Shortcut Race! drops you into a arcade challenge you can start in a couple of seconds. Think racing, parkour & running and block & tetris-like — that is the shape of it. You can jump in for two minutes or lose an hour to it; either works.
About Shortcut Race!
Race with opponents in and collect as much boards as you can along the track! As you build shortcuts, you're going to start running faster. But the more you stack boards the more you slow down. Balance it well to outsmart your opponents. Let's go!
How to play Shortcut Race!
The opening minute doubles as the tutorial. On desktop the arrow keys / WASD do the moving; the full mapping is in the table below. The game runs in portrait, so on a phone you can play one-handed, and on desktop it stays centred rather than stretched out of shape. There is no penalty for failing, so push a little harder than feels safe.
Controls
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Arrow keys / WASD | Steer, accelerate and brake |
| Spacebar | Handbrake or nitro boost |
| R | Reset the car after a crash |
On mobile: Tap and swipe directly on the screen. The game is built for portrait, so you can play one-handed without rotating your phone.
Why it is worth playing
Shortcut Race! does one thing and does it properly. There is no bloat around the edges, which is exactly what you want from a arcade game in a browser tab. That is a rarer quality than it sounds.
At a glance
- Free to play with no account required
- Runs in the browser — nothing to download or install
- Portrait layout, comfortable one-handed on mobile
- Keyboard and mouse on desktop, full touch support on mobile.
- Racing gameplay — Throttle down and take the first place
- Parkour & Running gameplay — Keep moving and never look down
- Block & Tetris-like gameplay — Fit the shapes, clear the lines
- Added to our catalogue from a 2022 release
Frequently asked questions
Is Shortcut Race! free to play?
It is free. There is no trial, no unlock and no sign-up wall on Shortcut Race! — the page you are on is the whole thing.
Do I need to download or install anything?
No download, no installer, no plugin. Shortcut Race! is HTML5, so the browser plays it directly.
Can I play Shortcut Race! on my phone?
It works on phones and tablets. Tap and swipe directly on the screen. The game is built for portrait, so you can play one-handed without rotating your phone.
What are the controls for Shortcut Race!?
Keyboard and mouse on desktop, full touch support on mobile. Arrow keys / WASD — steer, accelerate and brake; Spacebar — handbrake or nitro boost; R — reset the car after a crash.
Can I play Shortcut Race! fullscreen?
Yes — the button in the top-right corner of the player goes fullscreen, and Escape returns you to the page.
What kind of game is Shortcut Race!?
Shortcut Race! is a arcade game built around racing, parkour & running and block & tetris-like. If that is the sort of thing you enjoy, the related games further down the page are picked using the same tags.
