Keep Driving | PC Review
Everyone likes road trips, don’t they? How about a cross-country road trip to get to a music festival? A premise that sounds like the dreams of many young adults walking out of high school for the last time. YCJY Games has brought us Keep Driving, an indie entry to the road trip genre.
Gameplay
Keep Driving will cast you as a young adult who has the goal of getting to a music festival. Between you and that festival, however, are a steady stream of roadside hijinks, new faces on the side of the road, and car ownership woes.
Players will have to manage the maintenance of their vehicle. Buying upgrades, making repairs, and potentially opting to buy upgrades for your car. As much as every car will inevitably need maintenance, so will the player character. Players will need to manage their own energy and wellbeing through a variety of usable items ranging from food to music. After yours and your cars’ wellbeing are taken care of you will then face a variety of road hazards. That could be police, slow-moving vehicles, tractors and other road hazards.
Gameplay Mechanics
Mechanically, this game, based on my time put in, can best be described as having a steep learning curve. While controls are basic, gas, brakes, entering and leaving vendor screens, and the many UI elements featured often come with an explanation but at the same time not a lot of direction. This was highlighted in the turn- based encounters while on the road. While how to click through the encounter was explained I felt as though I was more so clicking based on guessing and not on strategy. As companions entered the mix this feeling was further exemplified. Quickly you can find yourself low on fuel, energy, or supplies and in need of a tow.
Graphics
Visually I am in love with pixel art graphics. I am a big fan of this art style and Keep Driving absolutely gives me an early 2000’s “road trip in an old Jetta” feels. Given this, Keep Driving can run on virtually any hardware, which makes it a very accessible game.
Conclusion
Overall, I like the idea of the game, a road trip, the 90’s, friends and shenanigans. I personally did not care for what felt like clicking through screens to manage debuffs, travel, and inventory. That being said, once you can wrap your head around the mechanics of the game it can be a fun journey to any one of the game’s potential endings.
To hear me talk more about Keep Driving, be sure to listen to the Ocotber 15, 2026 episode of The Gaming Outsider podcast.
This review is based on a PC copy of Keep Driving provided by Future Friends Games for coverage purposes. It is also available on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.
Keep Driving
$17.99
Pros
- Accessible to Players Across PC Builds
- Great Pixel Art
- Mod Support to Customize Gameplay
Cons
- Lack of Detailed Explanation of Game Mechanics
- Heavy Inventory and Buff Management May Not Be for Everyone
