Red Rock Descent
Red Rock Descent sends you racing downhill on a winding road that hugs a mountain above the sea. The stage runs 5.6 km and falls 468 meters, and you share it with three computer drivers. Whoever reaches the bottom first wins.
Everything looks like a comic panel, with thick inked edges and flat blocks of color. The game builds all of its cars, scenery, audio and text from code as it starts up, without any image files.
How to play Red Rock Descent
The opening screen shows how long the stage is, how far it drops and which course seed is loaded. Hit Enter to go. A brief countdown keeps all four cars waiting, and the clock only begins once the lights go out.
On the way down you pass woods, wind turbines, open water and crowds by the roadside, and a few ramps launch your car into the air. A card in the upper left tracks your progress along the elevation profile, a strip under it places your rivals, and a badge shows your position. A dial reads your speed in km/h.
At the finish, all cars brake to a halt and a table lists every driver with their time and the gap. Escape opens a pause menu where you can carry on, restart or head back to the title.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accelerate | Up arrow or W | — | Throttle pedal |
| Brake | Down arrow or S | — | Brake pedal |
| Steer | Left/Right arrows or A/D | — | Tilt the device or drag a thumb |
| Handbrake | Space | — | — |
| Look back | Hold C | — | — |
| Start or skip countdown | Enter | — | — |
| Restart or recover car | R | — | — |
| Pause | Escape | — | — |
Tips
- Slow down while the road is still straight. Braking shifts weight to the front, so ease off the brake as you start to turn.
- Use the small gap readout beneath the timer as a scorecard for your driving. If the seconds to the next car keep dropping, your lines are good.
- Keep the handbrake for the tightest hairpins. Holding it too long bleeds off speed you need afterward.
- The gravelly shoulder has much less grip than the tarmac, and a wide exit there usually spoils the following bend too.
- You begin behind the pack. Pass one car at a time over the long stage instead of risking a crash in the opening turns.
If you like Red Rock Descent, try these
Hue JumperDownhill road racing again, except the low-poly road is random and you race the clock rather than three rivals.
Mini Grand PrixFor more race strategy, this adds qualifying, tyre choices, rain and pit stops on top of wheel-to-wheel driving.
Questions
What do I do if my car gets stuck in Red Rock Descent?
Hit R. That key restarts the race and pulls a stranded car back into action. You can also choose Restart from the Escape menu.
Can I play Red Rock Descent on a phone?
Yes, with a touch layout. On-screen pedals handle gas and braking, and steering comes from tipping the device or sliding a thumb. Hold it in landscape, and expect older phones to struggle with the 3D graphics.
Does Red Rock Descent save my times?
Your result appears at the finish line, but it isn't kept after you close the page. Note a good time if you want to beat it later.
More like this: all racing games · every game A–Z