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A driving game · Free in the browser

Go somewhere
difficult.

Off-road and open-road driving on a physics engine written from scratch. Endless generated country, or any real place on Earth. Alone, or with fifteen friends.

See the modes

No download, no install. Keyboard, gamepad or touch.

A green Warden 110 4x4 on a dirt trail across a grassy slope, striped canyon walls and a lone acacia behind it, in late-afternoon light
Fig. 1 Open World, alpine, late afternoon. Warden 110.
Physics step
240Hz
Vehicles, real figures
16
Climates
5
Party minigames
23
Drivers per room
16
01 / Modes

Five ways in.

Every mode runs on the same world engine and the same physics. Progress saves on its own; sign in later and nothing is lost.

An orange Baja Trophy Truck kicking up sand among rippled dunes beneath a striped sandstone butte
Free roam

Open World

Endless procedural worlds: alpine passes, desert canyons, coastlines, forests and tundra, each with its own landmarks to find. Take a seed as it comes, or shape the world with custom options.

  • Time trials
  • Trail runs
  • Rock crawls
  • Photo spots
  • Obstacle courses
  • Endurance runs
  • Winch rescues

Activities earn XP and medals.

A Nomad LX expedition wagon at a town crossroads at night, under green traffic lights and lit shop windows
Career

Haul & Recover

Start with a tired work truck and a few thousand dollars. Deliver cargo between towns, supply mines and lookouts, pull stranded drivers out of trouble, and spend it on upgrades and tougher routes.

A green Vantage GT on the real Furka Pass road near Gletsch, Switzerland, the alpine valley far below
Anywhere on Earth

Real World

Pick any place on the planet and drive it: real roads, buildings and terrain, under the sky it has right now. How it works

Car Soccer: red and blue Vantage GTs chase a giant ball across a walled arena pitch
With friends

Party

23 minigames for 2 to 16 drivers, with bots to fill the grid. Share a code, vote on the next round, fight for the podium. The games

Every day

Daily Challenge

One world and one route, the same for everyone today. Set a time, climb the leaderboard, keep your streak alive.

02 / Physics

No off-the-shelf engine.

TRAILHEAD drives on its own vehicle simulation, written from scratch for this game. Every tyre, gear and differential is modelled, 240 times a second.

Drivetrain schematic seen from above: engine, torque converter or clutch, gearbox, transfer case, front and rear differentials and four tyres, numbered 1 to 6. 4L 1 2 3 4 5 6
Fig. 2 Drivetrain, from above. Dots on the tyres are contact samples.
  1. EngineA torque curve for every engine, with turbo spool and lag.
  2. Torque converter or clutchAutomatics slip through a converter; manuals use a clutch.
  3. GearboxReal gear ratios: three speeds to ten, or a CVT.
  4. Transfer case2H, 4H and 4L low range.
  5. DifferentialsOpen, limited-slip or locking, front and rear.
  6. TyresA combined-slip model with sidewall flex and adjustable pressure. Contact is sampled at several points, so a tyre can climb a rock instead of clipping through it.
Fixed step
240 Hz, independent of frame rate
Surfaces
Asphalt, gravel, mud, sand, snow, rock and wet, each with its own grip
Assists
ABS, traction control, ESC. Switch any of them off.
Air suspension
Ride heights you can raise for the rocks
Water
Fording depth and buoyancy
Damage
Hard hits knock parts off
Recovery
Winch and traction boards
Drive
RWD, AWD, part-time 4x4 and a 6x6
03 / Vehicles

Sixteen machines, tuned to real figures.

Each is modelled on a real vehicle. Dimensions, mass, engine, gearbox and drivetrain follow the published numbers; the names and badges are our own.

A green Trailcat Rubicon tilted on a snow drift with one wheel unloaded on open tundra, mountains on the horizon
Fig. 3 Open World, tundra, morning. Trailcat Rubicon, one wheel in the air.
  • Warden 110Modelled on the Land Rover Defender 110Luxury 4x4 · 2,340 kg · 550 Nm · 8-spd · 4x4
  • Monarch StrataModelled on the Range Rover VelarLuxury SUV · 2,075 kg · 550 Nm · 8-spd · AWD
  • Taival TXModelled on the Toyota Fortuner Legender7-seat SUV · 2,150 kg · 500 Nm · 6-spd · 4x4
  • Trailcat RubiconModelled on the Jeep Wrangler RubiconTrail 4x4 · 2,190 kg · 353 Nm · 8-spd · 4x4
  • Bastion V8Modelled on the Mercedes-AMG G 63Luxury 4x4 · 2,560 kg · 850 Nm · 9-spd · 4x4
  • Cordillera VTModelled on the Ford Everest7-seat SUV · 2,480 kg · 600 Nm · 10-spd · 4x4
  • Nomad LXModelled on the Toyota Land Cruiser 76Expedition 4x4 · 2,300 kg · 430 Nm · 5-spd · 4x4
  • Corsa WRX-SModelled on the Toyota GR YarisHot hatch · 1,290 kg · 390 Nm · 6-spd · AWD
  • Baja Trophy TruckModelled on the Ford F-150 Raptor R trophy truckDesert racer · 2,850 kg · 869 Nm · 10-spd · 4x4
  • Hornet XP TurboModelled on the Can-Am Maverick X3Side-by-side · 800 kg · 207 Nm · CVT · 4x4
  • Vantage GTModelled on the Aston Martin VantageSports car · 1,690 kg · 800 Nm · 8-spd · RWD
  • Atlas 6x6Modelled on the Mercedes-Benz Unimog, as a 6x6Expedition truck · 8,900 kg · 900 Nm · 8-spd · 6x6
  • Ridgeback HDModelled on the Ford F-150 RaptorDesert pickup · 2,640 kg · 691 Nm · 10-spd · 4x4
  • Kestrel SRModelled on the Toyota HiluxWork pickup · 2,010 kg · 500 Nm · 6-spd · 4x4
  • Halden EstateModelled on the Subaru OutbackAWD estate · 1,710 kg · 239 Nm · CVT · AWD
  • Bravado 77Modelled on the 1977 Ford BroncoClassic 4x4 · 1,750 kg · 325 Nm · 3-spd · 4x4

Trademarks belong to their owners. TRAILHEAD is not affiliated with or endorsed by any vehicle manufacturer.

04 / Real World

Anywhere on Earth.

Search for a place or drop a pin. The world is built from open data while you wait, then it is yours to drive, save and share.

A blue Halden Estate on a Zürich old-town street with tram wires, the twin towers of the Grossmünster ahead
Fig. 4 Real World, Zürich old town. Grossmünster ahead; buildings from OpenStreetMap.
Roads, buildings, landmarks
OpenStreetMap
Terrain
Real elevation
Ground colour
Sentinel-2 satellite imagery
Sky
The real local time at that place
Weather
Live, as it is there now
05 / Party & multiplayer

Bring everyone.

Party mode runs a series of minigames for 2 to 16 drivers; bots take the empty seats. Open World and Real World can be hosted online too.

Sumo: six Taival TX SUVs, five of them bots, on a raised circular arena above the hills
Fig. 5 Party, Sumo. Last car on the platform wins.

23 minigames

  • Sumo
  • Car Soccer
  • Demolition Derby
  • Drag Race
  • Hide and Seek
  • Capture the Flag
  • King of the Hill
  • Cops & Robbers
  • Hot Potato
  • Infection
  • Car Bowling
  • Checkpoint Race
  • Elimination Race
  • Gymkhana
  • Drift Score
  • Longest Jump
  • Hill Climb
  • Rock Crawl
  • Mud Bog
  • Parking Challenge
  • Follow the Leader
  • Delivery Rush
  • Treasure Hunt

Online, in any mode

  • Rooms with an invite link
  • Players panel: locate, go to, spectate
  • Pings and a shared waypoint
  • Convoy driving
  • Co-op activities

Pick a line.

Free, in your browser, on a keyboard, a gamepad or a phone.