Racing games are some of the most popular games on the internet, and you do not need a console or an expensive PC to enjoy them. Every game on this list runs in your browser on a phone, tablet or computer, with nothing to download. We have played them all, and below you will find what each one is like, who it suits, and a few tips to help you win.
The list covers very different kinds of driving: proper races against rivals, endless traffic dodging, physics challenges where balance matters more than speed, demolition derbies and precise parking. If one style does not click with you, try another.
Quick picks
| If you want... | Play |
|---|---|
| A classic race against rivals | Turbo Kart Clash |
| Speed and near misses in traffic | Highway Rider or Highway Rush 3D |
| Last car standing | Hex Car Royale or Smash Derby Arena |
| Physics and balance | Hill Rider, Crazy Truck Climb, Stunt Bike Blitz |
| One-touch timing | Zigzag Drift Master |
| A chase | Cop Chase Escape |
| Precision and patience | Night Parking Master |
| Free-roam stunts | Turbo Stunt Park |
The best free racing games
1 Turbo Kart Clash
Turbo Kart ClashTurbo Kart Clash is a fast and funny 3D kart racing game packed with quirky characters, colorful tracks and chaotic p... Play free
If you grew up on kart racers, this is the one to start with. You choose a racer from a big roster of quirky characters, pick a track and line up against five rivals for three laps. Item boxes on the track give you power-ups such as rockets, mines, speed boosts and the flaming skull, so a race is never decided until the finish line.
Tips: learn the racing line first, because a clean corner is worth more than any power-up. Hold defensive items such as mines when you are in the lead and drop them on the racing line behind you, and save speed boosts for long straights or for recovering after a hit.
2 Highway Rider
Highway RiderHighway Rider puts you on a motorbike and sends you down a busy highway packed with traffic. Cars, buses and trucks f... Play free
Highway Rider puts you on a motorbike on a busy highway full of cars, buses and trucks. You score by riding fast and squeezing past vehicles at close range for near misses, and you can pull a wheelie for extra style. There are three modes: One Way, where all traffic moves in your direction; Two Way, where you can face oncoming vehicles for bigger rewards; and Time Attack. Your earnings unlock faster bikes and upgrades.
Tips: start in One Way mode until you know how the bike handles. Near misses are worth chasing, but only on vehicles you can see clearly; trucks hide whatever is in front of them. Brake briefly when two lanes close at once rather than trying to thread an impossible gap.
3 Hex Car Royale
Hex Car RoyaleHex Car Royale is a survival driving game set on an arena made of hexagon tiles. The twist is that the floor does not... Play free
Several cars drive around an arena made of hexagon tiles, and every tile a car drives over starts to fall away. The last car still on the floor wins. Your car accelerates on its own, so you only steer, and you can jump over gaps, with a second jump in the air carrying you further. It is one of the most played games on our site, and it is easy to see why: rounds are short, chaotic and very funny.
Tips: tiles change colour before they fall, so always aim for untouched areas. Drive in wide loops around the edge early on, to keep the centre intact for later. Save your double jump for emergencies, and ram rivals towards holes when they are near an edge.
4 Highway Rush 3D
Highway Rush 3DHighway Rush 3D is an endless 3D traffic racing game where speed and nerve go hand in hand. You drive down a long hig... Play free
This is the car version of high-speed traffic dodging. Hold the gas, switch lanes to overtake and try to go as far as possible without crashing, because one hit ends the run. Near misses earn bonus points and staying above 100 km/h adds to your score, which turns into cash for new cars and upgrades. You can choose Sunny, Night or Rainy stages.
Tips: upgrade brakes and handling before top speed, because control keeps runs alive. Overtake in the lane with the most space ahead, not the nearest empty lane. The Night and Rainy stages look great but reduce visibility, so learn the game in Sunny first.
5 Smash Derby Arena
Smash Derby ArenaSmash Derby Arena is a 3D demolition derby game where the goal is wonderfully simple: be the last car still running. ... Play free
Forget winning a race: in Smash Derby Arena the aim is to be the last car still running. You drive into a dirt arena packed with rival cars and smash into them until they are wrecked, while keeping an eye on your own health bar. A career mode adds events, money and garage upgrades.
Tips: side hits do more damage to rivals and less to you than head-on crashes. Let rivals damage each other at the start, then pick off the weakest. When your health is low, keep moving, because a stationary car is an easy target.
6 Hill Rider
Hill RiderHill Rider is a physics bike game where the goal is to ride as far as you can over bumpy hills without running out of... Play free
Hill Rider is about distance, not speed. You ride over bumpy hills, collecting fuel cans before your tank runs dry, with 10 bikes and 6 maps that range from a quiet forest to an erupting volcano. In the air, the gas and brake buttons tilt the bike, so every jump is a balancing act. Coins buy upgrades for the engine, tyres and fuel tank.
Tips: fuel is the real limit, so upgrade the fuel tank early. Ease off the gas at the top of a hill to avoid flying too high, and tilt so the back wheel lands first. Power-ups such as the magnet and shield make long runs much easier.
7 Crazy Truck Climb
Crazy Truck ClimbCrazy Truck Climb is a physics driving game full of bumpy tracks and silly vehicles. Each level is a short obstacle c... Play free
A wobbly truck, short block-built courses, shaky bridges, steep hills, ramps and water. You can only go forward or backward, so the throttle is your tool for balance. Reach the checkered flag without flipping or falling in to clear each level.
Tips: build speed before ramps, then ease off before landing so the wheels touch down first. Use reverse as a brake to stop the truck tipping forwards on steep descents. On wobbly bridges, a steady medium speed is safer than racing across.
8 Stunt Bike Blitz
Stunt Bike BlitzStunt Bike Blitz is a fast motocross stunt game where you ride a dirt bike across wild obstacle tracks. Every level i... Play free
A fast motocross game across tracks packed with ramps, loops, spinning blades, explosive barrels and spikes. Lean back and forward to control the bike's angle on the ground and in the air, do flips to finish faster, and land on both wheels to avoid crashing. Checkpoints mean you only lose a little progress when you fall.
Tips: the best times come from smooth riding, not constant flips. Try a level slowly first to learn where the traps are, then speed up. If you are about to land nose-first, lean back early rather than at the last moment.
9 Zigzag Drift Master
Zigzag Drift MasterZigzag Drift Master is a simple one-touch driving game with a big focus on timing. Your car races along a narrow road... Play free
Your car races along a narrow road high above the ground that twists from side to side. Hold to turn, release to drive straight. That is the whole game, and it is all about rhythm: turn too early and you slide off the inside edge, too late and you fly past the corner.
Tips: watch the corner ahead, not your car. Start each turn slightly before the bend, because the car drifts a little before it changes direction. Coins can wait; staying on the road is what increases your score.
10 Cop Chase Escape
Cop Chase EscapeCop Chase Escape is a fast top-down getaway game set in a blocky 3D city. You start outside the bank in a red getaway... Play free
You start outside a bank in a red getaway car with the police on your tail. The car drives forward by itself, and you steer and drift through a blocky city while avoiding police cars, buses and roadblocks. The longer you survive, the higher your wanted level, with more police and eventually a helicopter.
Tips: lead police cars into buildings and into each other. Avoid narrow dead ends where you can be boxed in. Open roads give you room to drift around pursuers.
11 Turbo Stunt Park
Turbo Stunt ParkTurbo Stunt Park is a free-roam 3D car game set in a big, colourful stunt park. There is no fixed track to follow, so... Play free
A relaxed sandbox in a big, colourful stunt park. There is no fixed track: hit ramps at full speed, fly through giant arches and collect stars and wrenches to unlock and customise cars. Timed races are there when you want a challenge, and a split-screen 2P mode lets a friend join on the same computer.
Tips: explore the whole park early to find the biggest ramps and hidden stars. For maximum air time, hit ramps straight on at full speed. Use the 2P mode for informal races to a landmark of your choice.
12 Night Parking Master
Night Parking MasterNight Parking Master is a top-down car parking game set in a quiet city after dark. Your job sounds simple: drive you... Play free
The calmest game on the list and, for many players, the most satisfying. Drive a sports car through a dark car park into a glowing bay without touching anything: one scrape ends the attempt. Levels range from straight-in bays to angled spaces, zigzag barriers and parallel parks. Our full guide, Night Parking Master: 10 Tips to Park Perfectly, covers every technique.
How to get better at any racing game
Whatever you play, the same skills make the biggest difference. Racing drivers spend years on them, but even a few minutes of focus will improve your times.
- Look further ahead. Beginners watch their car; good players watch the road two or three seconds ahead. You react earlier and more smoothly.
- Brake before the corner, not in it. Slow down while the car is straight, then accelerate gently as you come out of the bend.
- Use the whole road. The fastest line through a corner usually starts on the outside, cuts to the inside at the middle of the bend (the apex) and drifts back to the outside on the exit.
- Make small inputs. Big, sudden steering movements upset the car. Short taps on a keyboard work better than holding a key down.
- Upgrade control before speed. In games with garages, better brakes, tyres and handling usually help more than a higher top speed.
- Learn one track or mode at a time. Repetition builds the muscle memory that turns a good lap into a great one.
Keyboard, touch or controller?
All the games here work with a keyboard and on touch screens. On a computer, arrow keys or WASD are standard, and many games use Space for jumps, power-ups or the handbrake. On phones, play in landscape and full screen so the buttons are larger and your thumbs do not cover the road. If you have an Xbox or PlayStation controller, connect it to your computer and press a button after the game loads: games that support controllers feel especially good with analogue steering.
Why browser racing games are worth your time
Big console racers such as Forza Horizon and Gran Turismo are brilliant, but they need expensive hardware, huge downloads and long sessions. Browser racing games are the opposite: they start in seconds, run on almost any device and are perfect for a five-minute break. Many of them borrow ideas from famous arcade racers, from traffic dodging to kart power-ups. If you are curious about where those ideas came from, read our short history of arcade games.
Find even more in our Racing & Driving and Driving categories. If a game does not load properly on your device, our quick fix guide will help.