The 5 Best Mobile Racing Games
With KartRider Rush+ making a splash this past week, we figured it was high time we updated our list of the best mobile racing games out there. From realistic racing sims to futuristic arcade racers (and even racing management games!), check out our top picks for the absolute best games for those with a need for speed.
If you’re more interested in games where driving is the key focus, check out our list of top driving games here. For all of our most up-to-date top lists, click here.
Rush Rally 3 ($4.99)
If you’re only going to pick one racing game off this list, Rush Rally 3 is the most comprehensive package. This rally racing game has one of the best driving models out there, tons of modes, and a mountain of accessibility features that can make it perfectly enjoyable no matter what your mobile gaming setup is.
The game also has a lot of ongoing support, with updates rolling out on a near weekly basis. Some of these updates are small bug fixes and tweaks, but some significantly improve visuals, while others have added new modes like live events or DLC car packs. You don't see this kind of ongoing support for premium mobile games often, which is also part of what makes Rush Rally 3 so special.
Click here to read our Rush Rally 3 review
Riptide GP: Renegade ($2.99)
For someone who wants a more arcade-y experience, Riptide GP: Renegade offers over-the-top futuristic racing where the key to success is performing stunts as you fly off of ramps and cliffs on your hoverbike. The game offers a lengthy career mode and also has all sorts of other modes, including 2-4 player split-screen multiplayer if that’s what you’re into!
Riptide GP: Renegade also has online multiplayer for up to eight players, but since the game has been out for a few years now, there aren’t a whole lot of people competing over the internet. Still though, Riptide GP: Renegade is loads of fun.
Click here to read our Riptide GP: Renegade review
Go Rally ($4.99)
Go Rally almost feels like a hybrid between a racing game and a platformer. You drive cars, of course, and want to drive as quickly as possible, but the courses in this game are like little obstacle courses where you need to carefully manage your speed and trajectory to try and make the perfect run.
Similar games on other platforms are games like Trials or Trackmania, where the name of the game is repetition and mastery to post respectable times on a leaderboard. If you ever get bored with that, Go Rally also has a fantastic level editor that you can use to try and trip up other players with.
Click here to read our Go Rally review
KartRider Rush+ (Free)
Although it may be free-to-play, KartRider Rush+ feels like a legitimate racing game and currently sits on a throne labeled “best mobile kart racer.” No other mobile game comes close to this title in terms of sense of speed, fidelity of control, and skill ceiling.
KartRider Rush+ is full of all kinds of missions, currencies, and premium items, but it’s super easy to ignore all of that stuff and just play. Most purchasable things in the game so far seem cosmetic, and even new karts and upgrades don’t seem to replace the fundamental skills you need to play the game well. Who knows how long that will last, but for now, KartRider Rush+ has a safe spot on this list.
Click here to read some tips on how to get started with KartRider Rush+
Motorsport Manager Mobile 2 ($5.99)
Steering on a mobile device can be tricky, but not all racing games require you to have direct control over your vehicle. Motorsport Manager Mobile 2 is one such game, and it’s a perfect pick for anyone who wants to experience the thrill of speeding past your competition without needing to hone your reflexes or virtual control skills.
There are other, newer entries in the Motorsport Manager Mobile series, but the second game still stands as the pinnacle of the franchise. Subsequent entries have made some missteps in evolving its management systems, made moves to further monetize the experience, or both.