Racing games are deceptively complex and can lead to players spending hours upon hours trying their hardest to nail that perfect drift or hit a speedtrack at breakneck paces. This, coupled with custom car tuning and other in-game challenges lead to racing games being enjoyable experiences that players can sink a ton of time into. Of course, there's one particular aspect of racing games that contributes the most to game hours in this context.
Building race tracks in these games ends up being a surprisingly engaging experience that players can get absolutely absorbed in. Of course, there are some gamers who prefer to just race on tracks instead of constructing them, and downloading fan-made tracks in their favorite games is a great way to experience unique courses and enhance the longevity of the said title. Here are some of the best racing games that feature robust and entertaining trackmakers.
Special Mention: Grand Theft Auto 5
While Grand Theft Auto 5 might not be a racing game per se, props should still be given to its track-building system for being incredibly robust and entertaining. Players have created some amazing custom races that are a joy to play through with friends in GTA Online, with the sheer absurdity of some tracks proving just how much freedom this particular track builder provides. In fact, many people would agree that this track editor is better than the ones available in most dedicated racing games.
6 Hot Wheels Unleashed
Hot Wheels Unleashed is a game that took everyone by surprise. The idea of controlling toy cars in a race might not sound as appealing as most realistic racers, but the arcade nature of the game's racing is genuinely enjoyable and becomes even more engaging with the addition of its robust track editor.
Players can create some really loopy and wild tracks that can potentially surprise racers at every turn. Downloading one of the many tracks that users have made in this game is quite a blast and shows just how creative gamers can be when they put their minds to something.
5 TrackMania
It would be impossible to talk about racing games with a track builder without mentioning the poster child in this department. TrackMania is a legendary title that many people have heard of simply because of the wild tracks made in this game.
The fact that players can just accelerate on extremely wild tracks without any input to land astounding jumps and rebounds with ease proves why TrackMania is such a blast. The racing might not be the most realistic thing around, but most people will forget this issue in a flash once they start messing around with the robust track editor of this game.
4 Gran Turismo 6
It's a shame that the Gran Turismo series has become a shadow of its former self in modern times. Gamers were disappointed with the grindy gameplay of Gran Turismo 7, and this shift in approach hurt even more given how impeccable the title that preceded it was.
Gran Turismo 6 made some great strides with its track editor, with players being able to download an app that allowed them to create tracks for GT6 from the comfort of their own phone. This cut down a ton of time that was taken to form these tracks, and it's a shame that this game can't be accessed through any other means other than emulation nowadays.
3 Assetto Corsa
Realistic sim racers have become a pretty compelling genre that players love investing their time and money in. Great sim racers with tight mechanics end up enjoying an extensive shelf life if developers are prudent with updates, and Assetto Corsa is a great example of the same.
The fact that this game is going to be out for almost a decade yet features a massive player base is a huge achievement in its own right, with both official updates and an incredible modding community contributing to the game's longevity. The track editor allows players to create some fun tracks, even if the realistic nature of this racing game might restrict players from creating some truly zany race courses.
2 Dirt 5
Codemasters have been at the top of their game when it comes to developing realistic racers, with Dirt 5 proving why this studio is respected by many in the sim racing community. Off-road racing is pretty engaging in its own right and takes on a whole new dimension of fun through Dirt 5.
Dirt 5 has a great track editor that lets players comb through various landscapes to great amazing rallies, tough racetracks, and everything in between. The fact that this game combines the best of both arcade and sim racing makes it an approachable title for everyone, with the track builder being the cherry on top of a rewarding experience.
1 Trials Rising
The Trails series features a bunch of hilarious games where making it to the end of a particular stage is an achievement in itself. The use of physics in a 2.5D motorbike racing game lends itself to some absurd moments where players end up flipping out of control pretty much all the time.
With a track editor, players can create some truly insane levels that can range from amusing to an absolute chore. Racing might not be the main focus of Trials Rising, but players who try and achieve first place in multiplayer races will definitely get a kick out of getting through obstacles that are giving other players a really tough time.