While PolyTrack offers a unique blend of minimalist design and precision racing that's hard to match, there are several other excellent racing games that capture similar magic. Whether you're looking for more content while waiting for the next PolyTrack update or simply want to expand your racing game library, we've compiled a list of 8 fantastic alternatives that share PolyTrack's DNA in different ways.
Each game on this list shares at least one key element with PolyTrack—be it the low-poly aesthetic, focus on time trials, intricate track design, or satisfying driving physics. Let's explore these alternatives and what makes them special!
1. Art of Rally
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Art of Rally captures the spirit of PolyTrack through its stylized, minimalist aesthetic while focusing on a different racing discipline. Instead of circuit racing, Art of Rally celebrates the golden era of rally driving from an isometric perspective.
Why PolyTrack fans will love it:
- Aesthetic Excellence: Like PolyTrack, Art of Rally features a stunning minimalist design with vibrant colors and simplified environments that prioritize visual clarity.
- Precision Driving: The handling model is accessible yet deep, rewarding practice and mastery similar to PolyTrack's learning curve.
- Time Trial Focus: While there is AI competition, the heart of the game is setting personal bests and climbing leaderboards—a familiar joy for PolyTrack enthusiasts.
- Atmosphere: The soothing soundtrack and meditative driving experience create a similar flow state to PolyTrack's "zone" feeling.
Art of Rally expands beyond PolyTrack with historical rally cars (thinly disguised for licensing reasons), diverse environments from Finland to Japan, and a career mode. If you appreciate PolyTrack's visual style but want more varied environments and the challenge of loose-surface driving, Art of Rally is an essential purchase.
2. Trackmania
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Trackmania is perhaps the closest spiritual relative to PolyTrack in the mainstream racing game world. This long-running series focuses entirely on time trials across increasingly outlandish tracks with precise, arcade-style physics.
Why PolyTrack fans will love it:
- Pure Time Trial Racing: Like PolyTrack, the core gameplay loop is setting faster times and climbing leaderboards.
- Consistent Physics: The car handling is unrealistic but internally consistent and predictable, allowing for the same type of mastery curve as PolyTrack.
- Track Editor: If you enjoy PolyTrack's track creation tools, Trackmania's editor takes this concept to new heights with an enormous variety of track pieces and decorations.
- Community Focus: A vibrant community creates and shares tracks, similar to PolyTrack's growing user-generated content scene.
Trackmania is more visually complex than PolyTrack and leans harder into impossible track designs with loops, wall rides, and massive jumps. If you enjoy PolyTrack's time trial purity but want more spectacle and variety, Trackmania offers thousands of hours of content through its official and community-created tracks.
3. Absolute Drift
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Mobile
Created by the same developers as Art of Rally, Absolute Drift takes minimalism even further with a stark red, white, and black color palette. As the name suggests, it's entirely focused on the art of drifting.
Why PolyTrack fans will love it:
- Ultimate Minimalism: Even more stripped-back than PolyTrack, the visual design is distilled to its purest form.
- Skill Mastery: Like perfecting your racing line in PolyTrack, mastering the perfect drift requires practice, precision, and patience.
- Flow State: When you chain together perfect drifts, the game creates the same satisfying flow state as nailing a perfect sector in PolyTrack.
- Clean UI: Information is presented clearly and minimally, similar to PolyTrack's unobtrusive interface.
Absolute Drift is more specialized than PolyTrack, focusing exclusively on drifting technique rather than general racing. However, if you enjoy the meditative aspect of practicing and perfecting your skills in PolyTrack, Absolute Drift offers a different but equally satisfying challenge.
4. Distance
Platforms: PC, PlayStation
Distance takes the concept of time trial racing and adds a sci-fi survival element. Your futuristic vehicle can jump, fly, and even drive on walls and ceilings as you navigate through deadly obstacle courses.
Why PolyTrack fans will love it:
- Precision Controls: Despite the additional mechanics, the car handles with the same precise responsiveness as PolyTrack.
- Visual Clarity: The neon aesthetic against dark backgrounds creates excellent visual contrast, making obstacles clear—a different approach to PolyTrack's clarity through simplification.
- Level Editor: Like PolyTrack, user-generated content extends the game's lifespan significantly.
- Split-Second Decisions: The quick reaction requirements match the intensity of pushing for perfect laps in PolyTrack.
Distance is more action-packed than PolyTrack, with deadly lasers, sawblades, and other hazards to avoid. If you enjoy PolyTrack's precision but want more adrenaline-fueled challenges and a striking neon aesthetic, Distance offers a unique twist on the time trial formula.
5. Inertial Drift
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Inertial Drift's unique twin-stick control scheme—where the left stick steers and the right stick controls your drift—creates a wholly original racing experience with an anime-inspired visual style.
Why PolyTrack fans will love it:
- Novel Control Scheme: Like learning PolyTrack for the first time, mastering Inertial Drift's controls provides a fresh challenge that feels immensely satisfying when it clicks.
- Distinct Visual Style: The cel-shaded, anime-inspired look is different from PolyTrack's low-poly aesthetic but shares its commitment to a cohesive visual identity.
- Track Mastery: Learning each track's ideal drift lines provides the same satisfaction as optimizing racing lines in PolyTrack.
- Quick Restarts: When you make a mistake, getting back into the action is instant—crucial for the practice-makes-perfect philosophy both games share.
Inertial Drift has a stronger narrative component than PolyTrack through its story mode, but the core appeal remains the unique driving model. If you enjoy learning new racing mechanics and the satisfaction of mastering unusual controls, Inertial Drift offers one of the most innovative driving experiences in recent years.
6. Horizon Chase Turbo
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Mobile
While PolyTrack looks forward with its modern minimalism, Horizon Chase Turbo looks backward, drawing inspiration from classic arcade racers of the late 80s and early 90s like OutRun and Top Gear.
Why PolyTrack fans will love it:
- Vibrant Aesthetics: The colorful, stylized visuals prioritize clarity and distinctive style over realism, similar to PolyTrack's design philosophy.
- Accessible Controls: Easy to pick up but difficult to master, the handling model shares PolyTrack's approachable depth.
- Focus on Speed: The sense of velocity and flow matches PolyTrack's exhilarating pace.
- Local Multiplayer: Where PolyTrack excels in asynchronous competition via leaderboards, Horizon Chase Turbo shines with its split-screen multiplayer for up to 4 players.
Horizon Chase Turbo differs from PolyTrack with its focus on position-based racing against AI opponents rather than pure time trials. However, if you appreciate PolyTrack's clean design and accessible gameplay, Horizon Chase Turbo offers a nostalgic yet modern take on arcade racing.
7. GRIP: Combat Racing
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
GRIP takes inspiration from the classic Rollcage games, featuring vehicles that can drive on any surface—walls, ceilings, and everything in between—at breathtaking speeds.
Why PolyTrack fans will love it:
- Unique Racing Lines: Like finding the optimal path in PolyTrack, GRIP challenges you to discover racing lines across all surfaces of the track.
- Physics-Based Gameplay: Although more chaotic than PolyTrack, there's a similar emphasis on understanding and mastering the game's physics.
- Speed and Precision: The incredible velocity requires the same quick reactions and precision that make PolyTrack so engaging.
- Track Variety: The diverse environments provide fresh challenges, similar to how PolyTrack's different tracks test various skills.
GRIP adds combat elements with weapons and power-ups, making it more chaotic than PolyTrack's pure racing experience. However, if you enjoy the technical challenge of PolyTrack but want more anarchic fun and the mind-bending experience of racing on all surfaces, GRIP offers high-octane thrills.
8. Redout
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Redout is a lightning-fast anti-gravity racer in the tradition of Wipeout and F-Zero, featuring futuristic hoverships racing on twisting, roller-coaster-like tracks.
Why PolyTrack fans will love it:
- Pure Speed: The velocity in Redout creates the same rush of adrenaline as PolyTrack's most intense moments.
- Control Depth: The addition of a pitch control mechanism adds a layer of mastery similar to perfecting braking points in PolyTrack.
- Visual Design: While more detailed than PolyTrack, the clean futuristic aesthetic and excellent use of color create a similarly striking visual experience.
- Perfect Lap Pursuit: The satisfaction of shaving tenths of a second off your best time matches PolyTrack's core satisfaction loop.
Redout is faster and more futuristic than PolyTrack, with additional systems like team management in career mode. However, the core focus on mastering tracks and setting best times will feel familiar to PolyTrack enthusiasts looking for a different flavor of racing game.
Honorable Mentions
These games didn't quite make our top 8 but offer experiences that might appeal to PolyTrack fans:
- Hotshot Racing - A low-poly arcade racer with a distinctly retro aesthetic
- FutureGrind - Not quite a racing game, but shares PolyTrack's focus on precision and mastery
- Trailblazers - Combines racing with a unique paint mechanic for boosting
- FAST RMX - Nintendo Switch exclusive anti-gravity racer with color-switching mechanics
Finding Your Next Racing Fix
While no game perfectly replicates the specific magic of PolyTrack, each alternative on this list captures different aspects of what makes PolyTrack special. Whether you're drawn to PolyTrack for its visual style, precise controls, time trial focus, or track design, there's something here that will scratch that same itch.
Many of these games frequently go on sale, making it affordable to build a collection of racing games that complement your PolyTrack experience. Additionally, several are available on subscription services like Xbox Game Pass, allowing you to try them with minimal investment.
The beautiful thing about the modern indie racing game scene is the diversity of experiences available. Each developer brings their unique vision and mechanics to the genre, resulting in games that feel distinct while sharing core DNA.
Which game you'll connect with depends on what aspects of PolyTrack resonate most with you—whether that's the clean visuals, the precision driving, the leaderboard competition, or the thrill of mastering new tracks.
So the next time you're looking for a change of pace from PolyTrack, give one of these alternatives a try. You might just discover your next racing obsession!
