Rally Games

Rally games take racing off the asphalt: dirt roads, snowy stages and dunes where the car slides and bounces. There are around 50, free, and they run in your browser with nothing to download.

How it differs from a normal race

On an asphalt circuit the car grips well and you can turn in late. On dirt, snow or sand that stops working: the rear steps out, the car is slow to respond and every correction costs you speed. That's why rally is mostly won on consistency. One clean stage with no scares beats a fast one with two trips off the road.

The format is different too. In real rally, cars start one at a time and are timed, and several games here follow that idea of racing the clock instead of a pack of rivals. Rally Champion, Pro Rally 2, Rally WRK and Peugeot Motorsport work that way.

Variations in the list

Dakar Desert Rally, Desert Rally and Dune Dash set the race in the desert, with dunes and jumps. Snow Drift Racing and Ace Drift focus on drifting: the point isn't to stop the car sliding sideways, but to use it.

If you like bigger vehicles, there's a good batch of off-roaders and monster trucks: 4x4 Rally, 4X4 Off Road Rally 3D, Monster Truck Rally, Monster Truck Dirt Rally and Big Foot Monster Truck. They're heavier, they bounce more and they forgive a few more bumps.

Where to start

• You want something close to real rally: Rally Champion or Pro Rally 2.
• You like deserts and dunes: Dakar Desert Rally.
• You'd rather drive something huge: Monster Truck Rally.

One rule that works in almost every game: brake before the corner, not as you enter it, and don't go full throttle until the car is pointing straight again. If you're after jumps and obstacles on dirt bikes, check out the ATV section as well.