Trackmania review

Trackmania ranks second because it is the purest skill racer on the list and the free tier is generous. Ubisoft's site says you can play for free across five environments, take on five new Shorts tracks each week, play the easier tracks from each seasonal campaign and race online every hour on community tracks in the Arcade Channel. Driving is about lines and timing on asphalt, dirt, ice and even underwater surfaces, with loops and wall rides. The creative side is unusually deep: simple and advanced Track Editors with more than 3,000 blocks and items, a skin editor and a replay editor. It is also the lightest PC game here, with a 4 GB RAM minimum and a 3 GB install on Steam. The catch is that full seasonal campaigns, top community creations and hosting your own rooms sit behind Club Access, which we could not confirm in USD from this location. Steam reviews are Mostly Positive at 79% of 14,862.

Who it is for

PC players who like chasing lap times, climbing leaderboards and building their own tracks.

Price

Free Starter Access; See vendor pricing (USD check pending) for Club Access.

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• Free play across 5 environments: Red Island, Blue Bay, Green Coast, White Shore and Stadium
• Five new Shorts tracks every week
• Hourly online races on community tracks in the Arcade Channel
• Track Editors (simple and advanced) with over 3,000 building blocks and items
• Regional and global rankings, medals and trophies

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free to play, with a light 3 GB install and a 4 GB RAM minimum on Steam
• Strength: Fresh player-made tracks every week and every hour online
• Strength: Deep creative tools for tracks, skins and replays
• Weakness: Full seasonal campaigns and online rooms need paid Club Access
• Weakness: Mostly Positive on Steam: 79% of 14,862 English reviews
• Weakness: Precision time trials can feel repetitive to casual players

Key facts

• Developer: Nadeo (Ubisoft)
• Price: Free Starter Access; Club Access paid
• Steam reviews: Mostly Positive, 79% of 14,862 (English)
• Minimum RAM: 4 GB
• Storage: 3 GB

Where it ranks

Trackmania is No. 2 in our Best Free Online Racing Games verdict.