Millions of people around the world actively follow various motorsport events, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that some of them are looking for the same kind of content in other media formats.
Racing has been a common theme in video games for decades and continues to be omnipresent on all kinds of gaming platforms, with demand for new, better simulations never settling down.
In 2025, the gaming industry is more developed and more diverse than ever. This gives motorsport fans more options to find the content they like, but they could use some assistance navigating the crowded field of games that incorporate the racing theme into gameplay.
Simple racing games on mobile phones
One of the reasons why there are so many racing games is that the concept is very simple to translate to the screen. You just need some stylised vehicles, a track with some tricky curves, and a steady stream of incoming obstacles to dodge and opponents to keep at bay. By changing how the vehicles look and what surroundings the race takes place in, game designers can infuse a specific style into the game.
Most importantly, racing games fit well on narrow rectangular screens and are fully compatible with touch commands, which is why they are currently thriving on mobile platforms. For many people, a quick race on their phone is the perfect way to get rid of stress or kill some time between serious tasks, so this type of games has a very broad audience.
Realistic racing simulations
Serious motorsport fans aren’t satisfied with games that are merely based on racing – they want the real thing. Fortunately for them, there is an entire genre dedicated to authentic replication of the auto racing experience from first-person perspective of a driver. Sim racing games, as they are known among the gamers, have been around for a long time and they are getting progressively more realistic.
From classic driving simulators like the Grand Prix series, IndyCar and Grand Turismo to modern games like those from the Assetto Corsa franchise, the bar for quality of graphics and impact physics has continually been raised.
Today’s games are so faithful that it’s possible to learn many skills that would be useful on the actual racetrack simply by controlling a virtual car. You can also compete against other drivers in multiplayer mode, and major games from this class are recognised as eSports.
Online slots inspired by motorsport
The racing theme is well represented in online casinos, particularly as inspiration for creating fun and dynamic video slots. Games of this type work similarly to traditional slot machines with spinning reels, so there is no actual driving but the symbols on the reels and other elements of the game are often directly inspired by racing.
These games are very abundant – PowerPlay’s online slots games for Canadian players number in thousands, and quite a few have a connection to motorsports. Slots are primarily luck driven and you need very little skill in order to win, so they can be a fun way to prepare for watching a big race while also potentially winning some cash.
Some of the best games from this group include Road Rage, Mad Cars, Galactic Racers, and Monster Wheels, to name just a few all-time fan favorites that offer fair odds to win.
Open world games that include racing elements
Some of the most interesting racing games are those that don’t confine the player to the racetrack, and instead let him explore at will. Open world games are hugely popular because they are so unpredictable, and most of them feature motor vehicles at least as means of transportation.
Titles like Need for Speed and Grand Theft Auto go further and integrate driving into gameplay on a deeper level while still affording the player a lot of freedom. Other open world games that prominently feature motorsport elements include Burnout Paradise, The Crew, and Forza Horizon, all of which let you customise your car and perform many entertaining missions.
Keep an eye for new releases from the existing franchises as well as for completely new games, since this genre is extremely popular at the moment.
Impact of motorsport on game design
From all of the above, it’s clear that game designers are following the motorsport arena and trying to find things they can use in their work. Even when they are not trying to recreate the racing experience in virtual space, they might still be benefiting from this connection.
Take dashboard design for example – in many games there is a need to organise commands in a convenient way to allow the player to interact with the game. Many of those dashboards look like they belong on a sports car, as they rely on the same principles of visual communication to cram as much information into limited space.
Elements such as leader boards, pole positions, or time to beat are also commonly found in video games that have nothing to do with cars. In other words, racing is one of the sources of ideas for video games that keeps impacting where the market is headed.
