What the Car?

87%
Game Brain Score Based on 327 reviews
  • humor
  • gameplay
  • music
What the Car? Game Cover
The silliest game about giving a car human feet you could play.
Starting at $19.99Buy now
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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.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Mobile Platform
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

87%
Audience ScoreBased on 327 reviews
humor46 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions
  • The game is filled with funny and absurd humor, making it a delightful experience.
  • It features a variety of unique mechanics and level designs that keep gameplay fresh and engaging.
  • Community-created levels add significant replayability and creativity to the game.
  • The controls can feel clunky and unresponsive, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
  • Many levels lack the creativity and surprise factor found in its predecessor, What the Golf.
  • The game can become repetitive quickly, with some levels feeling overly similar to one another.
  • humor48 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a mix of absurdity and slapstick, with many players finding it both funny and chaotic, often leading to genuine laughter. However, some reviews criticize the humor for being awkward, forced, or lacking coherence, suggesting that it sometimes detracts from the gameplay experience. Overall, while many appreciate the quirky and unexpected comedic elements, opinions vary on whether the humor enhances or hinders the game's enjoyment.

    • “A very funny game with a lot of fun ideas.”
    • “Graphically great, absurdly funny, constantly topping itself with each new level's oddball themes and charismatic puns, what the car?”
    • “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.”
    • “With every new level, I asked, 'Is that supposed to be funny?' while simultaneously questioning my existence.”
    • “The jokes in this game make me feel like I've been gaslit my whole life about what jokes even are, since they all feel awkward, forced, and unfunny.”
  • gameplay45 mentions

    The gameplay of "What the Car?" is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying its quirky mechanics and humor, while others find the controls frustrating and the levels repetitive. While the game offers a variety of unique movement mechanics and challenges, many feel that it lacks the engaging depth and creativity of its predecessor, "What the Golf?", leading to a sense of monotony in gameplay. Overall, the charming visuals and silly atmosphere are not enough to compensate for the inconsistent and often tedious gameplay experience.

    • “With many unique movement mechanics and community levels, 'What the Car?' has major potential for challenging levels that you will play again and again to get that number one spot or find the secret level cards.”
    • “Game plays great, and a lot of the fun comes from speedrunning the levels and mastering the unique mechanics provided in each level.”
    • “The atmosphere is crafted perfectly, gameplay is satisfying and constantly changing, and there are even leaderboards to get competitive on!”
    • “Over half of the different variants of gameplay are miserable to play, since the level of control you have over each variant is usually in the gutter.”
    • “Those harder levels are just frustrating because the mechanics of the game are too basic and imprecise for what they require.”
    • “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.”
  • music15 mentions

    The music in "What the Car?" is described as cute but largely repetitive, with a low-energy feel that can become grating over time. While it ties into the game's quirky aesthetic, many players noted that the soundtrack lacks variety and conviction, leading to a monotonous experience, especially during longer play sessions. Overall, the whimsical sound effects and themes may appeal to some, but the repetitiveness detracts from the enjoyment for others.

    • “The music in 'What the Golf?' adds a unique charm to the gameplay experience.”
    • “Stayed for the music and custom levels.”
    • “That soundtrack drove a few of my stream viewers nuts, which is a net positive as far as I'm concerned.”
    • “Always seems to sound like the same low-energy song with how little conviction the instruments have and the constant whistling in every song.”
    • “The music feels the exact same for the entire game.”
    • “The soundtrack is mostly made up of people making weird noises and sometimes going 'vrrrrrrrrrr!' like they're badly imitating cars.”
  • graphics13 mentions

    The graphics of the game are described as charming, quirky, and visually appealing, contributing significantly to the overall enjoyment. While the art style is praised for its fun and silliness, some users note that the simplistic graphics may cater more to a younger audience and that the limited gameplay could detract from the experience if the visuals don't engage players. Overall, the aesthetics are well-received, but opinions vary on their ability to sustain long-term interest.

    • “The quirky cute graphics make it so enjoyable to play and the silly and fun sound effects contribute to the experience as well.”
    • “I highly recommend it for its emergent gameplay, silliness, and charming visuals.”
    • “Graphically great, absurdly funny, constantly topping itself with each new level's oddball themes and charismatic puns, what the car?”
    • “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.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to slow movement mechanics and the pressure to achieve higher scores and medals. While some enjoy the challenge of improving their performance for better ratings, many feel it resembles the grind of less engaging mobile games, leading to a lack of variety and enjoyment. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a mixed bag, appealing mainly to achievement hunters.

    • “Grinding for the highest scores and medals might take some time and patience (and might even lead to a bit of gamer rage), but overall they don’t matter unless you’re one of those weird achievement hunters.”
    • “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 and 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.”
  • atmosphere5 mentions

    The atmosphere of "What the Car" has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it uninspired and lacking excitement, describing it as boring and chore-like compared to its predecessor, "What the Golf." In contrast, others appreciate its carefree and whimsical vibe, highlighting the engaging gameplay and community-driven content that can keep players entertained for hours. Overall, the game's shift from a fun, puzzle-solving experience to a more competitive racing format has led to a divided perception of its atmosphere.

    • “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 atmosphere is crafted perfectly, gameplay is satisfying and constantly changing, and there are even leaderboards to get competitive on!”
    • “The carefree, fun-loving atmosphere enhances the overall experience.”
    • “What the golf was a masterpiece, the campaign was something else and it was one of my favorite games, it was perfect... but this... is not. What the Car seems boring and uninspired, a game that could've been something totally crazy, instead it feels very limited and dull. The atmosphere is empty and sad, the levels feel lazy, and it feels like a chore. I hate when people say that games feel like a chore, but this is the only time I find myself agreeing. The game is totally different from What the Golf in its philosophy; it always feels like a car game, and the levels that are different with unique gameplay are very simple and boring... like the level where you make a hamburger. You make a hamburger and then the customer takes it, end level... why?”
    • “Maybe it's just me, but the genre transition from golf-puzzle-solving-wacky-adventure to wacky-racing-adventure pigeonholes the experience into a more dry, competitive atmosphere than it assumes.”
  • stability5 mentions

    The stability of the game has been criticized for its broken and buggy physics, leading to inconsistent gameplay that can feel luck-based, especially in harder levels. Many players find the frequent bugs frustrating rather than entertaining, which detracts from the overall experience.

    • “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.”
  • 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 even what '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 far 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.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized for its lack of creativity and excitement, with reviewers feeling it falls flat compared to its predecessor, "What the Golf." Many describe the experience as monotonous and uninspired, likening it to a dull performance that fails to evoke any genuine engagement or enjoyment. Overall, players express disappointment, feeling that the game lacks the soul and fun that would make it memorable.

  • optimization2 mentions

    The game's optimization is notably poor, with reports of significant frame rate drops, particularly in chapter 5 where it can plummet to 6-12 fps, rendering it unplayable. Additionally, players have experienced inconsistent performance and minor bugs, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “The game itself is okay (even if inferior to What the Box in my opinion), but the problem is that it’s very poorly optimized. It doesn’t look fluid even at over 120fps, and in some levels in chapter 5, the fps drops to 6/12, making it unplayable.”
    • “I've also noticed a few small bugs, and the performance can be weirdly inconsistent.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Players appreciate the game's replayability, highlighting the inclusion of a level editor and community-generated levels that significantly extend gameplay. The overall design and humor, along with its value for money, contribute to a fun and engaging experience that encourages repeated play.

    • “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), but the replayability feels limited despite the pricing being right for the amount of gameplay.”
  • 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 upgrades that should be part of the game experience.”
    • “I was disappointed to find that progress is heavily gated behind paywalls, making it frustrating to enjoy the game without shelling out extra cash.”
    • “The in-game purchases are overpriced and offer minimal value, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

81% average critic score

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