The Karters

About

"The Karters" is a kart racing game with retro-style pixel graphics. The game offers various tracks, characters, and weapons to use against opponents. It also includes a track editor for players to create and share their own custom races.

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
Co-Op Team up with friends to complete levels or missions together
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

25%

Audience ScoreBased on 95 reviews

gameplay7 positive mentions

stability12 negative mentions

The driving mechanics are reminiscent of Crash Team Racing, providing a nostalgic experience for fans.
The track designs and character visuals are praised for their creativity and appeal.
The game has potential for improvement, and some players express hope for future updates and fixes.

The game is riddled with bugs and lacks essential features, making it feel unfinished and unplayable.
Online multiplayer functionality is broken, and many players report issues with the AI and item mechanics.
The developers have been criticized for poor communication and for releasing the game in a state that does not meet player expectations.

gameplay
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
68%
12%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many praising the driving and drifting mechanics as reminiscent of Crash Team Racing, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre. However, several players have criticized the controls and overall execution, stating that the game fails to fully capture the excitement of its inspirations. Additionally, issues with menu navigation and unavailable gameplay settings have detracted from the overall experience.
- “This is a great and promising game, I absolutely love the driving mechanics.”
- “Replicating CTR drift/boost mechanics in a good way which makes racing lap after lap exciting.”
- “The gameplay is everything you would want in a karting game and could definitely be a huge hit.”
- “Gameplay aside, even the menus are trash - you can't even start adventure mode with one of the characters because... reasons?”
- “The core mechanics are there, it tries to emulate CTR's gameplay, but it fails miserably.”
- “But the actual gameplay is terrible.”
music
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
The music in the game is generally praised for its upbeat and joyous soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience with vibrant sound design that complements the gameplay. While some reviewers noted a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic titles like CTR, others felt that the music could have been more dynamic, particularly during race conclusions. Overall, the sound effects and character audio are well-received, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “The characters looked original, the mechanics felt right in my opinion, the tracks are great to play on with the scenery looking amazing and the music is great to listen to.”
- “The sound design is the only unique thing I can comment on positively, as the soundtrack is upbeat and joyous, the karts grumbling and roaring is beautiful and other miscellaneous sound effects are pretty nice all 'round.”
- “The flashy animations (like at the end of a race in CTR, the music explodes in a brass instrument fest as confetti rains down on the track and your character does some AI-controlled victory laps) really enhance the experience.”
- “The driving itself feels like CTR and the level design and music are okay.”
- “The flashy animations (like at the end of a race in CTR, the music explodes in a brass instrument fest as confetti rains down on the track and your character does some AI-controlled victory laps. Here you just roll to a stop...)”
- “Music has a CTR feel.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been heavily criticized, with numerous reports of bugs and glitches affecting gameplay, including issues with collisions, controls, and AI performance. Many players express disappointment over the game's release, feeling it is not polished enough for its price, and note that the frequent bugs detract significantly from the overall experience. Despite some glitches being described as non-fatal, the overall impression is that the game is plagued by stability issues.
- “Unfortunately, the events that unfolded within the last year with the alpha, beta, and the release of this game coming out within the span of less than a year, the postponing, and the constant silence from the developers have saddened me to see a full game at $25 NZD being sold with it full of bugs and glitches.”
- “It's incredibly buggy and flawed by design, with bugged/non-existent collisions, a bugged pause menu and controls, sliding in place working, no start boosts, etc.”
- “Then the main game: it's really, really, really buggy. Often when I start a game, it makes colliding sounds from the start and the screen is shaking like I collided with the world or something; I don't know.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
45%
27%
The graphics are generally praised for their beauty and alignment with the game's style, evoking a nostalgic feel reminiscent of CTR. While the visuals are considered satisfactory for the game's price point, there is a noted lack of customization options for graphics settings. Overall, the level design and track aesthetics contribute positively to the gaming experience.
- “The level design is good, the racing is good and very similar to CTR (although the drift boosting feels awkward to me). The graphics are on par with what they need to be, and the style of the tracks and characters really give a CTR vibe.”
- “In terms of graphics, the game is fine. Don't expect a $60 release, but it is better than CTR, the game it tries to emulate.”
- “The graphics are beautiful and the tracks are nice.”
- “There are not enough options for controls or graphics customization.”
- “Graphics settings... not available.”
- “In graphics, the game is fine... don't expect a $60 release, but it is better than CTR, the game it tries to emulate.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong sense of nostalgia and emotional connection to the game, particularly due to its loyalty to the Crash franchise. However, some frustrations arise from gameplay flaws, such as hit detection issues, which slightly detract from the overall experience.
- “Seeing this game made me feel somewhat nostalgic since it's based off Crash Team Racing. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews highlight that the game features a diverse range of character designs, but there is no significant mention of character development or growth throughout the gameplay. Overall, while the characters are visually appealing, their development appears to be minimal.
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as exploitative, with players feeling it has devolved into a cash grab following a troubled launch. After reverting to early access, the game removed key modes and has not delivered on promised updates or bug fixes, further frustrating the community.
- “Once a promising CTR-like kart racing game turned out to be a heartless cash grab. After a troubled full release in an unfinished state, the game returned to early access, ditching game modes like racing. The only available game modes are time attack and 'CTR' catch, with the promise of bug fixes... not even one patch since.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
50%
The game offers limited replayability, as the adventure mode progress is not shared among characters, allowing players to experience different outcomes with each character. However, this feature alone may not significantly enhance the overall replay value.
- “One good thing I can say about this is that the adventure mode progress is not shared among characters, increasing the replay value you might find.”
- “The game offers a variety of character choices, making each playthrough feel unique and encouraging multiple runs.”
- “With different paths and outcomes based on your decisions, the game invites you to replay it to explore all the possibilities.”
- “One good thing I can say about this is that the adventure mode progress is not shared amongst characters, increasing what little replay value you might find.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is derived from the developers' self-deprecating commentary, particularly their attempt to blame Steam for delays, which players find amusingly indicative of their own disorganization. This irony resonates with users, highlighting a comedic disconnect between the developers' narrative and the actual situation.
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game has been noted to have issues with 3D object clipping and AI performance, though these bugs are generally considered non-fatal and do not significantly detract from the overall experience.
- “3D object clipping and AI performance are buggy, but not fatal flaws.”