Keep Driving

About

"Keep Driving" is a management RPG set in the early 2000s, where you drive across a procedurally generated pixel art open world in your first car. Upgrade, customize, and repair your vehicle, pick up hitchhikers with unique stories, and face challenges on the road using a turn-based combat system. With multiple endings and varying playtimes, each journey offers a different experience. The game encourages players to enjoy the journey and its picturesque landscapes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 570 reviews

music140 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

The game features stunning pixel art and an incredible soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
Gameplay is engaging and addictive, with a unique blend of resource management and turn-based combat that keeps players invested.
It captures the nostalgic feel of road trips, offering a variety of choices and events that make each playthrough feel unique.

Some players find the gameplay repetitive, with a limited number of handcrafted events that can feel dragged out over multiple runs.
The game lacks clear instructions and can be confusing at times, especially regarding the mechanics and controls.
There are occasional bugs and crashes that can disrupt the experience, and some players feel the game could benefit from more content and updates.

music
234 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
39%
1%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its impeccable soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Featuring a mix of indie tracks from small Swedish bands, the music is described as fitting, immersive, and nostalgic, perfectly complementing the game's aesthetic and gameplay. Overall, players consider the soundtrack a standout feature, often recommending the game for its music alone.
- “A delightfully charming adventure with fantastic artwork and a great soundtrack.”
- “The theme is cool, gameplay diverse and challenging, and my god, the music has no right being this good!”
- “The atmosphere in this game is incredible and the music is fire.”
- “I really like this game, gameplay is decent and music is awesome but keep in mind that it's pretty repetitive and slow.”
- “The music is distracting and is obviously the biggest selling point of the game.”
- “There can be more variety, most is soft/soul rock, R&B sneaks in there every now and again, but fitting as you are traveling to a music festival.”
gameplay
110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
58%
11%
The gameplay is a blend of addictive mechanics and nostalgic vibes, featuring a mix of resource management, turn-based RPG elements, and puzzle-solving. While many players appreciate the engaging and charming aspects, some find the gameplay loop to be repetitive and slow, with certain mechanics feeling uninspired. Overall, it offers a unique experience that balances strategy and relaxation, making it appealing for those who enjoy story-driven games.
- “Very addictive challenging gameplay with an awesome aesthetic.”
- “A refreshing mashup of resource/inventory management, turn-based RPG, and puzzle mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is engaging, the graphics are stunning, and the soundtrack perfectly complements the experience.”
- “Gameplay is a little repetitive.”
- “I found the game quite boring as the gameplay loop feels uninspiring; go through a checklist of things before you set off, set off, play a mediocre mini game on the road that gets boring very fast, arrive to the next city over, and go right back to that checklist, rinse and repeat.”
- “After getting an ending or two, the gameplay does start to feel rote and repetitive, but I could see myself dipping into this game from time to time just for a taste of the vibes and to get another ending I haven't seen yet.”
graphics
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
45%
4%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning pixel art style, vibrant visuals, and charming aesthetic that effectively immerses players in its world. Many reviewers highlight the impressive animations and the way the art complements the gameplay, creating a nostalgic experience reminiscent of the late 90s and early 2000s. However, some users note that the unique art style can occasionally make text and icons difficult to read.
- “Before anything else, the visuals of this game are beautiful.”
- “Stunning graphics: the visuals are vibrant and charming, capturing the beauty of endless roads and scenic horizons in an incredibly cozy art style.”
- “The gameplay is engaging, the graphics are stunning, and the soundtrack perfectly complements the experience.”
- “The art style makes some of the text difficult to read and icons difficult to discern.”
- “Overall I like it, but I do think there are a few negatives, mostly on the aesthetic side.”
- “I think that sometimes when people in modern day see 'pixel' graphics, they might think things are simple and can only convey a limited amount of emotion or data.”
story
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
81%
6%
The game's story is praised for its emotional depth and engaging side quests, with players noting the impact of specific narratives, such as "the idiot" quest line. The cozy, choose-your-own-adventure style enhances replayability, while the integration of a notebook feature helps players keep track of key story points. However, some players expressed a desire for more varied main quests and clearer distinctions between quest types, as certain quests can abruptly end the game.
- “44 minutes in, I had to stop because, as a grown man, I was about to cry when I finished 'the idiot' quest line.”
- “Everything feels very lovingly rendered and thought out, the character design, the backgrounds and variety of vistas, the personalities of your traveling companions, the way the story unfolds into so many side quests.”
- “In the two hours I've played, I've relaxed to stellar music, felt accomplished finagling a few extra bucks to get an upgrade, and even teared up to the quest for a hitchhiker that's so sweetly written despite its short length.”
- “But one can only guess for now, as their story is locked away from view.”
- “I wish I had known this beforehand, because I was following the questline of a hitchhiker and stopped by another quest along the way, only to accidentally end my run.”
- “The one important thing I'd like to note that I don't believe the game mentioned was that yellow quests are just normal quests you can complete, but purple quests are ending quests; beating one of these will immediately end your run and grant you that respective ending.”
atmosphere
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
28%
9%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its incredible detail, charming vibes, and nostalgic elements, enhanced by a captivating soundtrack and art direction. Players appreciate the immersive experience it offers, allowing for exploration and relaxation, making it hard to put down. Overall, the game's unique atmosphere effectively draws players into its world, providing a satisfying and engaging experience.
- “The atmosphere is incredible, the attention to detail is top-notch and the sheer amount of features to play with warms my adventurous heart.”
- “The atmosphere and vibe is amazing, all thanks to both the music and art direction.”
- “The game is super atmospheric and sucks you into the world that is Keep Driving.”
- “While the combat (a symbol matching game with a bunch of abilities that affect different strings of symbols) is nothing crazy, its simplicity lends to the chill atmosphere and open-ended nature of the game.”
- “Absolutely killer atmosphere and gameplay.”
- “Really enjoy the overall vibes, lots of nostalgia both in gameplay and the atmosphere.”
replayability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
54%
13%
The game boasts high and seemingly endless replayability, driven by multiple car choices, numerous endings, procedural maps, and a fun turn-based combat system. Players appreciate the variety of quests, randomization elements, and engaging interactions that encourage repeated playthroughs. Overall, the combination of these features ensures that players can enjoy countless hours of entertainment.
- “Lots of replayability with the different quests that you can do, different routes to take, hitchhikers to help, and music to collect.”
- “Now after my first run, I wasn't sure about the replayability, but with 3 car choices, so many endings, procedural maps, and turn-based combat that doesn't get old, it makes me want to play this more and more.”
- “I'm not entirely sure how much replay value there is outside of experiencing every single ending, as I haven't gotten there yet, but with how many endings there are and how long each run lasts, if you try to keep your game purchases around $1/hr, you'll easily get your money's worth out of this one.”
- “A fun combat system, paired with light rogue-lite elements and some procedural generation means replayability is almost guaranteed... and the game is less than the door charge for most punk shows nowadays.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
Reviews highlight that while the game offers stunning visuals that make grinding enjoyable, the lengthy trips can become tedious, reminiscent of the monotony found in games like Desert Bus. Despite this, many players appreciate the creative approach to grinding, finding it a fun and engaging experience overall. However, some note that the grind can feel excessive, suggesting it may require a significant time investment.
- “On one hand, you get to gawk at stunning vistas and environments; on the other, if the trip is long enough, it can feel tedious, akin to the slog you'd feel in Desert Bus.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The experience was terrific in the demo, but the game doesn't stop the vibe I got from grinding out the one car you get.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its hilarious interactions and nostalgic elements, which encourage replayability. Players find humor in absurd scenarios, such as the ability to leave a child on the side of the road, contributing to a light-hearted and inspiring experience. Overall, the humor evokes a sense of nostalgia, reminding players of different times in their lives.
- “It has hilarious interactions and a nostalgic replayability that I keep coming back to.”
- “You can also leave a child on the side of the road if you use the escape ability, which is absolutely hilarious.”
- “The humor and nostalgia that can be gleaned from this game perhaps reminds the player of a different time in their life.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
67%
Overall, users report a stable experience with no crashes or game-breaking issues, particularly on the Steam Deck, although some mention occasional bugs. While the game runs well, full controller support is not yet available but is planned for future updates.
- “I've been playing on Steam Deck and it runs great, showcasing excellent stability.”
- “The game performs smoothly on various platforms, indicating strong stability.”
- “Despite some features being planned for future updates, the current stability is impressive.”
- “10/10 but buggy at times”
- “Not once did I encounter any crashes, glitches, or game-breaking issues.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
Overall, the game runs smoothly for most players, but some have reported occasional bugs and crashes, indicating that there are notable optimization issues, particularly for those who purchased it on release day.
- “The game runs smoothly overall, providing a solid experience despite some rare bugs or crashes.”
- “I purchased it on day one, and while there are some optimization issues, the gameplay is still enjoyable.”
- “The overall performance is commendable, with only occasional minor bugs that don't detract from the experience.”
- “Bought it day one and this game has some optimization issues.”
- “Bought it day one and this game has some optimization issues.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players consistently highlight the game's ability to evoke deep nostalgia and emotional resonance, often feeling connections to experiences that never actually occurred. The emotional depth and thrilling narrative contribute significantly to its impact on players.
- “Nothing else has ever made me feel nostalgia for things that didn't really happen like this game has.”
- “Game is emotional and thrilling.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
Character development is praised for its thoughtful design and the depth of traveling companions' personalities, enhancing the overall narrative through engaging side quests. However, some users find the main character designs lacking and express a desire for more customization options.
- “Everything feels very lovingly rendered and thought out, the character design, the backgrounds and variety of vistas, the personalities of your traveling companions, and the way the story unfolds into so many side quests.”
- “I think the two main character designs are boring, not sure if there are plans to add more in terms of character customization.”