Games Like Need for Speed: Street Racing Games Online
Updated
Games like Need for Speed are arcade racing games built around fast cars, upgrades, nitro and police chases. Need for Speed is a racing series published by Electronic Arts, and its first game came out in 1994. The games below are original titles by independent studios, from garage racers to getaway chases.
How Need for Speed plays
Wikipedia calls most Need for Speed games arcade racing games centered around illegal street racing, and says the series has focused on urban street racing since 2003. Cars are tuned with upgrades such as engines and nitrous, and the looks can be customized too.
Police pursuits go back to the first game, which featured chases by police cars. A 1998 entry added a mode where you can outrun the police or play as the cop (source).
So the parts to look for are a race, a garage, nitro and the police. This table shows where the games below ask for the same.
| What you do in Need for Speed | Games that ask the same |
|---|---|
| Race through city streets | City Cash Race, Tracky Tracks, Cyber Cars Punk Racing |
| Upgrade or customize the car | Ace Car Racing, Tiny Track Rally, Tracky Tracks |
| Fire nitro on the straights | Tiny Track Rally, Turbo Racer 3D, Drag Race |
| Get chased by the police | City Cash Race, Police Chase Run, CarVsCops |
| Play the cop | Police Chase 2 |
Races with a garage
- Tiny Track Rally is the closest to the garage-and-nitro loop. Race tiny toy cars on 10 tracks in 2 cups, drift through corners, grab pickups and fire your nitro on the straights against up to 7 rivals. In the garage you get cars and a bike, pick one of 8 paint colors and upgrade speed, acceleration, handling and drift. It has five modes: Race, Time Trial, Elimination, Checkpoint and Daily Challenge. W or Up is gas, S or Down brakes, A and D steer and Shift or Space fires the nitro.
- Cyber Cars Punk Racing is a 3D racer with futuristic cars and a neon city. Its page lists 16 supercars, 60 racetracks, a career mode, a free ride area, a battle arena and a two-player split screen. Money buys new vehicles and more engine power, and N fires the nitro.
- Ace Car Racing has you pick a sports car for roads from the seaside to the city and a desert trip. Collect coins for upgrades or new cars, and fine-tune acceleration, max speed, wind resistance and nitrogen. Arrow keys or A and D move you on a computer, and buttons on the screen do it on a phone.
- Tracky Tracks is a drifting game of precision and speed. Race through mountains, cities and lakes, customize your car and master the tracks. W and S are forward and backward, A and D steer, Space brakes and C changes the camera.
- Turbo Racer 3D mixes casual and runner styles. Dodge traffic, collect nitro boosts and get turbo upgrades as you race through tracks in high-performance cars. You click or tap to play.
- Drag Race is a short head-to-head. Race your opponent, earn coins to upgrade your car or buy a new one, and press Space for nitro. The page says better accuracy brings better rewards. It plays with the mouse or a touch.
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More races and tuning tips are in the racing games tips, and car games covers parking, drifting and stunts. Every racing game is on the racing page.
Police chases
Need for Speed has had police chases since its first game. These put the cops in your mirror.
- City Cash Race is an arcade chase through vibrant cityscapes. Grab cash, evade the police and upgrade your car. W or the up arrow accelerates, S or the down arrow brakes, and A and D steer.
- Police Chase Run is an endless chase. The car keeps moving forward, you steer at the right moment, avoid the police cars and collect coins. You earn new cars and a place on the leaderboard, and after a crash you can open the shop and choose another car. You steer with an on-screen wheel.
- CarVsCops has you steer away from a police car and turn so that the cop behind you crashes. Gold coins along the way get you other vehicles. You play with the mouse or a tap.
- Police Chase 2 flips the sides. You play a police officer in a fast police car, chase fugitives through city streets and traffic, lock on to the target and arrest it. Keep upgrading your vehicles to get more cars. You click or tap.
Cyber Cars Punk Racing above has a chase mode too, where police are after you and the damage you take while fleeing lowers your HP. At zero HP you are caught. Police games has more chases, getaways and patrols, and drift games tips covers the slides.
Tips for street racers
- Save nitro for the straights. Tiny Track Rally says to fire it on the straights, and Drag Race puts it on Space.
- Spend on the stat that holds you back. Tiny Track Rally upgrades speed, acceleration, handling and drift, and Ace Car Racing tunes acceleration, max speed, wind resistance and nitrogen.
- Keep moving when you are chased. In Police Chase Run the car moves forward on its own, and you steer at the right moment.
- Know the brake key. Tracky Tracks brakes on Space, and Tiny Track Rally brakes on S or the down arrow.
- Pick the camera that suits you. Tracky Tracks changes the camera on C, and Tiny Track Rally offers six camera views.
Games like Need for Speed FAQ
Are there browser games like Need for Speed?
Yes. They play free in the browser, with no install and no registration, and there are no in-game purchases, paid access or subscriptions on the site. The controls differ, so read each game's keys first.
Are there online games like Need for Speed?
They play online, in the browser of a phone, a tablet or a computer. The pages of these games describe no online matches against other players: Police Chase Run says it is made for one player, and Cyber Cars Punk Racing lists a two-player mode on one computer. More games for several players are in multiplayer games.
Are there games like Need for Speed with police chases?
Yes. City Cash Race, Police Chase Run and CarVsCops have the police after you, and Police Chase 2 puts you in the police car. Cyber Cars Punk Racing has a chase mode too.
Which games are like the street racing and tuning side of Need for Speed?
Tiny Track Rally and Ace Car Racing each list four stats to upgrade, and Tracky Tracks lets you customize your car. Cyber Cars Punk Racing adds a neon city and money for new vehicles and engine power.
Pick one stat to upgrade, save the nitro for the straight, and keep your eyes on the next corner.
