Slow Roads: Everything We Know

Imagine a relaxing game where you can simply unwind, driving through stunning landscapes and enjoying the peaceful journey.. Slow Roads offers you just that. If you are looking to escape the intense and thrilling games that have dominated the gaming industry, Slow Roads offers a refreshing and peaceful escape, allowing players to slow down and simply enjoy the ride. No objectives, no timers, and no racing. Just relax and enjoy the drive. Let’s Dive in!

What is Slow Roads

Slow Roads is a casual driving game that focuses on relaxation and exploring the beauty of nature. While most games have a defined goal or endpoint, Slow Roads has no objectives, racing, or any kind of winning conditions. The player's task is to simply enjoy the tranquillity of driving across procedurally-generated landscapes on an endless journey. 

The game features a unique procedural generation system to create new roads and landscapes each time you play. This feature ensures that no two journeys are ever the same. As a player, you have the freedom to choose your vehicle and adjust the weather conditions while taking your time to explore the world around you. You can curate the experience that best suits your mood. Whether you are in the mood for a peaceful drive under a bright sky or want to navigate through snow-covered roads, the game adapts to your preferences, offering a dynamic driving experience. Each journey presents new experiences and stunning scenery, ensuring every ride feels fresh and exciting.

Story

While most video games have a defined storyline, Slow Roads does not have a linear plot or any narrative-driven elements. As the player, you create a narrative through the experience of driving across the constantly changing landscapes. 

Nevertheless, there's a subtle narrative in the game, a narrative of finding peace and tranquillity in a long, scenic journey.  The goal is to enjoy the views, feel the zen of driving, and become fully immersed in the beauty of your environment rather than to get to a certain destination. The game offers an opportunity to clear your mind, be in the moment, and take a break from the distractions of life.

Gameplay

Slow Roads’  gameplay is simple. The game’s key feature is procedurally generated roads that wind through a variety of landscapes. The game allows the player to experience different landscapes, from forests and hills to open plains and snow-capped mountains, offering something new and unique in each playthrough. The world of Slow Roads feels endless, with every corner offering a new view and a fresh journey.

The game allows you to adjust the weather to match your mood, so you have full control over the atmosphere of your journey. You can drive under a bright sunny sky, through a rainstorm, or during a beautiful sunset. The game also features different seasons, which include spring, summer, autumn, and winter. These seasons change how the world looks and feels completely.

Slow Roads offers endless exploration with no rush to complete anything. You just drive, explore, and enjoy the scenery. As you navigate the game world, roads wind through valleys, forests, and hills, providing stunning views.

The game has a soothing soundtrack and a calming atmosphere for a relaxing zen experience. It has no goals or pressure to achieve any objectives, which allows you to get into a meditative state. The gameplay is just smooth, uninterrupted driving with no crashes, races, or game-over screens. It is a great choice if you are looking for a peaceful, stress-free environment.

Development

The developer designed the initial version of Slow Roads as a simple, browser-based game that involved endless driving through procedurally generated landscapes. The focus was on creating a relaxing, low-stress experience for players to enjoy without any goals or failure conditions.

The initial version launched in October 2022 as a tech demo. The initial version had many limitations, including a messy codebase, poor performance, and simple graphics. As the game gained popularity, the community provided feedback and suggestions that led to the development of Slow Roads 2.0. The creator, working as a solo indie developer as a hobby project, rebuilt the entire engine from the ground up to address these issues and improve the game’s overall experience.

The game has included new features and improvements, including more vehicles, road types, and enhanced graphics options based on player feedback. Slow Roads 2.0 also has mobile support, allowing players to enjoy the game on smartphones and tablets, which further expands the game’s accessibility. The developer will continue to drop small weekly updates while steadily improving the new locations, vehicles, and environmental details.

The developer is in the process of creating a Steam version of the game. The version will have additional features like a scene editor, vehicle customization, high-resolution assets, and profiles for saving progress. The Steam release is aimed at providing a more feature-rich experience beyond the limitations of the browser version. 

Trailer

While Slow Roads 2.0’s release trailer highlights the game’s core concept of a relaxing, endless driving experience, it showcases the new features and enhancements introduced in the updated version. The game’s new features include enhanced graphics, new textures, shaders, improved lighting effects, and a broader range of environmental details that significantly improve the visual experience. The game’s landscapes feel more immersive, vibrant, and dynamic, with better lighting and atmospheric effects. The updated 3D trees and foliage systems make the environment richer and more natural.

The trailer emphasizes the relaxing, zen-like atmosphere of the game, with sweeping vistas of hills, forests, and mountains. It also highlights the beauty of the game’s procedurally generated world. 

Release Date and Platforms

The original version of Slow Roads was released in October 2022 as a browser-based experience, offering a simple but compelling driving experience. The game is now available on PC, Mac, and mobile devices through its browser version. There are plans for the more expansive release on Steam set for April 2025, which you can add to your wishlist here. The upcoming Steam release promises to take the game to new heights with more content and customization options.