Driving Games

Greed for Speed

Gotta go fast? If you feel the need for speed and crave the rush of a speeding car, then perhaps driving games would scratch that itch. They can ease that frustration you feel when you must stay within the speed limit on your commute, giving you the chance to put your foot down and show some real speed.

Keys in the Ignition

Driving games were some of the very first to hit the arcades—Atari, creators of the original arcade game Pong, also created the game Gran Trak 10, which was one of the very first of its kind to use an actual steering wheel for control. But did you know that racing games are over a century old? Our modern video games are based on old electro-mechanical racing games, the first of which, Yacht Racer, was manufactured in London in 1900. By the 1930s, there were mechanical driving games in British arcades, and these were the inspiration behind the 1941 electro-mechanical game Drive Mobile in the United States. It had an upright cabinet which later became standard for arcade games in the 1970s!

Racing games were some of the most popular arcade games out there. Here are a few examples of different ones:

A.B Cop – players played as Air Bike Cop, who had to chase down criminals before the allocated time ran out. It was the first arcade game to introduce an end-of-level boss to the racing genre.
APB, or All Points Bulletin – players had to drive around the city and arrest criminals. It was more complex than originally intended but was praised for its humor.
Fonz – an early motorbike racing game by Sega, based on the American sitcom Happy Days.
WEC Le Mans – released in 1986, Konami’s racing simulation attempted to simulate what it was like to drive a real car. However, it was known for being very difficult – if you even touched another car, you would spin out of control!
Death Race – players controlled a car, whose objective was to hit as many gremlins as possible and turn them into tombstones. However, some people raised concerns over how human the gremlins were, and the game was accused of encouraging violence.

It’s Go, Go, Go

Fast-forward 45 years and driving games are still one of the most popular genres when it comes to big home console releases, but the genre has also come into its own on the mobile and free-to-play market, too. Here is a little more about some of the most influential titles:

Grand Theft Auto, or GTA – this game is known for being chaotic and crime-filled. You play as a criminal and work your way up in the criminal underworld, stealing cars, running red lights and building up a collection of vehicles!
Gran Turismo – with its attention to detail and superior graphics, the Gran Turismo series is well-known for simulating the danger and thrills of driving in real life, but without the constraints of a speed limit. In the game, the driving experience is based on physics, and the sound effects are often taken from real-life cars!
Mario Kart – this well-known racer finds players going head-to-head with friends and family to win races, making use of various power-ups along the way, and was originally released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (or SNES) in 1992.

All of these titles are still very much alive and thriving, and, as a result, so is the genre of driving games!

No Car? No Problem!

It’s not always about four wheels though; some people just aren’t into cars. That’s no trouble here at GamePix! Luckily, we have a broad selection to cater to every kind of racer. The best thing about our driving games is that they don’t even need to involve cars! So, if you’re more of a motorbike fan, you’ll find games on GamePix where you can zip around on one at full throttle. Or, if you’re more of a mariner, some of our driving games feature speedboats, so you can live out your ultimate James Bond fantasy! We even have games that feature skateboards in our roster of titles – perfect for any aspiring Tony Hawk to refine their arsenal of smooth tricks and flips. And, if you fancy a more sedate driving experience, we have you covered there, too. So, whether you prefer two, four or no wheels, we’ve got titles here to suit you.

Your Personal Pit Crew

Here at GamePix we know that when it comes to driving games you want to get in on the action as quickly as possible. The power of our platform means that the driving games on GamePix can be played instantly on any browser and any device without needing to install anything—even Flash! All of our games are completely free to play—to get you on the road without having to jump through any virtual payment hoops—offering the ideal quick fix for all the drivers who are itching for speed. The best games are those that focus on high-octane arcade-style speed, and we have plenty to choose from, whether you want to race sports cars across the country or battle cartoon characters in a madcap kart race. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never picked up a steering wheel or if you’re a regular Richard Petty, you’ll be happy tearing up the tarmac and burning rubber on GamePix.

FAQs

Where can I play driving games?

Don’t be shy – come on over and play all your favorite driving games, right here on GamePix! We’ve got plenty of them to choose from, so there’ll be a driving game for everyone—whatever your preference may be! As long as you have a device with an internet connection you’ll be able to play any of our online driving games for free, for as long as you like, wherever you may be.

Are driving games real?

Some driving games are certainly based on real-life vehicles, and simulate real gravitational effects to make the game feel as realistic as possible! However, some other games make use of magical or nonreal elements, like the items in Mario Kart, for example. Ultimately, driving games are by no means a true reflection of what it’s like to drive a real car – but that escapism is why they’re so much fun!