Trust Me, It's a Shortcut
A co-op, competitive online driving game for 1–4 friends, inspired by the Top Gear specials. You get a brief: where to go and under what conditions. The destination is clear. The route isn't.
What it's about
- 🧭
Clear goal, unclear path
The destination is always on the map. The route never is. No GPS line, just a paper map, a compass and road signs.
- 🤜
Friends, but rivals
The team only wins together, but everyone has their own ranking. And helping someone always costs you something.
- 🔧
Everything breaks
Bumpers fall off, doors fly away, wheels wobble. Duct tape is a repair. A temporary one, but a repair.
- 🎬
The producers are watching
“No braking for the next 10 km.” “Take this kayak to the finish.” The rules change while you drive.
How it plays
Pull them out of the mud, or drive on?
Every run is split into stages. You pick your route from the map, take on tasks along the way and collect rewards: spare parts, off-road tyres, hints, fuel.
If you get stuck, you can call for help. The others decide whether to tow you out on a rope or drive on for a better finish. Lose your car completely and you're not out: you jump in with a friend as the navigator holding the map.
The world is built from real map data, so Botswana in the game actually looks like Botswana. Just with more broken cars.
After every stage
Awards (and anti-awards)
- 🏆 Duct Tape Heromost repairs
- 🏆 Least Car Leftarrived with the least car
- 🏆 Lone Wolfignored the most calls for help
- 🏆 Most Lostmost distance off the ideal route
- 🏆 Backseat Drivermost map markers as a passenger
- 🏆 Taxi Drivercarried passengers the longest
Facts
- Players
- 1–4, online
- Platform
- PC (Steam)
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- First stage
- Botswana: Maun → Delta Lodge
- Status
- in development, network prototype
Want to know when it's playable?
When the Steam page goes up, it'll show up here first. Until then, feel free to drop me a line.