Life Is a Highway: 4 Road Trip Games That Prove It's All About the Journey

Slow down, take the wheel, and enjoy the adventure.

life is a highway thumbnail collage
life is a highway thumbnail collage
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  • Primary Subject: Road Trip Driving Games (Cooperative and Simulation Edition)
  • Key Update: A curated selection of four relaxing, chaotic, and hands-on driving titles focused on the journey rather than high-speed racing.
  • Status: Confirmed
  • Last Verified: October 9, 2026
  • Quick Answer: The best road trip video games to play include American Truck Simulator, RV There Yet, Backseat Drivers, and My Summer Car for relaxing journeys and chaotic teamwork.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Or in this case, with a press of the gas pedal. 

Driving games shouldn’t be all about racing to the finish line. Sometimes, it's nice to just let go of the accelerator and coast, because life can definitely feel like it’s going too fast.

Lucky for you, maybe playing these road trip games can help remind you to slow down, breathe, and live in the moment.

American Truck Simulator

Road Trip Driving Games (Cooperative and Simulation Edition)
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Credit: SCS Software

You might be tired of hearing this title in articles all the time, but I would be remiss not to mention the long-haul delivery simulator that literally lets you drive across all of America (or 3/4ths of it, at least). This game was made for road trips.

Realistic long-distance trucking going from Point A to Point B doesn’t sound all that interesting, but this article is all about taking a moment to breathe and going on an adventure.

Unless you have a time-limited delivery, American Truck Simulator doesn’t reward you for racing towards the destination but instead encourages you to slow down to the speed limit and enjoy the view. 

If you’ve ever zoned out while driving because something was on your mind, now is the time to do it safely in-game.

This quiet time of driving all to yourself is a time for self-reflection, mindfulness, or maybe just listening to that podcast you’ve always wanted to try. 

And hey, if you ever get lonely, ATS has multiplayer support, so you and your friends can hop into a convoy and enjoy the scenery together.

Of course, the European version (Euro Truck Simulator 2) is as worthy of praise as above, but ATS has more of that “road-trippy” feel with its long, straight highways along the American countryside. 

RV There Yet

Road Trip Driving Games (Cooperative and Simulation Edition)
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Credit: Nuggets Entertainment

Sometimes, the goal of a road trip isn’t to go from Point A to B, but to just get home safely and quietly. But with a fickle RV and 3 other friends with you, is that really a privilege you can afford?

RV There Yet is about trying to get home in an RV after an unfortunate detour takes you through the back ends of wilderness with deadly animals, rough terrain, and limited supplies.

Rather than just driving, it’s a game about communication, coordination, and managing expectations. 

How well do you trust your friend with the remote control winch to get you out of tough spots? How much do you trust the driver to drive straight and not crash? In any case, these questions are best answered with everyone’s vacations on the line.

If chaotic, unpredictable, physics-based co-op gameplay sounds fun to you (and it probably does), RV There Yet is a game full of wonky disasters and good times.

Backseat Drivers

Road Trip Driving Games (Cooperative and Simulation Edition)
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Credit: GhostJam Games

Sometimes, the goal of a road trip isn’t even to drive home safely at all. It’s to survive someone else’s driving. 

Similar to RV There Yet, Backseat Drivers is about managing a car while driving around obstacles, with a twist. In this game, the driver is blind and can’t see beyond the dashboard.

Fortunately, you can! Unfortunately, you’re not the one in the driver’s seat. Luckily, you’re good at giving directions, right?

While the driver and passengers are arguing about which way to go, the car is literally falling apart. Oops, the brake pedal broke from crashing into a wall.

Fortunately, it can be replaced with a… cassette tape? Anything broken in this game can be repaired with something else. Even friendships.

The best hangouts are all about arguing with your best mates. Keep Driving and Nobody Explo…I mean, Backseat Drivers is a great game to facilitate cooperation and communication with friends.

It’s entertaining from start to finish, and unexpected situations are part and parcel of road trips.

My Summer Car

Road Trip Driving Games (Cooperative and Simulation Edition)
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Credit: Amistech Games

Want an authentic road trip experience? Why not do it yourself from the ground up, starting with your own project car? To be more specific, you start with a project car, a hundred different parts, and no engine. 

My Summer Car is a car-building, tuning, and maintenance simulator where you have to assemble your car before you can even hit the road, doing odd jobs to fund both the car and the trip. 

The gameplay is tedious, frustrating, and boring. But in all honesty, this game isn’t about the car or the trip; it’s about you.

Maybe you give up building the car, and the road trip is over before it even starts. Or maybe you keep trying for a bit, but now everything is on fire, and the car explodes.

Even if you think you put the parts together just right… in the end, the car may not start at all. It’s possible to do everything right and not succeed. That’s not failure, that’s just life, and that’s exactly what My Summer Car is all about.

A lot of people can discover some things about themselves on the road. My Summer Car gives you a chance to get to know more about yourself before ever leaving home.

The Right Game for You

The best road trip games are all about the journey and the spirit of adventure. Or maybe they’re more about the company you keep and the memories you make.

Either way, you won’t go wrong with trying any of these games the next time you feel a sense of romance; you may just find what you’re looking for.

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