Embarking on Keep Driving feels like rediscovering the unfiltered essence of youth—a time when the open road symbolized boundless freedom and uncharted adventures. Developed by YCJY Games, this indie gem masterfully captures that nostalgia, blending pixel art aesthetics with a roguelite car management RPG. But what sets Keep Driving apart is its storytelling—not one that’s pre-written, but one that emerges from your own choices, mistakes, and absurd road trip experiences.

A “Menu Game” That Feels Alive

At first glance, Keep Driving plays like a glorified menu simulator. Every decision—choosing a route, managing fuel, deciding whether to pick up a hitchhiker—is made through menus and resource management screens. But beneath that seemingly rigid structure is a game that feels shockingly organic. Every stat, ability, and game element makes perfect sense within the road trip fantasy, imbuing it with a sim-like authenticity. Yet, this isn’t a game about optimization, speedrunning, or even winning. It is is about the experience, the crazy stuff that happens to you along the way. Before you know it, you reach the end of the journey, regretting not having done more. Maybe next summer…

Vibes, Mechanics, and the Art of Wandering

The first thing that Keep Driving nails is its immaculate vibes. The scuzzy indie rock soundtrack pairs beautifully with scrolling, parallax landscapes, and the boxy, Volvo-like starting car—instantly setting the tone. It’s an aesthetic that feels ripped straight from a lo-fi road trip mixtape.

Mechanically, the game takes an unconventional approach to “combat.” Instead of action-packed car chases or highway duels, Keep Driving presents encounters as a turn-based puzzle system. You match the patterns of your skills against rows of “threats” that could drain your energy, gas, car durability, or money. It’s an interesting concept, absorbing in its own way, but there’s an undeniable disconnect between the mechanics and the in-game descriptions of events. You’re “fleeing from a gas station robbery” or “arguing with a tow truck driver,” but in reality, you’re just moving icons in a row. It works—but it never quite feels like what it’s supposed to represent.

Where Keep Driving truly shines is in its wider game design—the interplay of conditions, resources, and the unpredictable chaos of the open road. Hitchhikers aren’t just quirky NPCs; they bring tangible effects that shift your entire journey. Some offer useful perks, others introduce hilarious or frustrating complications, and all of them feel like real personalities shaping the experience. The game isn’t about testing your skill but about rolling with the randomness, adapting, and making stories along the way.

A Love Letter to Wasted Youth

This is the joy of Keep Driving: it’s not about the destination, but the stories created in between. The carefully designed mechanics—the hitchhikers, the road map, the buffs and debuffs—act like mechanical storytelling devices, ensuring that no two trips feel the same. Failure exists, but it’s never punishing. Like real road trips, the game encourages you to take detours, make mistakes, and embrace the unexpected.

At its core, Keep Driving is a nostalgic love letter to a time when you had more time than money, more desire than purpose. It’s about the perplexing, irritating friends you made along the way. And most of all, it’s about taking life as it comes, one stop at a time.