2 
0 Keep Driving is a game developed and published by YCJY Games, who are a two person crew from Gothenburg, Sweden. This is their newest game in development, putting a new spin onto the RPG turn based genre with a retro vibe. Take a trip into your 1981 Sedan, while meeting different characters with their own quirks and tribulations. Make sure to maintain your car, your energy and hunger. Upgrade your car to give you an edge dealing with pigeons on the road, slow cars or bad weather. Plan your routes and hope you make it to your destination!
Keep Driving has been revealed by YCJY Games with no release date as of yet but hopefully we hear about this soon! You can wishlist Keep Driving right now on Steam!
Bananas, chocolate, aspirin and a video game? All set for my drive!
Gameplay
Keep Driving takes the driving game genre and puts an interesting take on this by having a turn based “battle” system. This system surrounds icons representing different areas of maintenance: your fuel, car durability, energy and money. Each of these will take their turn to either attack or defend against your card skills. Players can upgrade these using skill points in the designated tab. You can also meet people along your adventure which can join your car and be upgraded to help along the way! Escape the icons altogether by pressing on the gas pedal. But beware the remaining icons will hurt your mentality or car. So use it wisely!
You can also make pit stops in different areas of the map to fuel up, maintain your car using different vendor bought items. I did not waste any time and immediately bought the fluffy wheel cover! This does actually have a use and will protect against the colder parts of your journey making you more durable against a cold status “attack”. The items are varied and will provide cosmetic and even sometimes help with your journey. For example the little flag to place on your car. This enables you to have a discount at petrol stations, which definitely comes in handy!
Graphics & Audio
The graphics and audio is where the game shines! Keep Driving has a wonderful indie/rock soundtrack which never stops giving. It makes the world feel so much more alive and all thanks to a little local band called Westkust. These are a local band to the developers and I will definitely be looking into them more as I could not get enough of the soundtrack!
The graphics themselves have a retro charm which fits the game perfectly. Even down to the radio itself and the icons being reminiscent of old school displays you’d probably find on cars before the 2010 era. I would also compare the graphic style to games like Oregon Trial which has a similar vibe in terms of the textures of the game.
It all works perfectly in sync to make one hell of an experience. I have found myself returning to the demo to find new environments to look at and tracks to listen to. The night environments especially have a blissful vibe that comes with taking the car out on an evening drive after a long day at work. No idea how they managed to bring this to the game but I assure you, they have and it’s brilliant!
Longevity
The Keep Driving Demo I had early access to had plenty of routes to take and explore. It gives you plenty of replayability in terms of adventures to have and people to meet. The characters are full of personality and little quests to keep you occupied. The variety in customisation choice also brings a lot to the table. After hours of playing the demo over and over again, I met new characters, discovered different road events and new music to jam out to. The ability to choose your own route and take things at your own pace is a great addition, just remember not to run out of fuel. Unless you’ve got a good relationship with your in game parents that is, then they can bail you out!
Final Thoughts
The demo gives a great glimpse into what Keep Driving will be! Having played the previous games by YCJY Games and knowing the quality and passion for game making was still there was refreshing! The game has really caught my eye and I will keep playing this till the game comes out. Keep Driving has satisfied an itch for a game with simple yet gripping substance. The quality of indie games such as this really sets the standard for creativity and will hopefully get the attention it really deserves! I personally can not wait to get my hands on the full game to explore the wonders YCJY Games created.
Guess I’ll just keep driving till I cannot drive any more and await the release date!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this preview.
If you enjoyed this preview why not check out my last one!
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