What the Car?

84%
Game Brain Score Based on 191 reviews
  • gameplay
  • humor
  • music
What the Car? Game Cover
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"WHAT THE CAR?" is a whimsical and unconventional racing game where you play as a car with legs, exploring vast islands and participating in unexpected challenges such as delivering packages, jetpack flying, and even burger flipping. The game encourages creativity with its level editor and leaderboards for player-created content. Despite its absurdity, the game reminds players that it is for entertainment only and not a tool to improve real-world driving skills.

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Reviews

84%
Audience ScoreBased on 191 reviews
humor19 positive mentions
stability5 negative mentions
  • Silly and fun gameplay with a variety of unique levels and mechanics that keep the experience fresh.
  • Great for family play, with a carefree atmosphere and humor that appeals to both kids and adults.
  • Robust level editor and community levels provide endless replayability and creative challenges.
  • Physics can be inconsistent and frustrating, leading to moments of unfair gameplay and control issues.
  • Some levels feel repetitive and lack the creativity and surprise found in the previous game, 'What the Golf'.
  • The game can become tedious, especially when aiming for 100% completion, as it often requires replaying levels multiple times.
  • gameplay29 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by its whimsical and varied mechanics, allowing players to control a little car that frequently changes forms, which keeps the experience engaging and humorous. However, some players feel that the core racing elements can become repetitive, with limited controls and a lack of significant gameplay variation across levels. Overall, while the game is praised for its charm and creativity, it may not fully satisfy those seeking deeper gameplay complexity.

    • “You play as a little car that regularly receives new forms, so the gameplay stays fresh.”
    • “I highly recommend it for its emergent gameplay, silliness, and charming visuals.”
    • “Game plays great, and a lot of the fun comes from speedrunning the levels and mastering the unique mechanics provided in each level.”
    • “This is fun but starts getting stale as most cars don't really change the gameplay that much. Not only that, but there are a lot more levels; I spent about double the amount of time 100% completing this game compared to What the Golf.”
    • “I think taking the 'car' theme really put them into a corner, where the gameplay almost always has to include a kind of race; the ones that don't just last for like 10 seconds or are very buggy.”
    • “Despite the reviews and advertising both saying 'anything but a racing game'... it's basically just a racing game, and the 15 or so levels I played were all basically the same gameplay with none of the surprises I was expecting based on What the Golf.”
  • humor19 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its absurdity and cleverness, with players enjoying the quirky level designs and unexpected twists that elicit genuine laughter. While some reviews note that the humor may overshadow gameplay quality, many find the comedic elements, including amusing sound design and references, to be a highlight. Overall, the game is described as a hilarious experience, though comparisons to similar titles suggest it may not reach the same comedic heights as "What the Golf."

    • “From dodging banana peels to navigating through a world where cars can literally dance, I found myself laughing so hard I almost rear-ended my own sense of reality.”
    • “I have laughed loudly every time I sit down to play this as the quirky humor and even more quirky level design and mechanics make for a hilarious ride.”
    • “So expect lots of silly and unexpected twists and funny moments as you go through the different levels across several themed game worlds.”
  • music9 mentions

    The music in the game is described as cute and quirky but ultimately repetitive, leading to a sense of monotony, especially during extended play sessions. While some players find the soundtrack amusing and fitting for the game's whimsical tone, others feel it becomes grating over time, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “And I've been randomly chanting the theme song as well.”
    • “That soundtrack drove a few of my stream viewers nuts, which is a net positive as far as I'm concerned.”
    • “The colours are bright and cheerful, the tone is absurd, there are bears that sometimes offer non-sequiturs, and the soundtrack is mostly made up of people making weird noises and sometimes going 'vrrrrrrrrrr!' like they're badly imitating cars.”
    • “Rewards don't give anything, levels need to be replayed multiple times to get a card and gold times, the music feels the exact same for the entire game.”
    • “The music... it's cute, but so repetitive, especially when trying to get gold on the harder levels.”
    • “The soundtrack is mostly made up of people making weird noises and sometimes going 'vrrrrrrrrrr!' like they're badly imitating cars.”
  • graphics8 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and silly art style, which many find visually appealing and reminiscent of playful products. However, some users note that while the aesthetics are engaging, they may not compensate for gameplay limitations, leading to mixed feelings about the overall experience.

    • “I highly recommend it for its emergent gameplay, silliness, and charming visuals.”
    • “I love how it's very addicting and long; I've been looking for a long game with a great art style.”
    • “Very fun, good difficulty spread, great visuals.”
    • “You want graphics?!”
    • “The theme and visuals are charming and silly, but they alone don't make up for the fact that the first 30 minutes of gameplay were simply not fun for me.”
  • stability5 mentions

    The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting broken and buggy physics that lead to inconsistent gameplay. Many levels feel luck-based due to these issues, particularly in the context of the car theme, which limits the variety of gameplay and can frustrate players. Overall, the bugs detract from the experience and may test players' patience.

    • “The game is also very buggy and inconsistent in a way that could wear on the patience of some players.”
    • “What the golf is great, but this game has super inconsistent and buggy gimmicks which makes some of the harder levels luck-based at times to get the crown and/or card.”
    • “I think taking the 'car' theme really put them into a corner, where the gameplay almost always has to include a kind of race; the ones that don't just last for like 10 seconds or are very buggy.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly as it requires precise timing to achieve higher scores and medals, reminiscent of less enjoyable mobile games. While some appreciate the challenge for replayability, many feel it lacks variety and can lead to gamer frustration, especially for those not focused on achievements. Overall, the grinding mechanic detracts from the initial charm of the game.

    • “The one - two - three star system for clearing levels becomes more weighted as the levels go on, requiring you to shave off milliseconds to get the full three stars. While this is good for replaying, I unfortunately found it frustrating as the mechanic reminded me too much of grinding terrible mobile games for completion.”
    • “Even in its first hour, it comes off as fairly tedious, like it's lacking variety.”
    • “Charming idea and the demo was a bit of fun, but I found the full game to be quite tedious.”
  • story3 mentions

    The game lacks a traditional story, with some players noting that even its predecessor, "What the Golf?", had more narrative depth. However, it compensates with engaging gameplay, player-made content, and a level creator, suggesting that the developers are focusing on community-driven experiences rather than a structured storyline. Overall, while the narrative may be minimal, the game still offers enjoyable content and humor.

    • “Player-made content and a level creator are now integrated into the layout and the story from the start, and it seems like the developers are banking on this and content updates for the game much harder this time than they did with What the Golf?”
    • “It's like What the Golf, but with a plot twist: it's a car.”
    • “While the game lacks any sort of story (if one could argue that even 'What the Golf?' had some), it's still a good game that definitely delivers on its asking price with simple controls and a good amount of content.”
    • “Player-made content and a level creator are now integrated into the layout and the 'story' from the start, and it seems like the developers are banking on this and content updates for the game much harder this time than they did with 'What the Golf?'.”
    • “It's like 'What the Golf?' but with a plot twist: it's a car.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is characterized as carefree and fun-loving, creating a whimsical environment that engages players for extended periods. It offers both a delightful experience in its base game and endless enjoyment through community-created levels.

    • “Beyond the whimsical atmosphere, this is a game that can very well occupy a great many people for hours upon hours - six for the base game, and countless more for those who wish to partake in the community-made levels.”
    • “The game has a carefree, fun-loving atmosphere.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Players appreciate the game's replayability, highlighting the inclusion of a level editor and community-generated levels that enhance the experience. The game's charm, humor, and value for money further contribute to its lasting appeal.

    • “It's very well put together, cute, and funny (I love the NPC bears). The pricing is right for the amount of gameplay and replayability, and it's absurdly entertaining.”
    • “The level editor and community levels provide extended replayability.”
    • “It's very well put together, it's cute and funny (I love the NPC bears), the pricing is right for the amount of gameplay and replayability, and it's off-the-rails absurd.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Users express that the emotional experience of the game is negatively impacted by the pressure to earn medals, which can lead to a sense of forced gameplay and boredom. This detracts from the overall enjoyment and emotional engagement with the game.

  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for misleading advertising, as players expected a diverse experience but found repetitive gameplay akin to a traditional racing game. Despite claims of innovation, the levels felt similar, leading to disappointment in the overall value proposition.

    • “The monetization system feels exploitative, with constant prompts to spend real money for basic features that should be included in the game.”
    • “It's frustrating to see that progress is heavily gated behind paywalls, making it nearly impossible to enjoy the game without shelling out extra cash.”
    • “The in-game purchases are overpriced and offer minimal value, which detracts from the overall experience and enjoyment of the game.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Users report that the game's optimization is inconsistent, with some experiencing small bugs and varying performance issues.

    • “I've noticed a few small bugs, and the performance can be weirdly inconsistent.”
    • “The game suffers from frequent frame drops, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
    • “Optimization seems to be an afterthought, as loading times are excessively long.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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