2024
- Developer: Skydevilpalm
Victory Heat Rally is a retro-inspired rally racing game that puts you behind the wheel of classic rally cars as you navigate challenging and varied stages across different environments. Its gameplay emphasizes drifting and maintaining speed through tight corners and tricky terrain.
Why It’s Worth Playing: If you’re a fan of retro arcade racing and enjoy the thrill of rally driving, Victory Heat Rally is a great choice. Its fast-paced gameplay, challenging tracks, and satisfying drifting mechanics provide a fun and engaging experience.
BallisticNG
- Release Date: Dec 14, 2018
- Developer: Neognosis
BallisticNG is a fast-paced anti-gravity racing game inspired by classic titles like Wipeout and F-Zero. You pilot futuristic ships through twisting and challenging tracks, utilizing boosts and precise maneuvering to gain an edge over your opponents. The game emphasizes speed and skillful handling, requiring players to master the unique physics of anti-gravity racing.
Why It’s Worth Playing: If you’re a fan of futuristic racing games and crave high-speed action, BallisticNG is a fantastic choice. Its sense of speed, visual effects, and vibrant track designs capture the spirit of classic anti-gravity racers with modern polish.
Touge Shakai
- Release Date: Jan 8, 2023
- Developer: Raiyon Studios Pte Ltd
If your dream racing scenario involves moonlit mountain passes, tight hairpin turns, and the sound of tires carving into asphalt, Touge Shakai is calling your name. This indie gem throws you headfirst into the heart of touge racing—Japan’s legendary mountain roads known for their intensity, intimacy, and drifting culture.
Why It’s Worth Playing: Built around precision and control, Touge Shakai ditches the fluff and focuses on the pure thrill of mastering the drive. It’s not about flashy gimmicks—it’s about the feel of the road beneath you, the challenge of nailing a corner at just the right angle, and the reward of linking perfect drifts under a starlit sky.
Aero GPX
- Release Date: Aug 6, 2024
- Developer: Aaron McDevitt
Aero GPX isn’t just a racing game—it’s an adrenaline-spiked love letter to F-Zero fans who’ve been starving for something that burns rubber on the edge of reality. Still in Early Access, this anti-gravity beast already delivers white-knuckle velocity, sleek hovercraft designs, and a pulse-pounding soundtrack that sounds like it was forged in the future.
Why It’s Worth Playing: You don’t race in Aero GPX—you survive. The tracks are winding, weaponized gauntlets that demand insane reflexes, and every opponent is more missile than man. Oh, and did we mention the combat? Machine-to-machine duels at 1,000 km/h? Yeah, it’s that kind of ride.
Zeepkist
- Release Date: Jan 28, 2021
- Developer: Steelpan Interactive
Zeepkist is a physics-based racing game with a strong emphasis on user-generated content and chaotic fun. It features a unique physics-based driving model that leads to unpredictable and often hilarious moments. Players can not only race on a variety of pre-built tracks but also create their own wild and wacky courses using an intuitive track editor.
Why It’s Worth Playing: If you enjoy games with a strong element of creativity and physics-based fun, Zeepkist is a must-play. The ability to build and share your own tracks adds endless replayability, and the unpredictable nature of the physics leads to many memorable racing moments.
Parking Garage Rally Circuit
- Release Date: Sep 20, 2024
- Developer: Walaber Entertainment LLC
Parking Garage Rally Circuit delivers a unique and challenging racing experience by setting rally-style races within the confines of a multi-story parking garage. It features a variety of cars, each with its own handling characteristics, and a series of increasingly complex tracks within a parking garage environment.
Why It’s Worth Playing: If you’re looking for a racing game that offers a great experience, Parking Garage Rally Circuit is worth checking out. The unusual setting and tight track designs are suitable for gamers looking for a unique and unusual racing experience.
Retrowave
- Release Date: May 6, 2022
- Developer: RewindApp
Retrowave is a fast-paced arcade racer inspired by the vibrant aesthetics and synth-wave music of the 1980s. It features a variety of tracks with neon-drenched environments, complex courses, and a focus on high-speed drifting.
Why It’s Worth Playing: If you’re a fan of 80s aesthetics, synthwave music, and arcade racing, Retrowave is a must-play. Its vibrant visuals, pumping soundtrack, and fast-paced gameplay create an exhilarating experience.
Super Woden GP 2
- Release Date: November 10, 2023
- Developer: ViJuDa
Super Woden GP 2 is a top-down arcade racing game that pays homage to the racing games of the past. It provides a nostalgic experience with modern gameplay mechanics, emphasizing precise cornering and strategic racing.
Why It’s Worth Playing: If you enjoy classic arcade racing with a top-down perspective, Super Woden GP 2 is a fantastic choice. Its accessible controls and extensive car selection provide a fun and engaging racing experience that captures the spirit of retro gaming.
Conclusion
We’ve crossed the finish line of our exhilarating drive through the vibrant world of indie racing games on Steam! By supporting these talented developers, you’re helping to fuel the future of innovation and creativity in gaming. Who knows, maybe your next favorite racing obsession is just a click away!
Now it’s your turn! What are your favorite indie racing games on Steam that we might have missed? Share your recommendations and thoughts in the comments below – we’d love to hear what you’re passionate about and discover even more hidden gems within this exciting genre.
