'Slow Roads' Is a Blissful Driving Game Right in Your Browser Window

I have always believed in the healing power of driving, and that extends to driving simulations. Unfortunately, video games are more expensive today than they’ve ever been, and even after you’ve paid the $70, it’s not uncommon to be repeatedly accosted by microtransactions intended to fleece you for yet more money. Also, plenty of them are launching broken. It’s just not a wonderful time for the medium right now. That’s why discovering Slow Roads this week has been so refreshing.

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In case you missed it:

Slow Roads is a free driving game developed by an individual named Anslo that first came on the scene last October. However, “game” may not be the most appropriate descriptor. See, there’s no real challenge or objective in Slow Roads — it’s really just a minimalist space for you to drive through, like Art of Rally only far less demanding. It’s free as well, and runs in a desktop browser window. Your PC doesn’t need a ton of horsepower to play it; a low-power notebook should even do the trick, so long as you turn the graphics settings down.

A controller isn’t necessary, either. Slow Roads can be experienced with your keyboard and mouse, if that’s all you have. Hell — if you’d rather enjoy the sights, you can leave the driving to the computer and sit back and relax.

This is how a spring cruise looks in Slow Roads.Screenshot: anslo.dev

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Slow Roads’ most unique characteristic is its world. The road and surrounding environment is all procedurally generated, as Anslo’s behind-the-scenes blog explains. Your mileage may vary on this, but speaking from my own experience, procedurally generated worlds have a habit of ending up rather bland and repetitive. Some prominent racing developers have attempted them in the past — Polyphony Digital with the PS3 Gran Turismo entries and Codemasters with Dirt 4 — and in both cases, the execution resulted in courses that were thoroughly un-engaging and occasionally glitchy (in GT’s case), that got old real fast. Which is ironic, because variety and unpredictability are the very reasons procedural generation is typically favored in the first place.

Anslo’s solution, by contrast, keeps things fresh, with paths naturally draped over hills and valleys and stunning environmental features like lakes and forests to ensure no two sections look alike. What’s more, the player can change time-of-day and even the season in real time, either though the on-screen menu or by thumbing left or right on the D-pad of a controller. That’s how I created the GIF at the top of this post, and it’s quite remarkable to have that power at your disposal on the fly.

As for the driving itself, the handling is very easy for newcomers but also responsive, physical and rewarding for fans of old-school arcade racers. The closest point of comparison in terms of feel on a pad would probably be Grand Theft Auto. You can also choose to drive a motorcycle or tour bus and — get this — change the drive wheels, power level and grip factor for the tires, to customize the experience to your liking and even explore some of the differences in behavior between front-, rear- and all-wheel-drive cars. 

The menu at right shows some of the settings you can tweak. Ever wanted to be at the helm of a rear-wheel-drive super bus with an emergency brake that locks the rear axle for easy drifting? Slow Roads makes it possible!Image: anslo.dev

Slow Roads is very much still in development, though particular aspects of its rather limited nature are in fact very much by design. All three vehicles in the game are electric, and Anslo says they will remain as such because EVs fit the theme of the game, which is to have a leisurely, peaceful drive:

EVs work well in this context for a few reasons: they’re quieter and more peaceful; they’re simpler and more intuitive to gamify (no gears or RPM concerns); the physics and audio is easier to code; and they’re the future – combustion engines are quickly becoming old fashioned. That said, I’m open to adding more vehicle types, including manual transmission, in future.

Also, just try turning around in Slow Roads. I dare you. Remember, the landscape ahead is procedurally generated. That means chunks of the environment behind you are deleted from memory to free up resources for what’s next. Backtrack too far and there won’t be a road to drive on — though the game won’t stop you. Rather, it’ll just jettison you into the sky like Rainbow Studios used to do in ATV Offroad Fury to keep you from venturing off the map.

That “Wrong Way” icon is less a suggestion, more a warning.Gif: Anslo

I’ve really enjoyed my time with Slow Roads thus far, and I’m excited to watch it develop. In fact, I’ve enjoyed it so much, it may have delayed me writing this piece. This is a serious time sink — you’ve been warned.