Apex Rush
Apex Rush is a free 3D racing game that runs in your browser. The cars are modelled properly. Each tyre has a grip curve, weight moves forward under braking and backward under power, the engine has a torque curve and a real gearbox, and aerodynamic drag sets the top speed. It still plays like an arcade racer: fill the nitro, drift the hairpins and knock rivals into the wall.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Phone | Gamepad |
|---|---|---|---|
| Throttle | ↑ or W | Automatic | Right trigger |
| Brake / reverse | ↓ or S | BRAKE | Left trigger |
| Steer | ← → or A D | ◀ ▶ pads, slide or tilt | Left stick |
| Drift | Space or Shift | DRIFT (hold) | B |
| Nitro | N or X | NITRO | A |
| Camera / reset / pause | C / R / P | 🎥 / ↺ / ❚❚ | Y / Back / Start |
The physics
Every car uses a bicycle model with a Pacejka-style tyre curve. Grip builds as the tyre slips. It peaks at a few degrees of slip angle and then falls away, which is why a slide needs catching. Braking moves load onto the front tyres so the nose bites, while lifting mid-corner can swing the rear. Rear-wheel-drive cars can spin their tyres coming out of slow corners, and the all-wheel-drive cars put their power down cleanly. The faster cars make downforce, so they grip harder at high speed. Wet tarmac, kerbs and grass all have their own grip levels.
Assists
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Full | Traction control, ABS, stability control and steering help that keeps the front tyres near peak grip. Best on a phone. |
| Sport | ABS and light traction control. Slides are yours to catch. |
| Off | No help. Lock the brakes and the car runs straight on, and too much throttle spins the wheels. |
| Brake assist | Lifts off and brakes for you when you arrive at a corner too fast. On by default on phones. |
| Steering assist | Turns the wheel with the bend and nudges you away from the edge, so you only make small corrections. On by default on phones. |
| Racing line | Dashes along the fast line. Red means brake, amber means you are in the corner, green means full throttle. |
Circuits
- Coastal Sprint: a fast island loop with palms, sea views and wide sweepers.
- Alpine Pass: big climbs and drops between snowy peaks at sunset.
- Neon Downtown: a wet night street circuit lined with towers and street lights.
- Desert Canyon: long straights for top speed between red mesas.
Drifting and mini-turbos
Hold DRIFT, or Space or Shift, and steer into a corner. The rear steps out and the car holds the slide. Steer into the corner for more angle, or the other way to hold the line or straighten up. The meter fills while you slide: blue, then orange, then pink. Let go cleanly and you get a mini-turbo of that strength. Start the next drift soon after and the combo multiplies your drift score. Touch the wall and you lose that drift.
Nitro and takedowns
The nitro bar fills when you drift, draft in a rival's slipstream, pass close to a rival or take one down. To take a rival down, hit them hard while you boost. They spin out and drop back. Nitro adds power and pushes your top speed past the car's normal limit.
Garage
Race to earn credits. Spend them on six cars, from a light rear-drive coupé to a 900 kW hypercar, and on engine, tyre and nitro upgrades for each one. Every car has its own engine sound.
Questions
Is Apex Rush free?
Yes. Apex Rush is free to play with no sign-up and no ads, and every car and upgrade can be bought with the credits you win. The optional Garage Pass, a one-time $2.99 upgrade, unlocks every car straight away, adds Pass-only premium paints and doubles the credits you earn. Your credits, cars and lap records stay in this browser.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. Turn your phone sideways for the best view. If it runs slowly, set Graphics to Low. The game also lowers its resolution by itself when needed.
Where do the sounds come from?
The engines, tyres, wind, crashes and the soundtrack are all made live in your browser. There are five race tracks of synthwave and drum and bass, plus a menu theme. Pick one or leave it on Auto in Settings. No audio files are downloaded.