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What the Car?

What the Car looks darn great, it sounds wacky as hell and is about as much fun as I’ve had with a game this year so far.
85%Game Brain Score
humor, gameplay
music, grinding
87% User Score Based on 634 reviews
Critic Score 81%Based on 7 reviews

Platforms

iPadiPadiPhiPhoneMOMac OSPCPCPhoPhoneSDSteam DeckWinWindowsMPMobile Platform

About

"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.

What the Car? screenshot
What the Car? screenshot
What the Car? screenshot
What the Car? screenshot
What the Car? screenshot
What the Car? screenshot
What the Car? screenshot
What the Car? screenshot
What the Car? screenshot

87%
Audience ScoreBased on 641 reviews
humor83 positive mentions
music4 negative mentions

  • The game is incredibly fun and silly, with a variety of unique mechanics that keep gameplay fresh and engaging.
  • It features a charming art style and humorous puns that enhance the overall experience, making it enjoyable for players of all ages.
  • The level editor and community-created levels provide endless replayability, allowing players to explore new challenges and creative designs.
  • Some levels can feel repetitive and lack the creativity found in its predecessor, What the Golf?, leading to a sense of boredom over time.
  • The physics can be inconsistent, resulting in frustrating gameplay experiences, especially in certain levels that require precise control.
  • The requirement to play community levels for 100% completion can be tedious, as many of these levels are poorly designed or overly difficult.
  • humor
    85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its absurdity, clever puns, and quirky level design, consistently eliciting laughter from players. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to surprise with funny twists and chaotic scenarios, making it a delightful experience. However, some players feel that the humor occasionally overshadows gameplay quality, leading to mixed opinions on its overall effectiveness.

    • “Graphically great, absurdly funny, constantly topping itself with each new level's oddball themes and charismatic puns, what the car?”
    • “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.”
    • “An absolute delight - this is unhinged, hilarious, and a joy to play.”
    • “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.”
  • gameplay
    85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "What the Car?" is characterized by its quirky mechanics and constant changes that keep the experience fresh and entertaining, appealing to players of all ages. However, some reviewers found the gameplay repetitive and lacking depth compared to its predecessor, "What the Golf?", with certain levels feeling tedious and the controls sometimes frustrating. Overall, while the game offers a charming visual style and humor, opinions are divided on whether the gameplay is engaging enough to sustain interest over time.

    • “A very fun game with tons of different, goofy mechanics that change on a nearly level-by-level basis.”
    • “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!”
    • “What the car seems boring and uninspired, a game that could've been something totally crazy, instead is very limited and boring. The atmosphere is empty and sad, the levels feel lazy, and it feels like a chore. This game feels always like a car game, and the levels that are different with different gameplay are very simple and boring.”
    • “Car control feels stiff and many levels are just hopping from point A to point B with little change in mechanics.”
    • “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.”
  • graphics
    25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a quirky and charming art style that many players find enjoyable and fun, contributing to the overall experience. While the visuals are praised for their creativity and humor, some users note that the simplicity of the graphics may not compensate for gameplay limitations, particularly in the early stages. Overall, the aesthetic appeal is a highlight, especially for a younger audience, but it may not be enough to engage all players fully.

    • “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?”
    • “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.”
    • “You want graphics?!”
  • music
    25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is described as cute and quirky but ultimately repetitive, leading to a sense of monotony, especially during longer play sessions. While some players appreciate the whimsical nature of the soundtrack, including odd sound effects and humorous elements, many find it grating after extended periods, detracting from the overall experience. Despite its charm, the lack of variety in the music can make it feel tiresome, particularly when replaying levels for rewards.

    • “Stayed for the music and custom levels.”
    • “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.”
    • “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.”
    • “Always seems to sound like the same low-energy song with how little conviction the instruments have and the constant whistling in every song.”
  • grinding
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the one-two-three star system that demands precise timing for higher scores. While some enjoy the challenge of replaying levels for achievements, many feel it lacks variety and can evoke feelings of gamer rage, reminiscent of grinding in less enjoyable mobile games. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a mixed bag, appealing mainly to 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. 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.”
  • atmosphere
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of "What the Car" has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it uninspired and lacking the whimsical charm of its predecessor, "What the Golf." Critics describe the game as feeling empty and tedious, with levels that come off as boring and simplistic, leading to a sense of it being a chore. In contrast, others appreciate the carefree and fun-loving atmosphere, highlighting the engaging gameplay and community involvement that can keep players entertained for hours.

    • “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 is even leaderboards to get competitive on!”
    • “+++ carefree, fun-loving atmosphere.”
    • “What the golf was a masterpiece, the campaign was something else and it was one of my favorite games, it was perfect... but this... what the car seems boring and uninspired, a game that could've been something totally crazy, something else... instead it is very limited and boring. The atmosphere is empty and sad, the levels feel boring and lazy, and it feels like a chore. I hate when people say that games feel like a chore, I never understood it, but this is the only time where I find myself in this... it really feels like a chore.”
    • “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.”
    • “The atmosphere is empty and sad, the levels feel boring and lazy, and it feels like a chore.”
  • stability
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is frequently criticized, with players reporting broken and buggy physics that lead to inconsistent gameplay. Many levels feel luck-based due to these issues, which can detract from the overall experience and test players' patience.

    • “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.”
    • “The game is also very buggy and inconsistent in a way that could wear on the patience of some players.”
    • “Not the kind of 'fun' buggy.”
  • story
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game "What the Car?" is noted for its lack of a traditional story, with some reviewers suggesting that even its predecessor, "What the Golf?", had more narrative depth. However, players appreciate the engaging gameplay, simple controls, and the integration of player-made content, which seems to be a focus for future updates. Overall, while the story aspect is minimal, the game still delivers 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 what the car lacks any sort of story (if one could argue even what the golf had some), it's still a good game that definitely delivers on its asking price (and even better on what the car? + what the golf? bundle) with simple controls, amount of content and almost certainly you will crack a smile during your playing of this game.”
    • “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 plot twist: it's a car.”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional response to the game is largely negative, with users expressing disappointment in its lack of creativity and excitement compared to its predecessor, "What the Golf." Reviewers describe the gameplay as boring and uninspired, feeling more like a tedious obligation than an enjoyable experience, leading to a sense of frustration and disengagement. Overall, the game fails to evoke any strong emotions, leaving players feeling unfulfilled and disconnected.

  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is notably poor, with players reporting significant frame rate drops, particularly in chapter 5 where it can plummet to 6-12 fps, rendering it unplayable. Additionally, even at high frame rates like 120fps, the game lacks fluidity, and users have encountered various small bugs and inconsistent performance issues.

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

    Players highlight the game's strong replayability due to its level editor and community-generated content, which significantly extend gameplay. The overall design is praised for its charm and humor, making it a worthwhile investment for those seeking varied experiences.

    • “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.”
  • monetization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has drawn criticism for misleading advertising, as players expected a unique experience but found it to be a repetitive racing game with minimal variation across levels. Despite claims of innovation, the gameplay remains largely unchanged, leading to disappointment among users.

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