Quick Links
If there's one thing kids love, it's racing games. It's no wonder, either; racing games are fast-paced, so they keep their attention, and they're often multiplayer, so friends and family can enjoy the fun together!
Best Racing Games For Beginners
From Forza Horizon 5 to Hot Wheels Unleashed, there are a ton of racing games on the market; but which ones are the best introduction to the genre?These days, there are hundreds of racing games to choose from! We've collected the very best options into this list for you, detailing what platform they're on and their ESRB rating, to help you choose the best one for the child(ren) in your life.
Updated on October 11, 2023, by Gabrielle Huston: It's a truth universally acknowledged that children like to go fast. Why not pick up a few racing games to entertain them with, then? We've added a few more suggestions to this list.
Video Games For Kids Age 2-4+
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8
- Franchise
- Mario Kart
- Platform(s)
- Wii U
- Released
- May 30, 2014
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EAD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Genre(s)
- Racing
- ESRB
- E for Everyone: Comic Mischief
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is probably one of the first games to come to mind when you think about children's racing games. There's a reason there have been eight entries in the Mario Kart series, after all! This racing game also claims the title as the very first game to come out for the Nintendo Switch.
The gameplay is pretty self-explanatory. You play as Mario characters (with a few characters from other famous Nintendo franchises as well) racing each other in Mario-themed maps (again, a few are from other Nintendo franchises). You can personalize your kart and playstyle individually, meaning that even expert players and beginners can play together and have fun doing it.
Stumble Guys
ESRB Rating |
E for Everyone |
---|---|
Platforms |
iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows |
The game Stumble Guys is a goofy massively multiplayer online (MMO) racing game. You compete against 32 other players as you rush to the finish line! There are tons of different maps, each one presenting a different challenge to you; will you be able to avoid the obstacles long enough to beat the others?
To add to the chaos, there are ways to sabotage your rivals, gain extra speed, and special paths to take. As the cherry on top, you'll be able to customize your own stumbling guy with fun outfits and compare with your pals.
Team Sonic Racing
Team Sonic Racing
- Franchise
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Released
- May 21, 2019
- Developer(s)
- Sumo Digital
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Genre(s)
- Racing
- Engine
- E For Everyone due to Mild Cartoon Violence
If the kid in your life is a big fan of the Sonic franchise, they might enjoy racing alongside all of their favorite characters! There have been variations of Sonic racing games over the years, but Team Sonic Racing is the most recent. For those who have been enjoying Sonic games over the years, the tracks are in the familiar, classic style.
Something that sets it apart from Mario Kart is the fact that teams must work together to perform well during these races. You're responsible for your own moves as well as supporting the others.
Hot Wheels Unleashed
ESRB Rating |
E for Everyone |
---|---|
Platforms |
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Microsoft Windows, Amazon Luna |
Does the child in your life love Hot Wheels? If so, we've got the perfect racing game for them! Hot Wheels Unleashed allows players to control the toy cars as they race around tracks set up in an ordinary home.
If you own many of the Hot Wheels toys, you'll probably recognize a couple of the cars you get to drive! As you go, you'll collect more and more cars and unlock unique features for them which shake up the gameplay.
19 Best Racing Games On Steam
From Forza Horizon 5 to Grid Legends, racing game fans will find a bevy of excellent racing titles on Steam.Video Games For Kids Age 5-7+
Turbo Golf Racing
ESRB Rating |
Unrated (early access) |
---|---|
Platforms |
Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X |
Turbo Golf Racing is an unorthodox indie game that combines the sport of racing with the sport of golf! It includes three game modes, customizable cars, action-packed and chaotic gameplay, and more!
Up to eight people can play together, meaning the whole family or all of your friends can compete for first place! There's really nothing to complain about, except how addicting it is.
Marble It Up! Ultra
ESRB Rating |
E for Everyone |
---|---|
Platforms |
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Microsoft Windows, Linux |
It's hard to resist the enticing allure of a beautiful marble, and Marble It Up! knows it. It's a smooth game where you control a marble and navigate levels that will challenge your mastery. As you play, you can collect even more interesting marbles (and hats to put on them).
There's a lot of content to experience here in both the single-player and multiplayer modes. In the single-player campaign, you'll need to complete a series of increasingly difficult platforming challenges. Multiplayer includes a variety of unique ways to compete, such as a zombie apocalypse and treasure hunting!
Shiny Ski Resort
ESRB Rating |
E for Everyone |
---|---|
Platforms |
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Microsoft Windows |
Shiny Ski Resort is part racing game, part management simulator. The focus of the gameplay is that you've opened your very own ski hill, and must attract customers to earn cash, then use that cash to upgrade all of your beautiful, snow-topped facilities.
On the mountain, there's tons to do. If you manage to look especially impressive while you ski, pulling off cool tricks, you'll get rewarded. Skiers who visit your resort will get better and better, until they're competing in enormous competitions while wearing your sponsored gear!
Descenders
ESRB Rating |
E for Everyone |
---|---|
Platforms |
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Cloud Gaming, macOS, iOS, Amazon Luna, Linux, Android |
Descenders is a popular mountain biking video game that's able to put you in an entirely new environment each time! The levels are procedurally generated, so you get something different for every ride.
As you race downhill at unbelievable speeds, you can perform special tricks and complete randomized objectives. You'll only fail the level entirely if you "bail" (fall off your bike) too often.
Circuit Superstars
ESRB Rating |
E for Everyone |
---|---|
Platforms |
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Microsoft Windows |
Circuit Superstars is an indie racing game that sets itself apart by featuring a top-down view of the track. It was made by Original Fire Games and published by Square Enix. Circuit Superstars describes itself as a game for racers, by racers, and features lots of different kinds of racing: there are open-wheel single-seaters, SuperTrucks, EuroTrucks, and more.
Reviewers have praised the game's genuinely challenging AI and its polished graphics. There's also tons of attention to detail; your cars use fuel, your tires degrade over time, and you'll need to choose carefully when to take a pitstop.
Dirt 5
Dirt 5
- Franchise
- Dirt
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X , PC , PS4 , Xbox Series S , PS5 , Xbox One , Stadia
- Released
- November 6, 2020
- Developer(s)
- Codemasters
- Publisher(s)
- Codemasters
- Genre(s)
- Racing
- Engine
- Evolved Engine
- ESRB
- E For Everyone
- How Long To Beat
- 10 Hours
Dirt 5 is a vibrant, action-packed racing game where you can really get down and dirty! It doesn't hide the fact that these races are as messy as they are fun.
You can play through the familiar Career mode, which gives a natural sense of progression. If you're feeling more creative, though, there's a Playgrounds mode where players can build their own arenas.
Happily for kids, it's also easy to play with friends. You can enjoy 4-player split-screen on one device, or 12 people can race against each other online.
JellyCar Worlds
ESRB Rating |
E for Everyone |
---|---|
Platforms |
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Microsoft Windows |
Imagine if you combined a driving/racing game with a precision platformer; you'd get JellyCar Worlds! Both you and the world are made out of jelly, so you need to use your wits to navigate the whimsical obstacles set in front of you.
It's easy to see that a lot of love (and fun!) went into this game's development. There are tons of different levels to navigate and enjoy, plus special abilities to master that will help you to reach your destination. You can even design your own cars and record your own sounds for it to make!
8 Non-Racing Games That Include Racing
Racing games aren't the only titles that allow you to compete in exciting races.Video Games For Kids Age 8-9+
Gran Turismo 7
Gran Turismo 7
- Franchise
- Gran Turismo
- Platform(s)
- PS5
- Released
- March 24, 2022
- Developer(s)
- Polyphony Digital
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Genre(s)
- Racing
- ESRB
- E for Everyone: Alcohol Reference, Use of Tobacco
Gran Turismo 7 is part of a long line of excellent racing games. The graphics are absolutely stunning, showing the gorgeous tracks and glorious cars in more detail than ever before.
Andy Kelly reviewed Gran Turismo 7 for TheGamer, praising it for having so much content and excellent, realistic handling behind the wheel. The meat of this game is its career mode, which has you starting from the bottom and working your way up to the best cars and the most complicated tracks.
SkyDrift
ESRB Rating |
E10+ for Everyone ten and up |
---|---|
Platforms |
PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch |
SkyDrift originally came out in 2011, but earned a remastered version called SkyDrift Infinity in 2021. Unlike most other games on this list, it doesn't take place in a four-wheeled vehicle; you're racing through the sky in a plane!
The other quality that makes SkyDrift stand out is the combat, like if you replaced the items in Mario Kart with actual weapons. If you can't win the race on your own merit, you can just shoot down the competitors!
Up to 4 people can play together on one screen, whereas up to 8 people compete online.
SnowRunner
ESRB Rating |
E for Everyone |
---|---|
Platforms |
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Cloud Gaming |
SnowRunner is a game about conquering the most intense environments on the planet while driving powerful and enormous vehicles. The difficult, unpaved terrain makes it completely unlike the other games featured on this list.
SnowRunner is a driving game, but not all of it is racing. That part comes in the form of challenge missions, in which you are asked to complete particular routes as quickly as possible for unique rewards.
The 9 Best Sci Fi Racing Games
Turns out the future is blindingly fast and covered in neon lights.Video Games For Kids Age 10-12+
GRIP: Combat Racing
GRIP: Combat Racing says it was inspired by games such as Rollcage, Wipeout, Motorstorm and Star Wars Podracer. It's a cutthroat high speed racer where your track might be in outer space or on a foreign, icy planet.
You can compete with multiple players in split screen or online, and choose between the team racing or deathmatch modes! You'll also get to choose from 30 unique vehicles and customize it with your preferred power-ups.
Burnout Paradise Remastered
ESRB Rating |
E10+ for Everyone ten and up |
---|---|
Platforms |
PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows |
Burnout is a classic racing game franchise that players have been enjoying for generations. The latest installment is a remastered version of the Burnout Paradise game, and it does not disappoint.
While there are genuine races to participate in, Burnout also just lets you drive around Paradise City to have fun. Many people remember all the driving into pedestrians and streetlights, cutting off other cars, and generally causing mayhem much more than they remember the actual races.
Riders Republic
Riders Republic
- Platform(s)
- PC , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Amazon Luna
- Released
- October 28, 2021
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Annecy
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
- Genre(s)
- Sports , Racing
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Lyrics
Riders Republic is a racing game, but not in cars. Instead, you can choose from one of four options: biking, snowboarding, skiing, and flying in a wingsuit. These extreme sports fuel the fun as you and other players online race through the world.
When you play, you can either participate in the Career mode or the competitive Multiplayer mode. The open world of Riders Republic encompasses many recognizable American national parks, such as Sequoia Park, Mammoth Mountain, Bryce Canyon, and more, into one combined area.