A serious addition has appeared in the series of projects that can be safely called “games not for everyone”. We are talking about Spintires: MudRunner (or, if you like, Mud Runner: A Spintires game), released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC many years ago. This is not just a re-release of the good old Spintires from 2013, which many first saw on Steam. This is a version with improvements, new features and richer content, designed for those who are partial to heavy Soviet trucks and harsh off-road romance.

At first glance, it seems that this is just a simulator of mud rides through the taiga: the wheels get stuck up to the hub, water floods the hood, and every movement is a struggle. But the longer you play, the more clearly you understand: before you is not just entertainment, but a real challenge for those who appreciate the atmosphere of realistic car tests, where it is important not only to press the gas pedal to the floor, but also the ability to calculate every maneuver.

In general, our life is arranged in such a way that everything is divided into niches. This applies not only to society, where classes have existed since ancient times and have not completely disappeared, but also to goods and entertainment. It would seem that the industry has already flooded the market with everything that can be thought of, but there are always empty spaces – areas where no one has really looked yet. And so the one who first finds such a niche and shows its value receives not only recognition, but also a unique opportunity to open up a new experience for people.

This is exactly what MudRunner became: a game that showed that even a simple ride through the mud can be a separate genre and a source of unique emotions.

MudRunner Free Steam Account

Among hundreds of games about cars — from carefree arcade races to harsh simulators with a claim to realism — the topic of off-road adventures is surprisingly little covered. The few projects that appear most often turn into fun, but far from reality, “rides”. But it all started much more interestingly.

In 2009, at the Havoc engine competition, developer Pavel Zagrebelny showed the world a modest demo version, where a car wound mud around its wheels, leaving behind a pretty crumpled “covering”. No one could have imagined then that this small demonstration would mark the beginning of Spintires. The game went through a difficult path: first Kickstarter, then long revisions, a transition to another publisher and, finally, a full release. The second birth of the project took place on October 31, 2017 under the name Spintires: MudRunner.

It is worth understanding: Spintires is not a finished product, but rather a constantly evolving world. Focus Home Interactive assures that the project will be supported and expanded. The developers promise to add new equipment, including the long-awaited tracked vehicles, improve the camera and even work on the weather system. They also talked about rain, but for now this idea has been postponed. If rainfall does come to the game, imagine a real apocalypse: slippery mud, washed-out roads, players tearing their hair out and cursing every puddle.

After two dozen hours in the game, I can say: without tracked vehicles, it will be difficult to cope with a washed-out road, and without a hundred grams for courage – it is completely impossible. But this is where the very “life” lies – a real challenge for those who want to feel the taste of off-road without leaving home.

Get exclusive access using your own account steam free today.

MudRunner – Realistic SUV Simulator

To be honest, I have never considered myself a fan of car simulators. I only get behind the wheel in real life when absolutely necessary, and I don’t get much pleasure from it. But there are rare exceptions that have really hooked me. Spintires is one of such games. For me, it is on par with the legendary “Truckers 2”, the remake of which I still dream of seeing on PlayStation 4. I used to spend whole days in computer clubs: I would go in for just a couple of hours for the sake of “Counter”, and end up staying until night, stuck in Diablo II and “Truckers 2”

Although I am not a good driver, I understand a few things about cars. For example, I know what a four-wheel drive is, differential locks, and why a winch is needed. I picked up a little experience in the Carpathians, when I had to drive an SUV through the mountains for work. And in Spintires: MudRunner, all these little things suddenly take on enormous weight. Turn on the all-wheel drive – and the car immediately grabs onto all wheels, pulling you out of the mud, where one or two axles are already slipping. Differential lock is just magic: the wheels start to rotate synchronously, and the cross-country ability grows before your eyes. In the game, it works both on the axles and on the wheels at once – very realistic.

And the handbrake? Here it is not just a button, but a salvation in extreme situations. Especially when you are rushing through the mountains in tests or rushing to rescue a stuck truck. Although I will warn you right away: towing a drowned KrAZ with a UAZ is a bad idea. I myself once pulled my car into the water with a winch and unsuccessfully tried to get out in reverse – do not repeat my mistakes.

Well, and the gearbox. In arcade mode, you can do without it, but in the “simulator” manual transmission becomes mandatory. Here you have standard gears, and high, and reverse. Without it, even the differential lock doesn’t work. And, of course, the winch is the main hero of any session. It can pull you out where it seems that there is no hope.

MudRunner Gameplay

The Spintires vehicle fleet is a whole collection of Soviet all-terrain trucks, from which you can assemble a real workhorse for yourself. If you want, put six or eight wheels, add a trailer, crane, fuel tank or repair kung. The cars are also found on the map itself: somewhere there are ready-made ones, but often killed by time. However, at the right moment, even they can save the situation – you just need to drive up and wait for the welcoming horn.

For myself, I discovered the ideal configuration: URAL-375 with a crane and a trailer-cutting. In the “simulator” mode, it allows you to load logs alone, without running from cabin to cabin. But versatility has a price – a heavy trailer loaded with wood noticeably “plants” the cross-country ability and turns the road into a real exam.

And here is where the main thrill of Spintires is revealed: the goals themselves fade into the background. It doesn’t matter that formally there is only one task – to transport logs from point A to point B. It sounds boring only on paper. In reality, each trip turns into a challenge. You spend a hundred liters out of two hundred, just to make it to the gas station, and, having filled up, fly to the loading area. You happily grab the logs, but suddenly realize: there is no way back along the same road. After all, your truck has just scattered mud and clay with six wheels so that the way back has become a real swamp.

Attempts to get through still do not stop. Sometimes you get lucky – if the terrain is rocky or mountainous, the chances of getting out are higher. But once you find yourself in the swamps – and here the unwritten rule comes into play: “you can’t drive through the same mud twice.” Especially when you have several hundred kilograms of wood hanging on you.

MudRunner graphics and technical details

At the beginning of Spintires, the player is met with a rather modest choice: just a few trucks, a couple of maps and a test mode. I would recommend starting with it – it helps to get used to the controls and additional tools. The crane is especially important: without it, it will be difficult to master the basics. But if you are aiming to collect all the trophies, get ready for a real test of nerves. The tasks in the training mode alone are not enough – you will also have to complete wild conditions on the main maps. For completing story missions, you get progress points that open new maps and starting cars. The fleet itself pleases with its scale and elaboration: each car behaves in its own way and looks convincing. It’s just a pity that the cabins look too simplified, as if the dashboard was glued to a wooden blank.

There are also complaints about the technical part. The camera is perhaps the main irritant. It can give beautiful angles for screenshots, but in real driving it sometimes gets in the way: there is a road ahead, and you can’t really see anything. The control with a trailer suffers especially – it’s easier to turn on the view from the cabin and not suffer.

The disadvantages include:

• a specific camera that is beautiful, but inconvenient to use;
• not always logical control on consoles;
• confusing menu navigation inherited from the PC version.

The multiplayer mode works well overall, and in some places it even pleasantly surprises: for example, other people’s trucks become “ghosts” if their owners are not driving, and do not interfere with traffic. But the interaction between players feels clumsy, especially on consoles, where the menu and control seem to have been forgotten to adapt – the PC roots of the project are visible to the naked eye.

But the music here is unexpectedly pleasing. The soundtrack is sustained in a rock style and fits the atmosphere perfectly: dragging a truck through a swamp with the roar of guitars is like a scene from Mad Max. It may seem strange to some, but it is this music that makes the process even more exciting. The main thing is that the developers did not experiment with “blatnyak” – it would have been a disaster. It is better to leave a healthy rock pressure that fits organically into each trip.

What Makes MudRunner the Best Off-Road Simulator

Seemingly ordinary trips – from the garage to the gas station, from loading logs to the sawmill – quickly turn into real adventures. Almost every route can throw you a problem: either the truck will sink in the mud, or tip over on a slope, or get stuck somewhere in the middle of a swamp. But it is in these moments that a unique thrill is born. When you turn on the all-wheel drive, cling to the nearest tree with a winch and with the roar of the gearbox pull the loaded to the limit “monster” out of the quagmire. When you can barely hold on to a 60-degree slope and literally pray that the handbrake does not fail. When you rush to rescue a friend in a rescue truck or you yourself are waiting for help, standing in water up to your headlights with a stalled engine. These emotions cannot be described in dry words. MudRunner is not about hundreds of maps and an abyss of content. It’s about the process itself and about the harsh trials, where every victory is deserved. This is a game that rewards persistence. When, after dozens of unsuccessful attempts, you finally deliver the ill-fated logs to their destination, spending the night in the wild taiga without a four-wheel drive and saving the last liters of fuel – the feeling of triumph goes beyond the usual. Such a combination of despair and delight is extremely rare in games, and in this MudRunner is truly unique.

MudRunner System Requirements

How to play MudRunner for free on Steam via VpeSports

MudRunner is a game you don’t just go to “ride”. It turns every trip into a real adventure, where you fight not only with mud, but also with your own patience. Sitting behind the wheel of a heavy truck, you hear the engine straining, and the wheels spin in vain in the viscous mud. At such moments, you begin to feel as if nature itself is against you: the river is ready to drag the car away with the current, the slippery slope is trying to tip it over into a ravine, and the night fog hides all the bumps and ditches.

And yet, this is where the best emotions are born. When, using a winch and all-wheel drive, you slowly pull a multi-ton truck out of the swamp, there is that rare feeling of victory that is unlikely to be given by another game. It’s not about speed and bright effects – it’s about a real road, about the mud under your feet and the weight of the steering wheel in your hands.

We made it so that starting MudRunner is simple and accessible. All you need to do is log in and follow the step-by-step instructions, and if necessary, you can even activate the game via a free steam account. All that remains is to choose a car and hit the road, where every kilometer will be a small feat.

After the game, don’t forget to share your impressions. We read all the reviews and appreciate every story about how your truck miraculously didn’t drown in the river or how you managed to cross a flimsy bridge on the last breath of the engine. Want to stay up to date with new accounts, updates, and fresh stories from the world of MudRunner? Subscribe to our Telegram channel. And if you get stuck somewhere, not only in the mud, but also with the settings, we always have a guide and support chat.