Fulfill your need for speed no matter where you are: Our top 9 mobile racing games.
Photo credit: Shivam Maurya Pexels
Sure, you won’t get the real sim racing experience without wheel and pedals. Nonetheless, mobile racing games are a great way to get some high-speed action basically anywhere, even if you spend some time away from your precious sim rig.
F1 Mobile Racing
Platform: Android / iOS
Price: Free to play + optional micro-transactions
Modes: Quick race, multiplayer against random opponents, events
As the title already suggests, F1 Mobile Racing is all about Formula 1. The game features the ten official teams as well as their respective drivers. Naturally, the track selection consists of the official circuits. You can unlock more tracks by progressing in-game and winning in multiplayer races.
F1 Mobile Racing is being developed by Codemasters. The company also published the well-known simulator F1 2019 and 2020, so their mobile game is simply a smaller version of their flagship franchise. It also includes custom liveries and upgrades for your car, single and multiplayer matches and gets regularly updated with new content.
GRID Autosport
Platform: Android / iOS / Nintendo Switch
Price: €10.99 Android / €11.07 iOS / €33 Nintendo Switch
Modes: Career, time trial, quick race. Multiplayer is still in a separate beta only
GRID Autosport is another mobile title by Codemasters. You might be familiar with the game since it was originally released for console and PC in 2014. Unlike F1 Mobile, GRID Autosport is not exclusively focused on only one genre of racing and offers different modes. For example, you can race on dirt tracks as well as through the city.
This game is the most expensive one on our list, but it’s a one-time purchase without any hidden extra costs. What makes it one of the most popular mobile racing games: its outstanding graphics and handling. GRID Autosport arguably feels the closest to traditional simulations for PC and console.
Motorsport Manager 3
Platform: Android / iOS / Nintendo Switch
Price: €6,99 Android / €6,60 iOS / €13 Nintendo Switch + optional micro-transactions
Modes: Quick race, career
Motorsport Manager 3 might not be the usual “step on the gas and race” game, but covers another genre in the realm of motorsport. You have to build your own racing team and manage all aspects of it. From pit stop strategies, fuel and tire management, upgrading and tweaking your car or choosing the right drivers to represent your team, it’s all in your hands.
The racing aspect itself is not in the foreground when it actually comes to the racing itself, as cars are represented by simple icons on the circuits. However, the entire world before the races and preparations are incredibly detailed and still create an immersive and exciting feeling.
Asphalt Legends: 9
Platform: Android / iOS / Nintendo Switch
Price: Free to play + optional micro-transactions
Modes: Career, multiplayer, and events
One of the most popular mobile racing titles is Asphalt Legends 9. The game is not about realism and trying to create a simulation experience, but entertains with its over-the-top game design and crazy features. It still offers realistic graphics which makes the game even more appealing. You get the looks of a common racing experience, but suddenly you lift off, crash luxurious supercars without consequences, perform the wildest stunts and have fun doing shenanigans on the road.
The game also comes with a catchy score and has a balanced reward system for new cars and features. If you are interested in this game in general, you can also try out the version for Switch or PC, which you can find in the official Nintendo eShop and Microsoft stores respectively.
Racing Fever: Moto
Platform: Android / iOS
Price: Free to play
Modes: Quick race, missions, multiplayer
The market for mobile racing games does not only offer the classic need for speed action with Formula 1 cars or karts, you can also mount two-wheeler. Racing Fever: Moto features a range of motorcycles to choose as your vehicle to make your way through the traffic of huge metrocities.
The game is easy to play but hard to master. By completing levels and progressing, you can unlock more motorcycles. Steering works either through touch-screen or tilting the phone. You can also switch between four camera angles and the game is completely free from in-game purchases.
Traffic Rider
Platform: Android / iOS
Price: Free to play + optional micro-transactions
Modes: Career, endless, time trial, free ride
Another mobile game for passionate bikers is Traffic Rider. Similar to Racing Ever: Moto, you have to race through highways with lots of traffic and find a way to overtake other vehicles. Traffic Rider comes with several modes: career, endless, time trial and free Ride.
By completing missions, you can unlock gold to spend on new motorcycles or customisations. Traffic Rider can earn points with its precise and responsive controls, as well as a great sense of speed.
KartRider Rush+
Platform: Android / iOS
Price: Free to play + optional micro-transactions
Modes: Quick race, story, time trial, arcade, ranked, multiplayer
How about you check out an incredibly popular esports racing titles where the tournaments have some of the highest prize pools in the scene? The racing game series KartRider might not be well known in some parts of this world, but it counts as most successful racing title in South Korea.
The mobile version KartRider Rush+ takes a completely different direction than the other games we had so far. It’s not about high adrenaline rushes or realistic sim experiences, but purely about fun. The graphics and characters as well as cars and tracks have a playful and creative look. The racing battles that are taking place in this squeaky colorful world are quite exciting and remember: Your most important skill is to drift in this game.
There are also in-game challenges and rewards waiting for you, including a purchasable Battle Pass. KartRider Rush+ does indeed come with lots of options for microtransactions, but you are not required to purchase anything as they don’t really give you a benefit when it comes to competing against others.
If you want to read more about the hype surrounding KartRider in other countries, you can take a look into our article “The biggest racing esport you never knew“.
Mario Kart Tour
Platform: Android / iOS
Price: Free to play + optional micro-transactions
Modes: Quick race, multiplayer, events
No matter if you are an avid motorsport fan or simply a casual gamer, it seems like nearly everyone has played Mario Kart at some point in their life. The popular series also boasts a mobile version: Mario Kart Tour. Since the series surrounding the plumber with his trademark moustache counts as one of the most successful video games franchises, the mobile racing game has just as many fans. Over 123 million fans downloaded the game in the first month of its relase alone, according to news page Sensortower.
The unique part of this game are the Tours. Every two weeks, a special event with a specific theme is being introduced. The themes range from real-world cities to characters of the Mario series to more general ones. For example, most recently there was the Cooking Tour in which you could collect items such as Chocolate Donuts or Strawberry Crêpe gliders, or special food-related karts.
Real Racing 3
Platform: Android / iOS
Price: Free to play + optional micro-transactions
Mode: Quick play, time trial, event, mutiplayer
From the imaginative and playful universe of Mario Kart straight back to one of the most realistic racing experiences you can get for your mobile device. As its name already suggests, Real Racing 3 by publisher Electronic Arts puts much emphasis on realism. The game features a huge range of licensed cars from the biggest car manufacturers in the world and also real circuits.
Real Racing 3 also has a special asynchronous multiplayer system, where you can race against the ghosts of your friends who already completed the circuit earlier. As many other EA titles, the game includes lots of microtransactions and works with three different in-game currencies.
What other mobile racing games do you enjoy playing? Tell us on social media!