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Hotshot Racing

Hotshot Racing is a blisteringly fast arcade-style racing game fusing drift handling, razor-sharp retro visuals and an incredible sense of speed to create an exhilarating driving experience.

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Storyline

16 racing circuits provide the twists, turns and straights conducive to searingly quick racing. Take in coastal, jungle, alpine and Las Vegas desert environments, with each course modelled with the most vivid colours and blue skies for miles. Time Trial and Grand Prix modes cater to those who like to compete in classic racing formats, while ‘Cops and Robbers’ and ‘Drive or Explode’ modes offer exhilarating new ways to play. Each mode is available in single-player, four-player split-screen and eight-player online, while Time Trial is single-player only. Single-player modes run at a blistering 60FPS to deliver one of the fastest depictions of racing possible.

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Mostly Positive

2,333 Steam reviews

Review History

Reviews

2,333 total

≥h

Steam User 3756STEAMRecommended

[h2] Barely Passable, I Wish This Game Offered More. 6/10[/h2]
[hr][/hr]
Hotshot Racing does have sense of speed down right, the driving mechanics feels arcady good and the soundtrack is pleasant enough. So what's the problem? There isn't a good enough progression in the game and the A.I. opponents are d*cks. This game reminds me of that 90s-2000s Daytona arcade racing game just lacking it's charm. Technically not a bad game, but I'd buy it on a sale. 6/10 rating.

[h3]Positives[/h3]
- Good Graphics
- Good sense of speed
- Good driving feel
- Pleasant soundtrack
[h3]Negatives[/h3]
- Customization is only aesthetic, there's no way to build your car (which is my preference).
- There really isn't a story for each of the drivers (which would've given more of a reason to play each of them).
- Uninteresting Cars.

Mar 28, 2026·2h·Verified

Steam User 7376STEAMNot recommended

There's really nothing this games does that Horizon Chase Turbo doesn't do better.

There are only 20 tracks here. 4 "types" (coast, desert, etc) with 5 tracks of each type. You can race all of them in a hour or so. The only unlocks are purely cosmetic: all game content, all the drivers, cars, and tracks, are open to you from the get go.

There's just not really enough content here, especially when you can just Horizon Chase Turbo.

What's here is pretty standard arcade racing. Lots of rubberbanding, decent settings. It does a couple things vaguely interesting, though they aren't enough to rescue the game. You build up boost by drifting or slipstreaming another car. It's an interesting appoach compared to other games where the boosts might be powerups you pick up off the track. That said, once you've done a few races you get the hang of drifting enough to keep your turbo gauge full until the last lap.

It also tries a Mario Kart-esque approach to try to make the AI racers not anonymous. They each have individual names and specific cars. That said, it doesn't really succeed. I couldn't tell you who came 2nd in my last race or anything. Maybe if you play long enough you can remember who drives what car?

Because everything is unlocked from the start and the Mario Kart-esque unique drivers and cars, it definitely has a feeling that it is intended for "party play" with a friend rather than primarily as a single player experience. Unless you really really really want this specific Virtua Racing aesthetic, just get Horizon Chase Turbo instead.

Mar 27, 2026·1h·Verified

Steam User 9901STEAMRecommended

Jogão! Ótimo para quem quer um bom jogo de corrida!

Mar 26, 2026·3h·Verified

Steam User 6324STEAMRecommended

Very nice and relaxing game. bought it on discount for a dollar. No complaints. Works just fine with a good controller.

Mar 25, 2026·2h·Verified

Steam User 9390STEAMRecommended

Good arcade style racing game to fill some time in between other games or other racing games in general. Customization options are bare and I'm not the biggest of fan of specific car use being locked behind specific drivers. Ultimately none of it matters as it's a very basic racing game. Visuals are nice and very colorful.

Mar 24, 2026·3h·Verified

Steam User 8492STEAMRecommended

con amigos bien

Mar 22, 2026·9h·Verified

Steam User 9751STEAMRecommended

Simple but fun

Mar 22, 2026·1h·Verified

Steam User 5133STEAMRecommended

Dope.

Mar 18, 2026·11h·Verified

Steam User 4947STEAMRecommended

Entretiene hasta cierto punto. Ya dsp se vuelve muy repetitivo y aburrido

Mar 17, 2026·3h·Verified

Steam User 5754STEAMRecommended

bom pra fazer bagunça com amigos

Mar 15, 2026·8h·Verified

Steam User 6906STEAMRecommended

Bom jogo. É um jogo decente de corrida,com varios carros,personagens,sensação de velocidade otima e recompensa por fazer drifts. os drifts desse jogo é um pouco complicado de entender no começo,mas quando pega o jeito,fica bem melhor e gostei conjunto do turbo,que é simples mas funcional com adquirindo de forma facil. peguei em promoção,valeu a pena. O rubber banding,não acho que é tão problematico,só ficou mais visivel na dificuldade mais dificil do jogo,mas de resto,não achei um problema.

Pontos ruins que eu achei sobre o jogo
-eu diria que falta mais pistas,contendo apenas 5 copas,as pistas são boas mas gostaria de mais.
-a i.a dos oponentes as vezes são bem agressivos,com batendo seu carro multiplas vezes e podendo perder por causa disso.
-um jogo tanto curto.

De resto,é isso. eu não interagi muito com o online ou outros modos de jogo,mas acho um bom jogo para jogar sem pensar muito. diria uns 8/10

Mar 13, 2026·3h·Verified

Steam User 9422STEAMNot recommended

não gostei

Mar 12, 2026·Verified

Steam User 4722STEAMRecommended

bellissimo!

Mar 12, 2026·10h

Steam User 8664STEAMRecommended

sweet cel-shaded arcade drifting indie racer!

Mar 12, 2026·3h·2

Steam User 4420STEAMNot recommended

najgorsze gowno nie polecam, kompletnie nie do ogarniecia dla poczatkujacych. zagralem moze 6 czy 7 minut i oddalem gre

Mar 4, 2026·Verified

Steam User 8791STEAMRecommended

Fun arcade racer with minor technical problems (stuttering, I could fix it with switching from fullscreen to borderless window + vsync on) and no steam cloud support. Lost my save-game because of it (system change) and replayed most of the game again from scratch.

Mar 1, 2026·37h·1

Steam User 5406STEAMRecommended

Visualmente es resultón con su estilo retro. La variedad de vehículos y de circuitos está bien. Pero jugablemente no responde lo bien que debería. La IA de los rivales es demasiado suicida. Le falta contenido.
Le doy un 6.

Feb 25, 2026·5h

Steam User 0921STEAMRecommended

...

Feb 24, 2026·2h·Verified

Steam User 0844STEAMRecommended

Конченые боты, простенькая графика, и вечный экшн на экране. Однозначно рекомендую!
Все гранпри пройдено на Hard-е

Feb 23, 2026·2h·2·Verified

Steam User 2970STEAMRecommended

Ce que je cherche en jouant, c'est le flow state. Ce jeu est parfait pour ça, la sensation de drift est excellente.

Feb 23, 2026·199h·Verified

Steam User 5620STEAMRecommended

This game changed my life!

Feb 20, 2026·16h·1·Verified

Steam User 8896STEAMRecommended

Не просто веселая аркадная гонка. Тут есть свой стиль и он смотрится офигенно. Физика машин мне зашла, приятно управлять и не совсем просто. Большое разнообразие гонщиков, их машин и трасс. Есть онлайн.
Можно купить даже для одиночной игры, скучно не будет

Feb 18, 2026·3h·Verified

Steam User 0227STEAMNot recommended

A very well designed arcade racer that pays seriously satisfying homage to Virtua Racing and all those Sega arcade racing games of the 90's with it's presentation and gameplay.

Unfortunately, the requirement for a consistent internet connection is nearly a complete dealbreaker for this cool game, as it refuses to launch any time you are not connected or if Steam is in offline mode. if anyone at Sumo, Lucky Mountain or Curve sees this, please add an update to make this game playable offline. Tired of the video game industry becoming more and more of a rental service and limiting access to products we paid good money for, and we dont even get the honor of truly having ownership of or being able to play anytime we feel like without hassle. :(

Feb 16, 2026·13h·8

Steam User 3501STEAMRecommended

太好玩了跟horizon chase一样的复古画风

Feb 15, 2026·8h·Verified

Steam User 2188STEAMNot recommended

No steering wheel support. Poor performance.

Feb 15, 2026·1h·Verified

Steam User 9986STEAMRecommended

4 Big Problems:

Problem 1. The obnoxious ridiculous extreme rubber-banding of the opponent cars makes it not even fun to play.

Problem 2. The car handling feels slightly broken, like the game deliberately steals control away from you so that you can't accidentally turn (yourself) too much or too little, which is bad game design. (Other racing games have some amount of "filtering" of player input, but they don't hijack your steering, this is the only racing game I've played where it feels actively obstructive and offensive).

Problem 3. The sound effect design ("plink, boop, plink"), or the feel of the Nitro Boost, or something (I'm not sure what it is) make the game feel goofy and toy-like and plastic-y. 1990's 3D arcade racing games like Virtua Racing and Daytona did NOT *feel* plastic-y or toy-like, even though they had simple art, so Hotshot Racing has made some bad decisions somewhere. The devs haven't carefully examined how the old games were crafted.

Problem 4. The characters are flimsy jokey stupid unlikeable weird stereotypes. It ruins the vibe. If you look back at Virtua Racing and Daytona and Ridge Racer, those games were not doing misguided patronizing terrible "character" design. So why would these devs do this? Did a marketing person who has no concept of artistry make them do it? Something has gone seriously wrong when characters in an *indie game* are constantly shouting terribly-written quips like it's an EA game.

OTHER THAN THAT... it's a good tribute if you wanted a successor to Virtua Racing etc. I like it even with the problems. But as with so many other decent games, I find myself saying "Wow I wish a more skilled and more talented team did this." (Sorry.) For example, how do you have such a bold appreciable dedication to vibrant early 90's arcade graphics (good!) yet fail miserably to make a better menu or characters?

Feb 7, 2026·2h·3·Verified

Steam User 0724STEAMRecommended

It is a really fun, contact-heavy arcade racing game with surprisingly good corner physics.

Feb 6, 2026·3h·2

Steam User 8505STEAMRecommended

jogo bom demais!

Feb 3, 2026

Steam User 0661STEAMNot recommended

poorly optimised, stutters, frame drops, crashes

Jan 29, 2026

Steam User 4929STEAMRecommended

Bonito juego, simple pero cumple con lo que hay, buena conducción sin muchas pretensiones, gráficos mas que aceptables su estilo me gusta mucho, la música es atractiva no cansina. Se puede recomendar siempre y cuando lo compres por un buen precio

Jan 29, 2026·2h

Steam User 9134STEAMRecommended

game is super fun, wish there was more games like this

Jan 29, 2026·7h·Verified

Steam User 8704STEAMNot recommended

Basura de juego. No se puede jugar en multijugador local

Jan 27, 2026·Verified

Steam User 9365STEAMRecommended

Good👍

Jan 25, 2026·4h

Steam User 0650STEAMRecommended

video game

Jan 22, 2026·10h·1·Verified

Steam User 4139STEAMRecommended

Plis update map

Jan 21, 2026·6h·Verified

Steam User 3829STEAMNot recommended

Had fun for the first 30 minutes, after that the game felt pretty pointless after I realised how broken slipstream is. In the base mode, using boosts to get ahead of your opponents does almost nothing, because someone behind you can just follow you and get SO MUCH SPEED with splitstream that they'll pass right by you with even using any boosts. Other than that the game is pretty barebones with it's minimalistic visuals, driving mechanics and basically everything. Not fun

Jan 18, 2026·2h·1

Steam User 2439STEAMRecommended

es un juego de calidad media, es algo entretenido sirve para pasar el rato tiene varios modos de juegos interesantes, lo malo es que sin importar la dificultad los bots siempre estaran detras de ti en caso de que vayas en primera posicion y esto en el modo ladron y policia hace que pierdas bastante facil incluso en dificultad baja, aun asi si te gustan juegos de carreras como este y lo compras en descuento te puede dar unas horas de entretenimiento, si te gusta conseguir todos los logros puedes conseguirlos todos en menos de 30 horas, tiene algunas ''multijugador '' pero puedes conseguirlos jugando con 1 mando + teclado, todos son faciles solo que si es algo tardado y repetitivo conseguirlos algunos

Jan 18, 2026·30h·Verified

Steam User 6335STEAMRecommended

How does this game has Mixed? its so good

Jan 17, 2026·7h·2·Verified

Steam User 5681STEAMRecommended

jogo absurdamente bom, graficos low pixel belissimos, e jogabilidade que te prendem do começo ao fim, ia competitiva nas maiores dificuldades e justa nas mais baixas, amei todos os modos de jogo e os personagens são super carismaticos, se você é ã de jogos da franquia cmo top gear e ridge racer om certeza vai adorar esse jogo de todas as formas

Jan 16, 2026·6h·Verified

Steam User 2068STEAMNot recommended

borderlands 4 would cry at this cpu hogging game. Too many times races wasted due to massive framerate drops at random locations. Launching this game puts my keyboard at risk of converting to millions of particles due to the sheer power of my punch.
I also do not like how bots do not drift during corners while you have to do (and slow down) to properly corner.
The game is abandoned by the devs and the performance issues are likely never gonna be fixed.
Get this yourself only if have like a PC that can make Linus drool (unlikely in this economy anyway).

Jan 16, 2026·4h

Steam User 0038STEAMNot recommended

Competent, good-looking arcade racer let down by weak PVP community and EXTREMELY strong rubber-banding. VS. AI at any difficulty, nothing matters but the final half of the final lap - and once you notice that the races feel pretty hollow.

Jan 14, 2026·1h·6·Verified

Steam User 6696STEAMRecommended

Весёлые покатушки ! Приятно и весело убивать время

Jan 10, 2026·10h·1·Verified

Steam User 2624STEAMNot recommended

In zwei Stunden habe ich jetzt jede Meisterschaft auf dem normalen Schwierigkeitsgrad durch. Natürlich könnte ich jetzt noch alles auf den Schwereren Schwierigkeitsgraden spielen, aber warum? Ich habe das Gefühl einfach schon alles gesehen zu haben. Die Strecken fahren sich ähnlich, die Ai ist Gummiband aus der Hölle und das Fahren an sich macht jetzt nicht so viel Spaß, dass es wegen des Gameplays wegen lange spielen möchte. Motivation sind nur optische Updates. hätte ich 20 Euro dafür gezahlt, würde ich mich ärgern. Es ist kein wirklich schlechtes Spiel, aber eine Empfehlung eben auch nicht.

Jan 10, 2026·2h·1

Steam User 8378STEAMRecommended

Hotshot is a must have if you're feeling the thrill of speed!

Hotshot Racing also known as Racing Apex is another circuit racing game with many characters, vehicles, tracks and gamemodes to choose from. Each character has a set of four vehicles with each vehicle characteristic having a specific high stat compared to others, for example; [b]one vehicle with higher top speed while another may have higher grip stat![/b]

Unfortuntely due to a lack of updates and player engagement, the game has notably died at this date of time and basically makes multiplayer achievements impossible to get unless you have a group to schedule a play session.

I'd still recommend this game for it's big amount of content and artstyle!

Jan 10, 2026·15h·2·Verified

Steam User 1339STEAMRecommended

Jogo muito bom, demora um pouco para se acostumar com a jogabilidade. Muito bom para jogar em coop local ou pelo steam play

Jan 9, 2026·10h·Verified

Steam User 4305STEAMRecommended

ну это как бвы обычная ретрогонка

Jan 8, 2026·1·Verified

Steam User 3376STEAMNot recommended

It's no fun at all.
The game could be nice but the unfair AI makes it crap.

Jan 5, 2026

Steam User 5629STEAMNot recommended

I wanted to love this game, it's everything I wanted in a racer...apart from the terrible rubber banding. In multiplayer, the cars simply rubber band to the leader, and it feels impossible to catch up to other cars. Unfair gameplay which makes skill kinda pointless. Drifting is also a control nightmare. Everything else is chefs kiss for the arcade nostalgia style.

Jan 4, 2026·Verified

Steam User 2894STEAMNot recommended

A fantastic game ruined by its rubber banding AI.

Jan 4, 2026·1h·5·Verified

Steam User 1339STEAMNot recommended

As you might be able to tell from the trailer, this is a very well-made video game. The graphics are vibrant, the aesthetic is an engaging replication of the old Daytona USA style visuals, everything is well animated and feels good. The art style is full of charm, the characters and car designs look fantastic, it's all an amazing-looking, amazing-feeling game.

Then you realize that that's literally it.

The game's progression is a flat circle. As a racing game, it has more in common structurally with Mario Kart than anything else, and an especially simplistic version of Mario Kart's progression at that. Just.. do some arcade races over and over. All of the racers and cars are unlocked out of the gate, so there isn't really that much to go for. Okay, so it's structured more like a party game that you can play aimlessly. This would be great casual fun if the actual racing were good!

Nope. The gameplay is bad. The handling is very twitchy and unstable (it feels like Mario Kart but way faster), but the track design it's matched to is very simplistic, short and easy. As a result, the game doesn't *feel* technical, it doesn't *feel* like the skill ceiling is very high, and as a cherry on top, the AI shamelessly rubberbands on the higher difficulties. This doesn't push you to practice and perfect the game's handling so much as feel like you're in a multiplayer lobby where someone is hacking just enough to be unbeatable. The result is that every lap feels like rolling the dice, and getting consistent times is an exercise in frustration, all while you're doomed to lose every race.

I like me some arcade racing games. I grew up on classic PS1-era Need For Speed games as a kid. I like when racing games are hard! This is not hard. This is an easy, flat game with nothing to master that you lose anyways.

Jan 4, 2026·3h·1

Steam User 4674STEAMNot recommended

pue la merde

jeu de "course" mais a cause du rubberbanding il faut juste utiliser les boosts dans la derniere ligne droite pour gagner
le gameplay est tres triste, cela s'apparente a un 2D scroller avec une méchanique de boost (drift et aspiration), les ia vous foncent dedans et vous degagent de la route.
a part utiliser les turbos au bon moment il n'y a aucun vrai défi
le ressenti sur les différentes voitures est similaire malgré des caractéristiques "différentes"

a fuir, meme en solde a 4€ il ne vaut pas le coup.

Jan 3, 2026·Verified

Steam User 1697STEAMRecommended

The Good: Zoom Zoom Zoom.

The Bad: There is no bad.

The Ugly: Paying +$60 for Sonic Cross World Racing or Mario Kart World.

Jan 2, 2026·Verified

Steam User 5293STEAMNot recommended

Requires online to play, even for single player. Useless for Steam Deck owners.

Dec 31, 2025·2·Verified

Steam User 3653STEAMRecommended

🏁 Hotshot Racing - Retro Speed, Modern Fun

Hotshot Racing takes you back to the golden age of arcade racing, where drifting, speed boosts, and pixel-perfect handling were all that mattered. This game channels the high-octane fun of classic racing games like OutRun and Virtua Racing, but with a modern twist smooth, colorful graphics and a killer soundtrack that make you feel like you’re in a high-speed 90s racing movie.

Pros:

* Pure Arcade Fun: No complex car tuning or career modes here just simple, fast-paced racing. It’s all about drifting through corners, hitting boosts, and crossing the finish line first.
* Beautiful Visuals: The game nails that retro aesthetic with vibrant, low-poly graphics that look clean and charming. It’s a nostalgia trip, but with modern polish.
* Easy to Pick Up, Hard to Master: Controls are tight, intuitive, and forgiving. Anyone can jump in and have fun, but mastering the tracks and perfecting your drift technique takes practice.
* Multiplayer Mayhem: Whether you’re racing solo or with friends, Hotshot Racing shines in multiplayer. Online and local split-screen play add a ton of replay value and make it perfect for racing with friends.
* Awesome Soundtrack: The synthwave-inspired soundtrack is an absolute vibe it’s upbeat, energizing, and fits the racing atmosphere perfectly.

Cons:

* Limited Tracks: While the tracks are fun, there aren’t as many as you might hope for a game that focuses so heavily on racing. The lack of variety in environments can make things feel repetitive after a while.
* AI Can Be Unpredictable: The AI drivers are either way too easy or ridiculously hard to beat it can feel like there’s no middle ground.
* Basic Single Player: If you’re more into solo racing with a deep career mode or story, Hotshot Racing might leave you wanting. The single-player content is fun, but it doesn’t offer much beyond the main races.
* Occasional Frustration: The game can sometimes feel like it’s a little too easy, then suddenly too hard, especially when it comes to certain AI shenanigans or the rubber-banding that happens in later races.

Verdict:

Hotshot Racing is a fast, fun, and stylish racing game that nails the arcade experience without the complexity of modern sim racers. It’s perfect for casual players looking for some quick thrills and multiplayer action, though the limited content and occasional AI quirks might hold it back from being a racing masterpiece. If you’re a fan of retro-style racing games, this is definitely a fun ride!

Dec 31, 2025·1h

Steam User 1011STEAMRecommended

juegardo la verdad

Dec 29, 2025·13h·Verified

Steam User 5934STEAMRecommended

aston PLEASE give me a blowjob

Dec 27, 2025·3h

Steam User 2362STEAMRecommended

I feel like I'm back in the university cafeteria playing Daytona in the mid 90s.

Dec 24, 2025·2h·1·Verified

Steam User 0474STEAMRecommended

🤌

Dec 20, 2025·38h·1·Verified

Steam User 0098STEAMNot recommended

There is nothing fun about this game to be honest, constant rubber banding, cars don't carry any real weight. Drifting has no real inertia , not to mention the crazy amount of micro stuttering . Track design is bland and repetitive , its just void of any real charm or character. It's basically the equivalent of a psp mini game. Vsync enabled locks the game at 60 fps with tons of stuttering. Even with Vsync disabled and 600+fps the frame time is terrible. This is the very definition of meh.

Dec 20, 2025·1h·5

Steam User 2400STEAMRecommended

90年代のアーケードレースゲー好きにはたまらないゲーム、サクっと気軽に遊べます。コースやキャラクターも作りこまれており、こだわりを感じます。大画面でプレイすると尚よしです

Dec 19, 2025·1h·Verified

Steam User 2598STEAMRecommended

Show demais, jogabilidade, áudio, cores incríveis.

Dec 17, 2025·1h·Verified

Steam User 6082STEAMRecommended

A Good Kart racer with some problems with difficulty and controls. 6\10

Dec 17, 2025·1h

Steam User 9302STEAMRecommended

Still a go-to for me when I just want to go fast and play with Legos. Yeah I am from the era this game's graphics are calling back to, and I do love the esthetic, but the pedigree is immediately and constantly felt in the way this plays.
I like to go into cockpit view, bringing the camera as low to the ground as I can, and just appreciate the road flying by and how it feels to drift around a hair-pin in that point of view.
Also love how the characters each have four cars to choose from. Super cool setup.
Got this one on Switch as well, just wanna support and show it to people.

Dec 16, 2025·27h

Steam User 1450STEAMNot recommended

I found this game extremely annoying. Starting it was a mistake, continuing to play was a punishment.

The biggest issue is with the AI. Rubberbanding is fairly common in racing games, where cars will catch up to keep the racing interesting. It's usually something I'm okay with, but I've never seen it behave so obscenely as in here. You'll be nearing top speed and a car or four will overtake you, boostless, swarm you off the track and mess up your drifts. This is not a one-off. On Normal this happens about 5 times a race.

If you restart during a Grand Prix, you're set to the first race. This is extremely annoying, combined with the point above. It might be emulating the kind of game other reviews are on about, in which case I can understand it.

Drifting feels terrible. It's consistently inconsistent, not that it'll matter because you'll simply get rammed off by other cars and lose any boost you were building up. Drifting is the name of the game here, but steering feels heavy one attempt then light as a feather the next, there's no predictability - even in Inertial Drift you at least knew you were crashing into a distant wall unless you got your act together before the corner.

The art style is up to preference. I think it's alright.

The music is much the same, although I got annoyed by it at points. The car sounds are alright in themselves, but they have a GRID 2019-ish weirdness about their travel up the tachometer where they just sound like they're screaming at limited pitches rather than naturally progressing through the sound range. I recall seeing someone back in 2020 say this was excused by the fact it's arcade-y. No.
Voice lines are a welcome addition, but you'll run through them all rapidly. I often hear the same lines at least twice a race.

The game's controller input... interesting. Rumble was completely broken. As in, it would stay on high vibrations, change a bit for crashes and impacts, then continue rumbling after the race was finished. Even funnier was the controller continuing to rumble after having turned this off in the game's settings. Steering is mushy, but the triggers respond fine during burnouts. Camera controls are sticky and really don't feel smooth at all, which is annoying.

I found nobody on online multiplayer. Colour me surprised.

I think there was a decent idea here, but I'm no stranger to Sumo's games feeling half-done compared to what came before and from others and this doesn't help my perception. I'll probably keep at it in future to progress through achievements but I do not expect to have any fun playing.

Your money is better spent elsewhere.

[u] Technical stuff on Linux: [/u]
Proton 9 was selected by Steam and it's been playing alright at the point of this review. Worked immediately on Linux Mint 22.2. I haven't played much, though, so I'll update this if I find problems.

Dec 15, 2025·1h·2

Steam User 1584STEAMRecommended

Boas historias, personagens, carros, aparências, cores especiais, mapas, modos de jogos, multijogador, 7/10

Dec 14, 2025·46h

Steam User 8884STEAMRecommended

C'est un jeux d'arcade comme je les aime, avec des couleurs simple et un gameplay nerveux. Conseil: si votre jeux bug chaque fois que vous heurtez un obstacles, désactivez le retour de force sur votre manette.

Dec 13, 2025·Verified

Steam User 0261STEAMRecommended

爽就是电脑很难缠

Dec 13, 2025·19h

Steam User 1544STEAMRecommended

Solo puedo decir que me falta tal vez 4 logros para completarlos todos, es bastante adictivo por lo simple de su gameplay, lo puedes comprar si esta en descuento.

Dec 13, 2025·20h·Verified

Steam User 1216STEAMNot recommended

[quote]Just saying, but I do have a curator page. If you like my remarks about games, you can find more of them here: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44130985-TDP%27s-Gaming-Escapades[/quote]

Sometimes you play a game and nothing seems wrong with it, except for one specific thing that singlehandedly brings down the quality of the whole experience. So if you are wondering why I have written a review despite my very low playtime in this game, this is why.
On the surface, Hotshot Racing looks like a decently-made and fun game. The overall audiovisual presentation is good, and the cars handle very well. Then you quickly find out that the game's AI opponents always cheat by using a blatant and very aggressive form of rubberbanding.

If you don't know what rubberbanding is, it's a mechanic in most racing games that tries to slow down the opponents who are ahead of you and speed up those who fall behind. It keeps all of the racers near each other to increase tension and also to prevent the player from dominating the race or falling way too far behind, in an attempt to prevent the gameplay experience from becoming too easy or too tedious. When this is done well, it is barely noticeable. But when it's implemented in a flawed manner, it will directly mess with your experience as you will always see opponents who are behind you being the bane of your existence, just to get past you and suddenly become the most incompetent racers in video game history, allowing you to pass them with ease to repeat the process.
That's literally what happens in Hotshot Racing. When opponents are behind you, they constantly ram into your car, keep up with your speed all the time, and easily overtake you even when they shouldn't. You will constantly see the opponents being hot on your trail, then suddenly increasing their speed and getting past you, even when you are already boosting. And when they get in front of you, all it takes is a few seconds and a bit of boosting to reach up to them and start the cycle from the beginning.
The rubberbanding is done so poorly in this game that winning a race feels excessively tedious and needlessly punishing, even on the lowest difficulty setting. There's no fun to be had when everyone else is visibly cheating, and the only thing that determines whether or not you get a podium finish is the boost gauge being filled enough to be used at the end of a race.

To make things worse, the game has an always-online DRM! Granted, simple mistakes in implementing Steamworks can cause this situation to happen; But we really cannot excuse this even if a mistake was involved, as the devs had YEARS to fix this and yet they have done nothing! Seriously, the game came out five years ago (at the time of writing this review) and nothing has been done to rectify this problem even with the rise of portable devices such as Steam Deck and ROG Ally.
And all of this is without mentioning some technical shortcomings of the game, including but not limited to: A baffling lack of Steam Cloud support, poor level of detail, texture pop-in, using the incorrect refresh rate, and questionable framedrops & performance issues even on powerful/newer hardware.

[h2]TL;DR[/h2]
Would have been enjoyable if it wasn't for the overly-aggressive AI rubberbanding that makes it punishing & tedious. The inclusion of an always-online DRM, and lack of Steam Cloud is also questionable.

Dec 11, 2025·6

Steam User 3712STEAMRecommended

Одна из тех гоночек, которые у меня в библиотеке! Люблю, спасибо!

Dec 10, 2025·2h·Verified

Steam User 7054STEAMRecommended

Fun little racing game to play with friends

Dec 10, 2025·5h

Steam User 9289STEAMRecommended

This is a great racing game in general but is targeted primarily at those that loved the flat shaded polygonal look of Virtua Racing. It's an art-style choice that I personally love. I bought it for the graphics and loved the classic 1990s arcade gameplay.

The game is solid. My only criticism is that the joypad support is non-existent at the time of this review. Still a great game though, with some additional gameplay variations to add to the longevity. It's not a sim like Gran Turismo or Forza, but an arcade type racer meant to be a fun game more than anything. If you were charmed by the aesthetics like I was, you'll enjoy the gameplay even more.

Dec 8, 2025·47h·Verified

Steam User 2613STEAMRecommended

майк и алекса две ♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥ майк вазовский ♥♥♥♥

Dec 7, 2025·4h·Verified

Steam User 4265STEAMRecommended

👍

Dec 5, 2025·1h

Steam User 7713STEAMRecommended

Very good casual racing game to play with some friends. It has just enough to it to feel slightly competitive, but still incredibly simple to pick up.

Points of Criticism:
- It looks like the game's development is abandoned. Which is sad, because its honestly so addicting. Would love to see new tracks, new modes, new cars, and new customization.
- Expert mode is super imbalanced. Its almost impossible to stay on the road on some turns.
- Drift stat does not matter at all. Only speed and acceleration, and there aren't any obvious differences in cars with the same stats but different top speeds, which makes Keiko's f-90 definitively the best car in the game. I almost wish there were no stats, and you could customize and use any car you like the look of.

That said, its still 100% worth picking up on a sale if you want something to play with your friends. Lots of fun.

Dec 5, 2025·11h·1·Verified

Steam User 1798STEAMRecommended

Hotshot Racing is a modern love letter to the golden age of arcade racers, channeling the energy of 1990s polygonal speed machines while refining them with contemporary responsiveness. Developed by Sumo Digital Ltd and Lucky Mountain Games and published by Curve Games, the title embraces the bold colors, exaggerated sense of speed, and drift-centric handling that defined classics like Virtua Racing, Daytona USA, and Ridge Racer. Rather than chasing realism, Hotshot Racing leans fully into stylization: low-poly visuals, bright skies, clean geometric landscapes, and razor-sharp track silhouettes create a consistently vibrant world where speed is the only thing that matters. It sets out to recapture the feeling of planting your feet in front of an arcade cabinet, slamming the accelerator, and leaving everything else behind — and on that front, it succeeds wonderfully.

At the heart of the experience is the handling model. Every car is built around drifting, and the game’s joy comes from mastering the art of gliding through corners while building boost. Each drift becomes a balancing act between control and recklessness, and maintaining long slides through sharp hairpins or sweeping turns is intensely satisfying. Once you begin chaining drifts into boost bursts, the game’s rhythm locks into place: races become a dance where every corner offers the possibility of overtaking, and every mistake becomes a lesson in timing. The physics aren’t realistic, but they are deliberate — punchy, expressive, and built for fun. This arcade purity makes the game instantly accessible but still leaves room for mastery.

Hotshot Racing complements its core driving with a surprisingly diverse set of modes. The Grand Prix structure provides a traditional multi-race challenge, while Time Trial encourages the pursuit of perfect lines and clean drifts. More inventive modes, such as Cops and Robbers or Drive or Explode, inject chaos and humor by adding chase mechanics or explosive speed requirements. These variations help keep the game fresh and give players different ways to engage with the drifting mechanics. The presence of both local split-screen and online multiplayer also reinforces the game’s arcade spirit; competing with friends on the same couch evokes the classic party-racing atmosphere that many modern racers overlook.

The cast of drivers and cars adds personality without overshadowing the action. Each driver has their own backstory and distinct car selection, but these flavor elements exist primarily to give the game identity — the focus always returns to racing. Track design is similarly straightforward yet polished. The 16 circuits are spread across themes like tropical coasts, desert canyons, snow-covered mountains, and neon-lit cities. While their layouts aren’t complex, they flow well and support the drift-focused handling. The visual clarity ensures that you can always read upcoming curves, a crucial element for high-speed arcade design. Combined with upbeat music and lively sound effects, the presentation captures a cheerful, energetic tone that keeps each race engaging even after multiple runs.

Despite its strengths, Hotshot Racing does have shortcomings that become more noticeable during extended play. The AI can behave erratically, sometimes rubber-banding aggressively or making abrupt, unrealistic movements that can disrupt an otherwise smooth race. This inconsistency can make certain Grand Prix events feel unfair. The lack of meaningful vehicle customization or tuning also limits long-term progression; once you find a car that suits your style, there’s little incentive to experiment further. Track variety, while solid, can begin to feel repetitive after many hours, as the game relies more on visual shifts than radically different track geometry to maintain interest.

Online multiplayer, while fun when populated, suffers from fluctuating activity levels. Finding full lobbies can be difficult, especially in off-peak times, which can reduce the game’s longevity for competitive players. Because local multiplayer is one of its strengths, Hotshot Racing often feels best when enjoyed with friends on the same screen — fitting for a game inspired by arcade-era design philosophy.

Even with these limitations, Hotshot Racing delivers exactly what it sets out to provide: a fast, colorful, energetic arcade racer that captures the carefree thrill of drifting at impossible speeds. It isn’t a simulation, nor does it try to be; instead, it offers a refreshing alternative to the more serious tone of modern racing games. Its style, responsiveness, and pure pick-up-and-play appeal make it a standout for anyone who misses the simplicity and exhilaration of classic arcade driving. For players who crave speed without the burden of realism, Hotshot Racing is a joyful, exhilarating ride that honors its inspirations while standing confidently on its own.

Rating: 7/10

Dec 2, 2025·13h

Steam User 5611STEAMRecommended

worth what you pay for. especially if you purchased during a high promotion

Nov 30, 2025·13h·Verified

Steam User 6096STEAMRecommended

Fun game, love the graphic style.

Nov 26, 2025·2h

Steam User 2867STEAMRecommended

Surprisingly fun racing game with good handling and drifting mechanics, sadly the online multiplayer is completely dead.

Nov 25, 2025·28h

Steam User 7648STEAMRecommended

Quick Summary - This game is an arcade and retro styled (Sega Virtua Racing esque); racing game. - I loved the very quick pick and play feel to this game with simple controls and easy to grasp menus). - Hotshot racing is colourful, loud and slick as it rockets along on your screen. - If your after depth or simulation, you wont find it here; but if your after a fast, smooth colourful arcade racer where you can compete for the best lap times or best drifting or boosting stats - then you will probably love this. - /it will run on MANY computers due to its forgiving hardware requirements and it will most likely run very well too. Pick a character, pick a car, pic a race or cup (online or offline); and off you go. The soundtrack is y only criticism; whilst its fun and fast and cheerful, it could have taken a bit more 90's synth Sega rally type boosting, but don't get me wrong - it wont interfere with your enjoyment of the game.

Nov 25, 2025·8h

Steam User 7678STEAMRecommended

LO BUENO:

-Buena selección de personajes/vehículos, con gran variedad y altamente editables.
-Escenarios y vehículos artísticamente placenteros de ver.
-Muchos modos de juego arcade.
-Pantalla dividida.
-Multitud de circuitos.
-Música que encaja perfectamente con el juego, ninguna molesta pero ninguna es icónica.
-Pequeños arcos de personaje desbloqueados cada vez que ganas un oro en torneo, que le dan al juego algo único.
-Buena manejabilidad en cuestión a tomar curvas y un turbo que realmente es potente.
-La IA a veces también comete errores y son agresivos, haciendo que parezcan humanos compitiendo contra ti.

LO MALO:

-Los modelos de los personajes son lo más feo que he visto en mi vida desde WipEout Fusion.
-De difícil en adelante, si cometes un error grave (uno solo, como chocar de frente con una pared), la IA aumenta la velocidad porque sí para que no les alcances. Me ha pasado alrededor del 20% de las partidas en las que he cometido errores.
-No hay desbloqueables en absoluto más allá de edición de vehículos y personajes.
-La edición de personajes son TODO recolors, nada interesante que desbloquear en ese aspecto.
-Si los oponentes chocan contra la parte trasera de tu vehículo lo forzarán a perder el control con facilidad. Sin embargo, tú no les puedes hacer nada al chocar con ellos.

En general, considero que es un juego bastante cortito, que te llevará unas 4-5h para completar y que es raramente frustrante. Tiene suficiente cariño metido y cosas únicas como para merecer la pena en rebajas.

6/10

Nov 23, 2025·4h·Verified

Steam User 6062STEAMRecommended

Props to Aston for being the only one who seems to care about his car

Nov 21, 2025·4h·Verified

Steam User 0521STEAMRecommended

不错，挺好玩的

Nov 20, 2025·8h·Verified

Steam User 7574STEAMRecommended

Singleplayer is alright but it shines with splitscreen.

Nov 17, 2025·2h·Verified

Steam User 6294STEAMRecommended

Hotshot Racing nails the spirit of classic arcade racers and feels like a genuine blast from the past. It offers fast action, simple and inviting controls, and an upbeat style that makes it easy for anyone to jump in and enjoy. Most importantly, it is simply a joy to play from start to finish.

Nov 15, 2025·1009h·2

Steam User 5272STEAMRecommended

this is fun.

Nov 11, 2025·17h·Verified

Steam User 9321STEAMNot recommended

Absolut mieses Spiel! Die Gegner können nur eins und das ist dauerhaft rammen. Erst rammen sie dich weg, man holt mühsam auf um 1 Sekunde später wieder gerammt zu werden. Spieltechnisch absoluter Müll! Grafik ist ok erinnert stark an Virtua Racing.

Nov 7, 2025·Verified

Steam User 6172STEAMNot recommended

Too difficult, it becomes more frustrating than challenging.
After the greats Outrun 2006 and Sonic Racing I was expecting more.

Nov 5, 2025·16h

Steam User 1860STEAMRecommended

ja es macht laune, ich habe zwar ne 4090 im computer,aber das spiel macht richtig spass.
es läuft flüssig und errinnert an alte f-zero tage.

Oct 30, 2025·2h·Verified

Steam User 5029STEAMRecommended

Great throwback to 90's arcade racers of all kinds. The handling is easy to learn, difficult to master. Just know that the Ai rubber-banding is super aggressive, so it's best to save your boost until the final lap if you can.

Oct 28, 2025·10h·Verified

Steam User 8220STEAMRecommended

Cool game

Oct 26, 2025·7h

Steam User 2688STEAMRecommended

10/10, Jogo tem uma personalidade vibrante, jogabilidade top, é realmente a evolução do genero de corrida arcade!

Oct 26, 2025·Verified

Steam User 0534STEAMRecommended

Ran fine at 120fps in borderless at 4k on 5600x and a 3080.
Overuse of motion blur / speed lines really noticeable mainly at the start of a race.

Its a fun arcade game something you would actually see in an arcade sounds and all.

While normal mode was really easy no need to even drift perfectly or boost. As long as you stayed on the road and slip-streamed you were okay and can win every race in a grand prix.

Hard mode was somewhat similar i only lost one race in all the grand pix's put together. You simply have to keep a boost and not forget what lap you are on.

So both of these modes it felt almost impossible to get ahead from the pack. Sometimes you did but npc's would always catch up. If that is because slip-streaming is so powerful or not i don't know. Atleast you always have someone to fight against.

Expert mode... The real "challenge" This is the quarter eating mode you would find in an arcade. It will require you to have a good car know how to drift and boost. Any mistakes or other drivers hitting you can push you far back. Without someone to slipstream off of you are toast on catching up using just boost from drifting.

I found myself almost bored with normal thinking the game wasn't fun or challenging i was proven wrong.

There are allot of things to unlock and you always have enough money it seems to buy them.

Other modes include cops and robbers, time trial, exploding races, and bomb barrels. These modes are a cool addition and are not bad to play.

The game is a blast for the most part it seems to have online but requires 2 people to start a race. I tried looking for quick matches but no one joined sadly.

If you have friends or don't mind playing grand prix's solo its not a bad game at all.

It might be worth full price for some , but simply being online isn't active I would wait for a sale its worth buying if you like arcade racers enough.

Oct 25, 2025·7h·1·Verified

Steam User 4343STEAMRecommended

This review only applies to the grand prix mode as I haven't tried the multiplayer yet.

The game controls great, it's easy to pick up and figure out exactly what to do. It took me a minute to adjust though since I was instinctively trying to snake my drifts for some reason.

My biggest praise though is the atmosphere. I haven't played an arcade racer like this in YEARS, but picking up a controller and starting that first race took me back in time. It feels nearly identical to the arcade machine I played at my childhood pizza place before it closed nearly a decade ago, albeit with a boost mechanic now. Had this game gone for something closer to PS1 era graphics (wobbly graphics included) textures I think it would be near perfect. Workshop support would probably allow people to mod in that artstyle but I doubt it's gonna get added five years after release.

If anyone at Sumo Digital is reading this, PLEASE make a spiritual successor or flat out sequel to this. I'd love a version of this with PS1 graphics and bikes instead of cars.

Oct 22, 2025·4h·3·Verified

Steam User 8305STEAMRecommended

Went fast, car good. Turns bad, Wall hurt. Game good, Player bad.

Oct 22, 2025·3h·2·Verified

Steam User 5634STEAMRecommended

Arcade entretenido sin pretensiones de nada más que hacer pasar un buen rato. Es una pena que no tenga afluencia suficiente para partidas online. Recomendado para sesiones arcade de 15 minutos.

Oct 21, 2025·2h·1

Steam User 8987STEAMRecommended

Aki igazi nagy játékterem őrült volt (nem úgy, mint én, mert sem pénzem, sem lehetőségem nem volt játékterembe járni) annak biztosan nem cseng ismeretlenül a SEGA nagy klasszikusa, a Daytona USA. A korához képest bitang jól nézett ki és eszméletlen gyors, élvezetes versenyzést kínált, amibe én még most is vígan hajigálnám bele a százasokat, ha az élet úgy hozná. Aki játszott a Hotshot Racing-gel, az biztos kapiskálja, miért pont a Daytonát hoztam fel referenciaként, hiszen amint megláttam az első képeket és videókat erről a játékról, azonnal a Daytona ugrott be nekem is. A probléma csak az, hogy pár óra játék után ez a gondolat elég gyorsan elillant képzeletbéli szemeim látóteréből. Nem azért, mert annyira bűn rossz játék lenne a Hotshot Racing, mert egy pörgős, stílusos és rendkívül precíz játékról beszélünk, ami kétség kívül megéri a magasztaló szavakat. Az 5 kampányból álló versenyszériák rövid, de annál adrenalindúsabb száguldozást kínálnak, méghozzá igazán változatos helyszíneken, így a hangulat szinte végig adott. Az ehhez társuló zene szintén pörgős és megadja a kellő fordulatszámot, mondhatni remekül beleillik a dizájnba és ez az egész egyveleg már-már csábító eleganciával hívogat vissza minden egyes session után, de... valahogy mégsem sikerült neki úgy igazán belopnia magát a szívembe. A tap to drift vezetési stílus még egy olyan pillére a játéknak, amit való igaz, szokni kell, de ha az ember egyszer ráérez, akkor remek szórakozást tud nyújtani. A választható karakterek autókínálata pont emiatt 4 kategóriába van sorolva, melyek között van, amelyik a gyorsulás, a másik a végsebességet, vagy netán ennek egy valamelyest kiegyensúlyozott változatát kínálja, de arany középút pont emiatt nincs is, amire beton biztosan támaszkodhatna az egyszeri játékos. A versenyekért pénzjutalomban részesülünk, amiket aztán a kocsik csinosítására költhetünk, de mindez kimerül a kozmetikai tuningolásban, felesleges is mélységében továbbgondolni a dolgot. Zenék terén is pörgős, egyedi dallamokat hallgathatunk, számomra ez is nagyon megdobta az élvezeti faktort. És akinek ez nem lenne elég, multizhat, vagy osztott képernyőben is szembeszállhat barátaival, de igazából úgy nagyon más nincs a játékban, és én ezért őszintén szólva nagyon sokallom a 20 eurót, de még a tizenötöt is. 2-3 eurós leárazás keretén több, mint kifizetődő megvásárolni, mert még ha nem is érzel rá az irányításra és az olykor elég igazságtalan catch-up mechanikára épülő nehézségre (helloszia underground 1) akkor is el lehet szórakozni vele. Máskülönben kétlem, hogy két versenynél tovább ez le fog kötni téged, nézzen ki bármennyire stílusosan is. Az viszont tény, hogy abban a korban, melyben sem egy normális Need for Speed, vagy bármilyen Burnout játék nincs, nagyon jó érzés volt egy egyedi és szórakoztató versenyjátékkal játszani, még ha csupán pár óra erejéig is.

Oct 20, 2025·3h

Steam User 2778STEAMRecommended

i hate how ure always playing against bots and time but overall its ok

Oct 12, 2025·3h·Verified

Steam User 8761STEAMRecommended

TOP

Oct 9, 2025·8h

Steam User 3341STEAMRecommended

bom pa caralho

Oct 6, 2025·9h·Verified

LANGUAGE	AUDIO	SUBTITLES	INTERFACE
English	Y	Y	Y
Chinese (Simplified)	—	Y	Y
Chinese (Traditional)	—	—	Y
French	—	Y	Y
German	—	Y	Y
Japanese	—	Y	Y
Korean	—	Y	Y
Polish	—	Y	Y
Portuguese (Brazil)	—	Y	Y
Portuguese (Portugal)	—	—	Y
Russian	—	Y	Y
Spanish (Spain)	—	Y	Y

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retro 3d in-game currency drifting steam achievements playstation trophies voice acting color customization vehicle customization retro graphics xbox achievements previously on - xbox gamepass available on - blacknut

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