Golden Lap

About

"Golden Lap" is a motorsport management game set in the thrilling era of open-wheel racing. As the head of a team, you'll need to make strategic decisions, manage budgets, and handle big personalities to lead your team to victory. The game offers an intense and unpredictable racing experience, with advancements in car technology and the constant threat of accidents adding to the challenge. Your goal is to etch your name in racing history by leading your team to pole position every season.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 426 reviews

gameplay13 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

Golden Lap is a fun and relaxing racing management game that is easy to pick up, making it accessible for newcomers to the genre.
The minimalist art style and simple interface enhance the gameplay experience, allowing players to focus on strategy without being overwhelmed by details.
The game features a unique mechanic where drivers can get injured or die, adding an element of unpredictability and excitement to the races.

The game lacks depth and complexity compared to other racing management games like Motorsport Manager, making it feel repetitive after a few seasons.
Many players find the AI too easy to beat, leading to a lack of challenge and engagement as they can dominate races without much effort.
Qualifying and race strategies can become tedious, with some mechanics feeling overly simplistic and not providing enough variety or meaningful choices.

gameplay
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
71%
9%
The gameplay is generally described as simplistic and repetitive, with a core loop of upgrades, qualifying, and racing that can become monotonous after a few seasons. While some players appreciate the minimalist approach and find it entertaining, many feel it lacks depth and strategic complexity compared to other racing management games. The inclusion of driver injuries and deaths adds a unique element, but overall, the game is seen as needing more engaging mechanics and content to sustain long-term interest.
- “Additionally, the driver injury and death mechanic is a really well-implemented system since it not only pays homage to a very deadly period of racing history but also forces you to think carefully about whether it's worth it to force your drivers to push during the race and risk losing them.”
- “The gameplay loop is satisfying for what it is and I'm excited to see how future community mods will take it even further.”
- “The gameplay loop is so satisfying and the seasons are just long enough to get invested while also dangling the possibilities that next season will bring.”
- “The gameplay balance is not perfect yet - in my experience there are too many deaths (something like 3 - 4 a year is common, way above the average for the period it's trying to emulate) and wet races come around far too often, where it becomes more like an idle game.”
- “Game elements (teams, pilots, car parts stats) and mechanics (pit-stop choices, team economy, primitive tuning 'minigame') are simplified below the point of being variable or challenging; player decisions are extremely limited and pretty obvious (waiting for yellow/red flag to change tires and repair parts out of schedule, etc.).”
- “The core gameplay loop of upgrade/build - qualify/tune - race/pit gets repetitive after a season or two and doesn't really offer any level of strategy or randomization to keep it interesting for longer.”
graphics
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
49%
7%
The graphics of "Golden Lap" are characterized by a minimalist and calming art style that effectively captures the essence of the golden era of motorsport, making it visually appealing without requiring high-end hardware. Players appreciate the tasteful aesthetics and user interface, which enhance the strategic gameplay experience, while the simplicity of the visuals allows for deeper engagement with the game's mechanics. Overall, the graphics are well-received for their charm and ability to immerse players in a low-stress, relaxing environment.
- “Beautiful visuals that do not require the latest and greatest graphics card is a welcome approach.”
- “The visuals and art style are excellently done, and as a player, the excellently-written dialogue humanizes your chosen crew - whether it's a driver panicking over a punctured tire, or your crew chief informing you about an accident in qualifying.”
- “The minimalist art style adds to the charm, rather than breaking your immersion with horrifying voice commentating that gets stale 10 minutes in.”
- “Unlike other simple clicker games, no saving grace like extensive history and stats, content variability (for example big library of tracks or rules changing between seasons) or cute visuals.”
- “And while I do like the aesthetic, it just felt like the little control I had didn't matter.”
- “Like an F1 manager or motorsport manager for people who don't care about the fancy graphics.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the community-driven music settings and the potential for a vibrant environment. However, many criticize the soundtrack for its lack of presence compared to previous titles, noting instances of silence during gameplay and limited music during races, leading to disappointment among fans who expected a more engaging audio experience.
- “Simple, community helped, music setting, what an environment for everyone to thrive, just wonderful.”
- “Absolute Drift made me really like drum & bass, and Art of Rally had some real bangers as well.”
- “Simple, community helped, music setting, new updates fixing issues.”
- “One of my major criticisms is that the soundtrack feels like it barely exists compared to the previous two games of theirs.”
- “Sometimes it's just quiet, not sure if it's a bug or if that's the intent, and music during races only plays if you speed up the simulation to like 4x or 8x the speed.”
- “Big disappointment since I wanted yet another banger soundtrack :(”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, as it becomes easy to dominate within a few seasons, leading to a lack of challenge. While the tuning mini-game can become repetitive and the qualifying process feels straightforward, many still manage to enjoy the experience despite these issues. Suggestions for improvement include increasing difficulty to enhance decision-making and engagement.
- “Qualifying can be a bit tedious as the decisions are pretty easy and it isn't difficult to get multiple golden tunes - I think the devs could make this a bit harder (limited tires?) to increase the decision space.”
- “Overall you have low agency, the tuning mini-game gets tedious and the game will crash you if you do well.”
- “It is easy to become unstoppable within 3 seasons, so it can become a tad tedious, but you can still have fun with it.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a lighthearted blend of humor that complements its serious racing theme, making the experience enjoyable despite its simplicity and lack of content. Players appreciate the humorous elements woven into the gameplay, enhancing their overall enjoyment.
- “Overall, I like the time I spent with the game; the little humor parts intertwined with the serious love of racing.”
- “Really, this is a bare-bones race day simulator, laughingly simple and enjoyable. Yes, it needs a massive amount of content.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Motorsport Manager is highly praised for its replayability, offering players the opportunity to explore various strategies and narratives, making it a compelling choice for those who enjoy immersive and strategically deep gameplay.
- “The replay value is in trying different things and telling different stories.”
- “If it's something you enjoy, then you can always jump into Motorsport Manager, which is still the undisputed king of the genre in terms of immersion, strategic depth, and replayability.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game features a narrative that encourages players to create their own storylines, enhancing the overall experience after each race. Users appreciate the storytelling aspect, which adds depth and personal engagement to the gameplay.
- “I love the little storylines that I can make up in my head after each race.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The optimization aspect of the game is noted for its value, offering significantly higher performance (around 110) for a modest investment of $6-9, compared to a lower performance (approximately 5) for just $3. Players can earn fixed rewards plus additional bonuses based on their racing performance, enhancing the overall experience.
- “You get around 110 performance for $6-9 rather than about 5 for $3.”
- “Each option provides a fixed amount of money plus additional earnings based on your performance in races.”
- “You get about 110 performance for $6-9 rather than around 5 for $3.”
- “Each one will provide you with a fixed amount of money plus extra depending on your performance in races.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its artistic and immersive qualities, enhancing the overall experience of racing management.
- “A very artistic and atmospheric take on racing management.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates excellent stability, particularly noted for its smooth performance on the Steam Deck. Users consistently report a reliable and enjoyable experience without significant issues.
- “Runs great on the Steam Deck as well.”