2025 is proving to be a pretty special year for racing games. We've had some new Early Access bangers in the form of Tokyo Xtreme Racer, Assetto Corsa Evo and Wreckfest 2. Le Mans Ultimate is set to release in full form very soon, and Project Motor Racing has piqued our nostalgia for early '00s GT.
That’s ignoring all the great existing current stuff, like Gran Turismo 7, Forza Horizon 5, the ever-present iRacing… so on and so forth. Yet, they all have one thing in common – they’re going to cost you money.
What if you want something free to play, though? Well, there are some pretty fun options out there, ranging from arcade-focused stuff to more serious sim racers, and a few left-field games out there, too. We’ve picked out 10 you should try.
Rennsport screenshot
Looking for a hardcore simulator to play for free? Well, Rennsport could tick that box.
This rival to Assetto Corsa Competizione and rFactor is free to play at the point of entry and has a strong focus on competitive multiplayer. GT cars are pretty much the bread and butter of the title, although other classes like TCR and even the Porsche Mission X are available.
Word of warning, though. The game is monetised through paid-for DLC – so while it’s free to play, you will have to spend money to get the most out of it. Initial reviews aren't... amazing, with critiques of its PC performance, but we'd recommend giving it a go yourself.
Get Rennsport here
Mobile racing games can often be one-dimensional, usually with side-scrolling button tapping or strategy games masquerading as a racing game. However, CarX Drift Racing 2 is a bonafide drifting simulator and quite a good one at that.
Cars aren’t licenced (though it doesn’t take an expert to tell what they’re mimicking) but the handling is convincing. There’s a paid-for console and PC version too, though the mobile take isn’t that far from as polished - and supports Bluetooth controllers.
The game is also continuously supported with waves of new content, including fresh cars and tracks. You can put it down for a while and return to a fresh wave of stuff to play, which is a nice delight.
Get CarX Drift Racing 2 on Google Play or the App Store
Trackmania has a special place in our hearts. The old-school among us may remember Nations Forever as the go-to, free-to-play choice for an arcadey time trial fix.
Well, reminisce no longer, as the newest Trackmania is essentially a remastered and upgraded version of our beloved. It captures the spirit of the original, but with better graphics and more platforms to play on (as well as PC, it’s on Xbox and PlayStation).
Get Trackmania here
RaceRoom is free to play at the point of entry, though we’ll say it now you’ll have to pay for access to the vast majority of content. That said, as a way to dip your toes into sim racing without committing any money to it, it’s a good place to start - with excellent driving physics and year-round competitive multiplayer events. Think of it as a bit like iRacing without the subscription cost.
Get RaceRoom Racing Experience here.
The best driving games sometimes don’t involve driving at all. If you’ve ever played a game of Top Trumps and enjoyed it, then Top Drives is likely up your street. Better still, you only need a reasonably modern smartphone to play it too.
Effectively, you build a hand of cars as you would cards, and go head-to-head to out-stat your opponent. Rather than simply relying on the numbers to win though, you do get to watch the action play out in an animated top-down view.
All the cars in the game are licensed and range from everyday commuter appliances to exotic supercars. There’s even a Skoda 422 buried in there, somewhere.
Get Hutch Top Drives on Google Play Store and the App Store.
With nine off-road trails to compete on and five cars that you can choose from, Extreme Off-Road Cars 2 presents a true test of your technical driving abilities and invokes creative manoeuvres.
It’s played directly from your browser, so you can pretend you're working on Teams while quietly playing. From there, feel free to begin your ascent to the summit of a set of very questionable hills.
Play Extreme Off-Road Cars 2 here.
Fortnite Rocket Racing
Fortnite has changed a lot since you last played it. Once a zombie survival game-turned-battle royale microtransaction wallet ransack fest, the ‘game’ is now effectively a platform on which others are built. The microtransactions remain, mind you.
Among its abundance of modes is Rocket Racing, developed by Psyonix, the brains behind Rocket League. Mash the mechanics of the car football title combined with a Mario Kart-style racer and you’re in the right ballpark. It’s good fun and better still, if you’re a Rokt Leeg regular, you can carry a tonne of cosmetics between both games.
It's worth noting that themed updates for the game have been stopped by Epic though, so don't expect any new tracks to be added. Its content sharing with Rocket League means more cars should continue to arrive, however.
Asphalt games have been consistently among the best mobile racers out there, and Asphalt Legends Unite continues that trend. An updated version of Asphalt 9, the refreshed arcade-focused racer is a bit like a mix of Outrun mixed with Need For Speed, offering very drift-heavy racing and a variety of licenced and customisable cars.
It’s free-to-play on mobile, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC - though does come with the caveat of microtransactions laced through. That said, you don’t have to spend a penny to have fun with it.
Get Asphalt Legends Unite here
Drag racing games are among the most common forms of mobile racers, but none do it better than CSR 2. It’s packed with real-world cars, a variety of permanent and limited-time challenges plus even competitive online multiplayer. The gameplay is simple - requiring you to time a launch and gear changes right - but very addictive too.
Get CSR 2 on Google Play or the App Store
Real Racing 3
If you’re looking for a taste of Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport on your mobile, Real Racing 3 is your best bet. Developed by EA, it’s a racer with a much heavier simulation focus than any mobile game has a right to be - plus the graphics are impressive too.
As well as using touchscreen controls, the game even supports Bluetooth controllers and the physics are convincing. It’s a fun and accessible way into simulation racing, and all for free. Despite being a pretty ancient title, it continues to get new content too - including licenced F1 cars.
Get Real Racing on Google Play or the App Store
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