Keep Driving is a delightful mix of a road trip simulator and a roguelike deck-building game set in the early 2000s. You play as a newly licensed driver heading to a music festival, but the journey is anything but straightforward. Along the way, you’ll manage gas, energy, and car durability while encountering a variety of unpredictable events, bizarre hitchhikers, and optional quests that shape your path.
With resource management, random events, and branching choices, Keep Driving feels like a perfect blend of strategy and storytelling. Each run is unique, and the choices you make — from what items to pack to which passengers to trust — can change the course of your journey. This game isn’t just about reaching the festival — it’s about the wild, unpredictable ride to get there.
🎮 Gameplay Overview: Where Strategy Meets the Open Road
Core Mechanics: Survival on Wheels
The foundation of Keep Driving revolves around balancing three key resources:
- Gas: Run out, and it’s game over.
- Energy: Fatigue makes your skills less effective and increases the chance of failure.
- Durability: Your car’s condition determines how long you can survive unexpected challenges.
You’ll need to balance these resources while making decisions that range from mundane (buying snacks at a gas station) to life-altering (picking up a hitchhiker who may or may not be trustworthy).
Deck-Building Combat: The Heart of Road Events
Road events play out like a card-based battle system where you use skills and items to mitigate threats that damage your car, deplete your energy, or drain your cash. Each skill or item card serves a purpose, and choosing the right one at the right time can mean the difference between smooth sailing and a roadside breakdown.
From negotiating with shady travelers to fixing your busted engine with duct tape, these events keep you engaged and force you to think ahead.
Hitchhiker Perks: Help or Hindrance?
Picking up passengers isn’t just about filling seats. Hitchhikers bring their own perks (or problems), such as repairing your car, providing energy boosts, or even giving access to rare items. However, picking the wrong passenger can lead to unexpected chaos — some may steal from you or trigger disastrous events that complicate your journey.
Customizable Car Upgrades: More Than Just Looks
Upgrading your car impacts more than aesthetics. Installing spoilers, reinforced bumpers, or suspension upgrades can improve gas efficiency, reduce damage, and give you an edge in road events. Choosing the right upgrades for your playstyle is key to surviving the journey.
Quest Variety: More Than Just a Straight Shot
The game includes a variety of optional side quests — from rescuing stranded travelers to delivering pizzas — that add complexity and fun to the experience. Completing these side quests can lead to alternate endings, bonuses, and unexpected rewards that keep the game feeling fresh.
✅ Roadside Wins: Why This Game Shines
Endless Replayability with Dynamic Events
Thanks to procedurally generated events and multiple endings, no two playthroughs feel the same. The randomness of road encounters keeps each journey unpredictable, while the various side quests and possible outcomes encourage experimentation.
Unique Blend of Genres
By blending a road trip simulation with roguelike deck-building mechanics, Keep Driving feels fresh and innovative. The strategy involved in managing resources, coupled with the randomness of card-based threats, creates a satisfying balance between control and chaos.
Strategic Depth in Decision-Making
Every decision matters. Whether it’s choosing which route to take, deciding which hitchhiker to pick up, or determining which car upgrades to prioritize, your choices ripple throughout the game. Poor planning or bad luck can derail your journey, making smart decision-making essential.
Charming Early 2000s Atmosphere
Set in the early 2000s, the game nails the nostalgic vibe, complete with mixtapes, flip phones, and quirky roadside diners. The soundtrack adds to the laid-back but sometimes tense atmosphere, immersing you in a bygone era.
❗️ Pit Stops and Potholes: What Holds It Back
Steep Learning Curve for New Players
The game offers little in the way of tutorials or hand-holding, which can be daunting for players unfamiliar with roguelike mechanics or deck-building systems. Understanding how the various systems interact takes time, and early runs may end in failure without much explanation.
Repetitive Encounters Over Long Sessions
While Keep Driving offers a lot of variety, some events and encounters can become repetitive after extended play. Although randomization mitigates this somewhat, the pool of available events could be expanded to maintain long-term variety.
Limited Initial Soundtrack Variety
The soundtrack is well-composed and fits the theme perfectly, but the initial track selection is somewhat limited. While you can buy additional tracks in-game, more variety from the start would help prevent the music from feeling repetitive during long runs.
RNG Can Be Brutal
As with many roguelikes, randomness can be a double-edged sword. Bad luck can completely derail an otherwise promising run, making some losses feel frustrating rather than fair.
🕹️ What Sets It Apart: Hidden Depths and Unique Features
Multiple Endings and Branching Narratives
Your decisions throughout the game lead to different endings, adding to the game’s replayability. Whether you arrive at the festival as a hero or barely make it there in a battered car, the outcome feels earned and personal.
Character Perks and Traits Add Strategy
At the start of each run, you can choose different traits that influence your journey. Whether it’s gaining extra energy during road events or reducing the damage from accidents, these traits encourage experimentation and strategic planning.
Side Quests with Tangible Impact
Side quests offer more than just narrative fluff — they affect gameplay by unlocking new routes, perks, and items. Completing these quests can change the outcome of your run and even unlock hidden endings.
High-Stakes Race Event
The highlight of many runs is The Great Race, a high-stakes, high-reward event that tests your car upgrades, resource management, and strategy. Winning the race is no easy feat, but it offers some of the most rewarding moments in the game.
🚗 Pit Stops and Road Rules: Tips for Success
- Plan Gas Stops Early: Running out of gas is game over. Always keep an eye on your fuel gauge and plan your stops carefully.
- Pick Passengers Wisely: Not all hitchhikers are helpful. Some will steal from you or trigger dangerous events, so choose carefully.
- Upgrade for Efficiency: Don’t just upgrade for speed — invest in durability and energy management to balance your playthrough.
- Sleep to Avoid Fatigue: Fatigue reduces your ability to succeed in road events, so schedule regular rest breaks.
- Explore Side Routes: Hidden quests and valuable items are often off the main path. It pays to explore and take risks.
🎤 A Journey Worth Taking
Keep Driving is a sleeper hit that combines humor, strategy, and unpredictability into a package that’s hard to put down. The combination of a roguelike deck-builder and road trip management makes for a unique, engaging experience that rewards curiosity and adaptability.
The random events and branching choices ensure that no two runs feel the same, and the variety of upgrades, side quests, and passenger perks keeps things interesting. While the game has its flaws — including occasional repetition and a steep learning curve — its charm, depth, and replayability more than make up for them.
Whether you’re a fan of indie games, roguelikes, or just enjoy quirky storytelling with strategic depth, Keep Driving is a journey worth taking. For $18, it’s a steal, and it’s a game you’ll likely come back to for “just one more run.”
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Gameplay Depth | 8/10 |
| Replayability | 9/10 |
| Story & Atmosphere | 8/10 |
| Audio & Soundtrack | 7/10 |
| Technical Performance | 7/10 |
| Overall | 8/10 |
Keep Driving: Keep Driving blends humor, strategy, and chaos into a game that’s easy to love and hard to master. Whether you're into deck-builders, roguelikes, or just enjoy a quirky adventure with plenty of replayability, this is a journey that’s worth every mile. Buckle up, plan your route, and prepare for a wild ride. – Obsidian
