Phantom Spark

About

Phantom Spark is an exhilarating high-speed racing game that will test your limits. Push for your best time in precision time-trial races across three domains full of otherworldly architecture. Take on challenges, hone your skills, and master the pathways to surpass the champions. Light The Spark Pushing you forward in the single-player campaign, you have the domain champions. Giving you the driv…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
PvP Player versus Player - Fight against other players in real-time, often in arena-style combat
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 146 reviews

music32 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Phantom Spark offers a unique and addictive time trial experience with simple controls that are easy to learn but hard to master, making it accessible for both casual and competitive players.
The game features stunning visuals and an excellent soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere, creating a chill yet exhilarating racing environment.
The instant restart feature and short track lengths encourage players to continuously improve their times, fostering a satisfying loop of progression and mastery.

The game lacks online multiplayer options and variety in gameplay modes, which may limit long-term engagement for some players.
Some players find the track design repetitive, with limited environmental diversity and a desire for more content and longer tracks.
The narrative elements and character dialogues can feel intrusive and unnecessary, detracting from the core racing experience.

music
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
37%
5%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its captivating and chill drum and bass soundtrack, which perfectly complements the fast-paced racing experience and enhances the overall atmosphere. Many players describe it as one of the best soundtracks in racing games, evoking nostalgia while creating a trance-like state that aids in focus and performance. However, some critiques mention a lack of distinct tracks for different biomes, with the soundtrack playing the same songs throughout.
- “This game has one of the best soundtracks in a racer I have heard.”
- “The music absolutely fits the vibe of the game 100%, nothing but bangers!”
- “The dream liquid drum'n'bass soundtrack is perfect for the vibes of this game.”
- “Some small critiques: biomes don't have distinct songs from one another; the game's soundtrack plays everything, everywhere.”
- “I'm not as sold on the soundtrack as some others were and I streamed my own music over the top instead.”
- “I wouldn't personally listen to the soundtrack outside of the game, as opposed to a game like Neon White's absolute banger of a setlist.”
graphics
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
46%
8%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant and unique aesthetic, combining sci-fi elements with a warm pastel color palette that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the smooth performance, crisp visuals, and well-optimized design, which contribute to a hypnotic atmosphere that complements the engaging soundtrack. While the track designs share similar gimmicks, the overall visual presentation and artistic choices create a standout experience in the racing genre.
- “Hypnotizing visuals with a banger soundtrack, all beautifully optimized.”
- “The visuals, the audio, the racing just all fits together so well and feels like it's tuned to perfection.”
- “Tracks in each world share the same track gimmicks and the same aesthetic, so it's difficult to tell these tracks apart.”
- “The aesthetic choices make it stand out from the crowd.”
- “The art style feels quite different, sci-fi mixed with old civilization architecture, and the color palettes are a feast for the eyes.”
gameplay
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
60%
10%
The gameplay of Phantom Spark combines elements of track racing and speedrunning, featuring straightforward controls that allow for deep and rewarding mechanics. Players engage in time trials against ghost competitors on intricately designed tracks, emphasizing momentum and precision without drifting. While the core gameplay loop is addictive and atmospheric, some players note a lack of variety in race modes, which can lead to repetitiveness over time.
- “Perfect 'just one more try' gameplay, well-balanced ghost challenges.”
- “The controls are simple but the mechanics are incredibly deep and rewarding, and without on-demand boost, maintaining momentum is so important.”
- “An amazing game that is essentially an anti-grav Trackmania, but it does its atmosphere so well that Trackmania feels sterile in comparison, while also having gameplay that’s just as good.”
- “By the time I had reached the second set of levels, the gameplay loop had started to feel repetitive and lacking in variety, as there are no types of races or modes besides trials and standard race tracks (which are still time trials).”
- “The emphasis is on very wide turns without a drifting mechanic.”
- “I'll be honest, it's not easy to understand the fine-grained mechanics in the game, but the ghosts help show you different ways you can optimize your time.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning biomes, calming and engrossing soundtracks, and a light, airy aesthetic that enhances the racing experience. Reviewers note that the atmospheric drum and bass soundtrack complements the gameplay, creating a welcoming and immersive environment that encourages players to improve their times. Overall, the game is lauded for achieving a unique and captivating atmosphere that sets it apart from other racing titles.
- “The atmosphere is amazing and creates this light, airy, laidback feel that almost goes for a heavenly aesthetic.”
- “Definitely recommend it, the atmosphere is unbeatable.”
- “Regardless of that, each biome looked stunning, alien and abstract and, along with the soundtrack, created a calm and engrossing atmosphere.”
- “It nails its atmosphere better than the vast majority of racers and it has addicting gameplay as well.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The game is praised for its exceptional optimization, featuring hypnotizing visuals and a captivating soundtrack that enhance the user experience. Players note that the performance is incredibly smooth, making it ideal for racing enthusiasts who appreciate the ability to memorize and optimize short tracks for maximum speed. Overall, the optimization is considered a standout aspect of the game.
- “Hypnotizing visuals with a banger soundtrack, all beautifully optimized.”
- “This is a game that distills racing down to its bones, and keeps the tracks very short, so they can be memorized in muscle memory and endlessly optimized.”
- “While all racing games are by definition, literal speed runners, Phantom Spark is optimized for it.”
- “Very heavily optimized performance and user experience.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The game demonstrates excellent stability, running smoothly without bugs or glitches, which enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate its performance, particularly on the Steam Deck, making it an easy choice for casual play.
- “Played a bunch of the Next Fest demo, now planning on killing time in short bursts with the full game (mostly on Deck, since it runs great).”
- “It runs great, looks great, and the track design is excellent.”
- “It's a pretty chill time trial game, runs great on the Deck too, which made this an easy buy.”
- “This game crashes frequently, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
- “I encountered several bugs that disrupted my gameplay and made it frustrating.”
- “The stability issues are a major drawback, as I often find myself dealing with lag and crashes.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The story in the game appears to be ambitious, with significant effort invested in its theme and characters; however, many players find it difficult to grasp the intended meaning, leading to a sense of disconnect from the narrative.
- “That said, I don't get the theme or story.”
- “Maybe it's my fault for trying to extract meaning out of a racing game, but there was a lot of effort put into the theme and story, and I feel like I'm not getting the intended effect.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Overall, users highlight that replayability is driven by the desire to improve performance, with some noting a smooth gameplay experience and engaging soundtrack that enhance replay value. However, concerns about occasional framerate issues and limited replay options were also mentioned, suggesting a mixed reception regarding this aspect.
- “Very smooth gameplay, great soundtrack, high replayability.”
- “Low sometimes-choppy framerate and limited replay value.”
- “That's where the replayability comes from; always striving to improve that last time, if only by a few milliseconds.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers appreciate the game's character development, highlighting the charming and appealing character designs that enhance the overall experience.

Buy Phantom Spark

Videos

84%1.2kreviews

Inertial Drift

2020

Arcade Racing

86%7.2kreviews

art of rally

2020

Arcade Racing

98%1.2kreviews

Parking Garage Rally Circuit

2024

Racing

90%371reviews

Neodash

2022

Arcade Racing

73%551reviews

Polyball

2017

Casual Racing

90%1.2kreviews

OlliOlli World

2022

Arcade Platformer

93%7.8kreviews

Distance

2018

Survival Racing

81%2.4kreviews

Slipstream

2018

Casual Racing

96%1.4kreviews

Driftwood

2023

Casual Racing

88%370reviews

Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders

2025

Racing

Phantom Spark

Platforms

About

Buy Phantom Spark

Phantom Spark

Phantom Spark

Videos

Games Like Phantom Spark

Inertial Drift

art of rally

Parking Garage Rally Circuit

Neodash

Polyball

OlliOlli World

Distance

Slipstream

Driftwood

Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders