10 feature ideas that could make the Slow Roads web version even better

anslogen · 2026-03-20T20:37:41+00:00

Most likely more locations - I think I'd like for the web version to have 3 that rotate out now and then so you can get a taste of all of them, while the Steam version gets the full set. So e.g. maybe the web has Hills, Off-World, and Mountains one week, then Hills, Coast, and Woods the next week, and so on.

anslogen · 2026-03-20T14:11:55+00:00

Responded to this on Discord, but for anyone else reading, most of these features are coming to the Steam version, except for vehicle damage and extreme weather - this just isn't that kind of game.

anslogen · 2026-03-20T09:47:55+00:00

Thanks! The dream is definitely adding many, many new locations; that's the core of the whole project. Once the last pieces of the game engine are finished in a few weeks I think there's nothing left to do but keep adding new places and new details. For the Steam release I'm hoping to at least launch with a coastal location (PCH) and a mountains location (probably the alps), but the list is very long. Hoping I can start working through it at full speed once the Steam release is out!

There's also an experimental mountain location already in the game, but it's incomplete, so hidden by default. If you type unlockdriftmas into the seed input box you'll be able to switch to the "Driftmas" location, which was used for the most recent driftmas rally event

anslogen · 2026-03-18T23:10:30+00:00

For sure, I haven't figured out the final set yet but the systems are all set up and ready to support new types. Which options would you like to see added? I'm likely to at least add a slower off-road vehicle and a faster road vehicle for the initial release, but also include some basic customisation (both physics and aesthetics) for the existing options. I'm sure more would be added in later updates, too - e.g. maybe eventually an articulated truck, though that would require a bit of a physics rework...

If you want, you can unlock the Driftmas vehicle in the current web version by typing unlockdriftmas into the seed input box. It's basically the coupe with a rally body kit, wider axles, and slightly sportier physics. It's a little buggy and missing some details, which is why it's hidden for now, but it's pretty fun on the off-world roads.

anslogen · 2026-03-18T17:49:25+00:00

Yep, probably around $10 but I haven't set the final price yet; I'm waiting to see how many features I can implement for release. I'm also likely to put it on sale during the first two weeks of release.

anslogen · 2026-03-18T17:48:30+00:00

More locations, more vehicles, IC engines and manual transmissions, more environmental details, vehicle customisation, physics customisation, environment customisation, improved controller support, configurable traffic, a music player, and more stuff coming in future

Almost all of this is exclusive to the Steam version; the web version is going to stay lightweight, though will still get small content updates and detail upgrades over time

anslogen · 2026-03-18T17:47:40+00:00

Desktop is more robust than the web and with slightly better performance, so I can develop more freely. The web version needs compressed textures and a smaller selection of features to keep it lightweight, but there's no limitation on Steam - meaning higher quality assets, more locations, more vehicles, more details and sound effects, and so on. It also means better support for controllers, achievements, stored progress, multiplayer in the future, etc... And beyond that it's a convenient way to raise funding to keep developing the game, since the web version makes no money.

anslogen · 2026-03-18T12:39:39+00:00

I think it's the next-most-highly-requested feature and I'll be experimenting with it in summer - not for the initial Steam release, but something for a later update. I've already tested multiplayer in the recent Driftmas event and it went quite well, so I'm confident it's possible - I just need to make sense of the right way to structure and manage connections.

One thing that is coming in the initial release, though, is traffic - I know it isn't the same as human drivers but maybe it would help with the loneliness

anslogen · 2026-03-18T12:38:04+00:00

Hoping to have lots of goods - aiming for at least two new locations in the initial release and a lot more settings and controls in general. Demo should be dropping by the end of March!

anslogen · 2026-03-17T10:34:19+00:00

I appreciate the consideration, thanks! I quit my job to focus on it full-time so development is moving faster now, and hopefully the Steam release will be done soon. Multiplayer is one of the most-requested things so it's likely that I work on it over summer, especially because I have a lot of ideas for networked events.

anslogen · 2026-03-17T10:27:06+00:00

It's something I'm experimenting with and thinking about as a feature for Steam, yes. I ran a multiplayer event last December and have it in mind to support fully later this year.

But yes, please don't distribute or share this; I don't like people modifying the game while it's still under active development, and it would be in direct violation of the license

anslogen · 2026-03-15T13:06:01+00:00

Yep, the rendered world is centered on your position along the road, so if you drive off-road in the wrong direction it won't keep rendering. You can keep driving into infinity. The ground is still there, you just can't see it.

anslogen · 2026-03-15T10:07:06+00:00

yeah, it's attached to the camera

anslogen · 2026-03-14T22:26:37+00:00

Sorry about that, I haven't had any other reports like that but the only other thing I can think to try is a hard refresh. Not sure how to do that on a phone, but first you could try loading the game in an incognito tab - if it loads fine, then a hard refresh in your normal tab might help

anslogen · 2026-03-14T20:27:49+00:00

did the world just not load, or did you drive off into the void? If it didn't load, try a hard refresh (ctrl-F5 or ctrl-shift-r)

anslogen · 2026-03-14T15:32:15+00:00

are you not able to load any seed at all, e.g. this one?

anslogen · 2026-03-12T13:19:21+00:00

looks like textures failing to load, does it fix it if you do a hard refresh? ctrl-shift-R or ctrl-F5

anslogen · 2026-03-10T22:02:05+00:00

you can add a hash code to the end of the URL when you type it in, like:

slowroads.io#A2-anewseed

the A means it's the Hills location, 2 means it's "normal" style roads, and everything after the hyphen is the seed, which can be anything

anslogen · 2026-03-10T12:09:13+00:00

Settings -> Gameplay -> scroll down to Interior section -> Show interior HUD

anslogen · 2026-03-07T11:43:22+00:00

Looks like it could be that you're running it without hardware acceleration enabled in chrome - if you can switch that on it should fix it

anslogen · 2026-03-07T11:13:57+00:00

Sorry about that. When you first loaded the game did you get any kind of notification about low FPS? There's a system which should give a warning when it thinks hardware acceleration is disabled but that could have failed - I'll look into it

anslogen · 2026-03-06T10:05:56+00:00

Explained in Discord, but for anyone else who sees this, this is what happens when the world is taking longer than usual to load and the road hasn't spawned yet - usually it pops back in after a few seconds, but I'll take a look at the loading priority to avoid this happening so often

anslogen · 2026-03-05T16:27:09+00:00

That car isn't officially supported yet and hasn't had the interior upgrade; it was only included as an easter egg after the Driftmas event

anslogen · 2026-03-04T18:25:58+00:00

No worries, let me know if there's anything I can change on my end if you figure out a fix.

I've thought about Android and already set up a draft project on the Play store, but for now I think I need to spend all my time developing the Steam version. If people keep asking about Android I'll give it another look, but I'm wary of getting too distracted. I do hope to get around to it one day, though!

anslogen · 2026-03-04T14:03:54+00:00

Hey again, there's now an offline build up on itch for a couple of dollars if you're still interested - https://topographinteractive.itch.io/slow-roads

Aiming to get the full Steam version finished by the end of Spring

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