Trailmakers similar games & best alternatives
Trailmakers
2019
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Quick resume
Build the ultimate vehicle and explore a vast open world filled with challenges and adventure. Play solo or team up with friends in multiplayer to conquer the toughest obstacles. With a thrilling campaign mode and endless creative possibilities, Trailmakers is the ultimate sandbox for adventurers.
Global score
92/100
Genres
Action, Adventure, Indie, Racing, Simulator
Similar games
Pros
- Extensive creative building and vehicle customization
- Engaging physics and engineering challenges
- Multiplayer and community sharing
- Long playtime and habitual engagement
- Accessible for beginners yet deep for advanced players
Cons
- Some bugs and physics glitches
- Grindy progression in newer updates
- Limited map variety
- Dlc pricing and content fragmentation
- Ui changes unpopular with some longtime players
Analysis
Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Competition, Fellowship, Domination, Status. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Relaxation, Creativity, Expression.
How to use the graph
Similar games map
Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.
- Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
- Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
- Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
- Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.
Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.
Motivations
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Autonomy5
"Players have full freedom to build and customize vehicles with a wide range of parts and mechanics, enabling personal creative expression and decision-making."
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Competence4
"The game challenges players to master physics, vehicle design, and control mechanics, with a learning curve from simple to complex builds and racing."
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Competition2
"Includes racing modes and PvP combat where players compete on leaderboards or against friends, but also supports casual and solo play."
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Continuation4
"Many players report long playtimes and habitual engagement, with some spending hundreds or thousands of hours, indicating strong attachment."
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Cooperation3
"Supports multiplayer modes with friends, cooperative sandbox play, and community sharing of blueprints, fostering teamwork and social play."
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Creativity5
"Core gameplay revolves around building and customizing vehicles and machines, encouraging extensive creative experimentation."
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Domination1
"Some PvP combat elements exist with weaponized vehicles, but interactions are generally balanced with shared play rather than domination."
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Escapism3
"Players use the game as a creative outlet and distraction, enjoying imaginative vehicle building and exploration away from real life."
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Expectation-3
"Players engage voluntarily out of interest and enjoyment rather than obligation; some frustration with updates but mostly intrinsic motivation."
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Experimenting5
"Strong emphasis on trying new vehicle designs, testing physics, and tinkering with mechanics to solve challenges or create unique builds."
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Exploration3
"Sandbox maps and campaign encourage discovering new areas and secrets, though some maps are limited in variety."
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Expression4
"Players customize vehicles extensively with parts, decals, and designs, expressing personal style and creativity."
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Fantasy2
"While grounded in physics, the game allows for fantastical and imaginative vehicle creations beyond realistic constraints."
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Fellowship3
"Community sharing, multiplayer servers, and social interactions create a sense of belonging among players."
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Growth4
"Players develop engineering skills, understanding of physics, and building techniques through gameplay and experimentation."
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Health-5
"Sedentary gameplay focused on screen interaction with no physical activity elements."
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Idle-3
"Requires focused attention for building and driving; not designed for passive or background play."
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Intimacy1
"Some social interaction with friends and community, but limited evidence of deep emotional or close relationship building."
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Leadership1
"Players can lead in multiplayer sessions or coordinate builds, but no strong emphasis on leadership roles."
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Progression3
"Campaign and survival modes involve collecting parts and unlocking upgrades, showing clear progression mechanics."
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Relaxation3
"Many players find the building and driving experience relaxing and satisfying, though some tension arises from physics challenges."
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Sensation3
"Enjoyable physics-based feedback, vehicle movement, and visual effects provide sensory stimulation and fun."
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Status1
"Leaderboards and community recognition exist but are not the primary focus for most players."
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Story1
"Campaign offers some narrative elements, but overall story is minimal and secondary to gameplay."
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Strategy3
"Players engage in problem solving and planning vehicle designs to overcome challenges and optimize performance."
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Thrill2
"Some excitement from racing, combat, and physics-based vehicle failures, but generally moderate tension levels."
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Value2
"Players feel the game offers good value for time spent, though some criticism exists about DLC pricing and grind."
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Violence1
"Combat and destruction elements are present but not central; building and creativity dominate gameplay."
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Survival1
"Survival and resource gathering modes exist but are not the main focus; low risk compared to typical survival games."
Where to buy
Last update: 29/04/2026