Cranks and Goggles

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Cranks & Goggles is a top down racing game set in the roaring 20s. Players find themselves as one of the worlds first auto-racing superstars and placed behind the wheel of a number of historical race cars. The game’s engine utilizes real physics in order to mimic the unstable (and quite dangerous) nature of the period’s automobiles. Gentleman racers will travel across all of Europe in order to com…

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Play Modes

Reviews

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 101 reviews

music16 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game features a charming aesthetic with great art style and music that captures the 1920s racing vibe.
Gameplay is fun and addictive, with a satisfying learning curve that rewards players as they master the controls and handling of the cars.
There is a good variety of vehicles and tracks, along with a career mode that adds replayability and a sense of accomplishment.

The car handling can be frustratingly difficult, with many players finding the physics unrealistic and challenging to control, especially for beginners.
There are frequent bugs and crashes reported, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to a frustrating experience.
The AI is often criticized for being unchallenging or glitchy, leading to a lack of competitive racing in single-player mode.

music
46 mentions
35 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its charming 20th-century inspiration, effectively complementing the game's aesthetic and enhancing the overall experience. While many players appreciate the nostalgic soundtrack, some note its limited variety and suggest that modern remixes could elevate the audio experience further. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a delightful addition that captures the game's whimsical spirit, despite occasional technical issues with sound playback.
- “Everything drips with 20th century inspiration from the race selection screen to the music, and it's done so in a charming and not-annoying way.”
- “The music is beautiful and doesn’t disturb if you play long.”
- “I enjoyed the game's music - it fits the time period and has this classic funky oldies feel to it.”
- “This may just be a petty complaint because I am an audiophile and have spent thousands of hours mixing music on a professional level, but it is still how I feel about it.”
- “However, sometimes the music or the sound effects would cease to work, only restoring with random chance or by restarting the game, somewhat breaking the immersion.”
- “The soundtrack and sound design are repetitive; there is one track in Wales where you hear the same sheep sample about 12 times a lap.”
graphics
39 mentions
46 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming, vintage aesthetic, featuring a low-poly art style that evokes the feel of interwar travel posters. While some users noted occasional graphical glitches and a simplistic design, the overall presentation is considered effective and atmospheric, enhancing the gameplay experience. The combination of well-executed visuals and a fitting soundtrack contributes to a nostalgic ambiance that many players appreciate.
- “Absolutely love the visuals, and the soundtrack, while slightly limited, is the perfect ambiance.”
- “The polygon graphics are funny and give a great atmosphere to the game.”
- “A lovely 20s art style with cell-shaded cars and music from the era all help to give this game a lot of character.”
- “At first I was a little disappointed, the 2D graphics were underwhelming and I had some difficulty controlling the car.”
- “The visuals are okay, but they don't hold their charm.”
- “There are still some glitches and visuals/sounds are limited, but crank & goggles still worth its price tag.”
gameplay
10 mentions
50 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally well-received, featuring an easy-to-learn yet challenging experience, particularly praised for its enjoyable driving mechanics and fun racing elements. While some users note a lack of depth and progression, the overall sentiment highlights a promising foundation that may improve with future updates and mods. The game's art style complements the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.
- “Great art style, good gameplay.”
- “Easy to learn, hard to master gameplay (in other words: good gameplay).”
- “Very nice driving mechanics, cool theme, fun and enjoyable racing experience.”
- “The gameplay is pretty thin, really.”
- “I can't speak for everyone, but when I see a game's release notes state the game has reached 1.0 beta one day prior to its full release, to me that means the game is done content and gameplay-wise and they're just looking for bugs.”
- “I have to confess, I've only invested 14 hours of gameplay and have only made it to class B thus far.”
humor
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its quirky physics, allowing players to drive recklessly without consequences, which adds to the comedic experience. Additionally, the polygon graphics contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere, enhancing the overall fun. While the controls may be challenging initially, the humor remains a standout feature.
- “Kinda hard to control at first, but it's so funny.”
- “Funny enough, the real physics do not consider the car's inner workings, so you can drive as fast as you like without breaking the car.”
- “The polygon graphics are funny and give a great atmosphere to the game.”
story
3 mentions
33 % positive mentions
-33 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is seen as lacking depth, with players expressing a desire for a longer narrative and more engaging storytelling elements. While the races are enjoyable and replayable, there is a call for future updates to include a more developed storyline involving rivals and the automotive world to enhance the overall experience.
- “In short, there's lots of promise, but it feels too easy (for now). The ambiance produced by the graphics could be complemented with a few storytelling aspects.”
- “In short, lots of promise, but too easy (for now) and the ambiance produced by the graphics could be complemented with a few storytelling aspects.”
- “For future releases, I'm looking forward to an open drive mode, more races, and a storyline about rivals, world news, car makers, etc.”
- “Would love a longer story mode, but the races are very replayable as you try to improve your time and get money for better cars.”
stability
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that while there are occasional graphical glitches and some limitations in visuals and sounds, these issues are not significantly distracting or annoying, and the game remains a worthwhile purchase.
- “There are still some glitches and visuals/sounds are limited, but crank & goggles are still worth their price tag.”
- “There are some graphical glitches occasionally, but nothing that will distract or annoy.”
atmosphere
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its well-crafted graphics, which feature a humorous polygonal style that enhances the overall experience.
- “The graphics and atmosphere were well-made.”
- “The polygon graphics are quirky and create a great atmosphere for the game.”
optimization
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is well-optimized, as evidenced by smooth performance on older hardware, such as a 2011 MacBook Pro running both macOS and Windows 10. Users report a positive experience even without prior racing or driving experience.
- “I’ve played this game on my 15" MacBook Pro from 2011 on both macOS and Windows 10, and the performance was very good.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is not explicitly addressed in the provided text, focusing instead on the nostalgic art style and overall aesthetic. Therefore, no specific insights on monetization can be derived from this review.
replayability
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players find the races highly replayable as they focus on improving their times and earning money for better cars, though there is a desire for a longer story mode to enhance overall replayability.
- “I would love a longer story mode, but the races are very replayable as you try to improve your time and earn money for better cars.”
- “The variety of challenges and different paths to take make each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
- “With multiple endings and unlockable content, I find myself coming back to explore every possibility.”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players generally find that grinding for money is minimal unless they aim for the "collect all cars" achievement, suggesting that skill level can significantly reduce the need for extensive grinding.
- “Not a lot of grinding for money if you don't struggle too much (unless you're going for the 'collect all cars' achievement).”