After work, I feel like talking about work!
Saber Interactive’s muddy truck sims won me over in 2020 with Snowrunner. I can’t imagine a better time for the release of this title than the middle of a pandemic. There was plenty of time, and games in this series require it. I’ll never forget driving a truck with a trailer through mountainous terrain and muddy ruts for an hour, only to crash just before the finish line. I still remember it to this day, so I guess it was great!
It was, because although the tasks in these games may seem generic, they are challenging. There is no time pressure; on the contrary, everything must be approached with extreme patience. This is particularly true of RoadCraft. If you want to play RoadCraft, we recommend downloading the game for free.
It’s completely different to the previous games
Compared to the studio’s previous games, Snowrunner and Expeditions, RoadCraft changes a lot. In theory, the developers have simplified the driving mechanics, but it is still very challenging. You can no longer customise vehicles mechanically (for example, if a truck does not have a hook rope, you cannot install one), so you have to pay even more attention to which vehicles you choose for specific purposes.
There are also a lot more vehicle categories! This is because the list of tasks has changed radically. In Snowrunner, we mainly focused on delivering goods to their destination (or recovering them); in Expeditions, we explored uncharted maps without clearly marked paths; and in RoadCraft, we do a little bit of everything. Yes, a lot of the time you’re transporting pipes or metal beams, but first you have to collect rubbish and take it to a recycling facility. Then you have to load them onto the truck and secure them with ropes.
As we drive to our destination, we may find that something has gone wrong along the way. Perhaps the area is flooded, huge boulders have fallen from the mountains or the mud is so thick that no truck can pass through. This is where our road-building mechanic comes in. First, we load sand onto a truck, drive it to our destination, empty its contents, then use an excavator to spread the sand. Next, we pour asphalt using a paver and finally use a roller to harden the entire surface.
We can build roads either in places designated by the game or wherever we want. If you see a place where a potential shortcut could be built, you can build a road there. The difference is that in these places, you have to perform all four steps manually, or you can skip the last two and drive on the sand. However, such a road will quickly wear out if you drive on it often.
I get the impression that RoadCraft is even more of a co-op game than before. The cooperation between players when it comes to taking care of all the logistics involved in building roads and delivering goods is simply wonderful and works really well. Unfortunately, progress is only saved by the leader, but as a way of ‘jumping’ into the game and helping out, co-op works really well.
Once the game has clearly marked the location of a potential road construction site, the work can be delegated to artificial intelligence, which performs these tasks efficiently. Generally, there are more route designations for AI here. Unfortunately, in other cases, this shows how artificial the artificial intelligence really is. Vehicles follow rigidly designated routes and even a small pebble proves to be an insurmountable obstacle. It is not uncommon for the AI to get lost and, when it crashes into a pole, it cannot back up.

There’s something for everyone!
What captivated me most about RoadCraft was the variety of tasks involved. For exploration enthusiasts, there are simple quests that encourage you to find your way to hard-to-reach places. Fans of hard work can lay electrical cables underground, build bridges, collect trash and take it to a recycling facility, cut down trees and cut stumps. Even after dozens of hours, I am still surprised.
Some of the mechanics I miss include installing upgrades in vehicles and setting routes to help with navigation, as there is no mini-map. However, I also understand why these design decisions were made. RoadCraft is no longer just a game about driving from point A to point B over difficult terrain. To some extent it still is, but the routes are usually not so hardcore or long anymore. There is more repetitive work here, and the satisfaction comes from doing it.

I must admit that there’s something devilishly relaxing about completing the third ’round’ of sand, piling it up on the lakeshore and laboriously ‘spreading’ it with an excavator until a shortcut is finally created that will make the next few hours easier. With good music or a podcast, you could easily spend a hundred hours here.
Our rating
RoadCraft is an interesting game that will seem completely new and fresh to seasoned players and those unfamiliar with Snowrunner alike. Personally, I am thrilled — it is an excellent game that, with the right mindset, can absorb you for over a hundred hours. We give it 8/10.