Despite starting life as a Bloodborne parody, Nightmare Kart is one of the best free games you can play right now

GamesRacingDespite starting life as a Bloodborne parody, Nightmare Kart is one of the best free games you can play right nowWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesRacingDespite starting life as a Bloodborne parody, Nightmare Kart is one of the best free games you can play right nowWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: LWMedia) “You must be confused, but try not to think too hard about this,” says Herman, the spluttering old man who’s about to thrash me in a few laps of familiar-looking racing game Nightmare Kart. “Just go out and win a few races, and it will all be over before you know it.” Going the distance (Image credit: LWMedia) Have the lawyers left? Great, because this isdefinitelystill Bloodborne Kart. Sure, the legal formalities are out of the way (that’s Father Gregory to you) but there’s no shaking the deja vu as you tear through the gothic streets of Miralodia. But to write this off as pure parody would be a big disservice to a free game that’s bursting with stylish PS1-era aesthetics, over-the-top thrills, and ablaring chiptune soundtrackthat goes unfathomably hard. Though Nightmare Kart has one foot in soulslike and another in traditional racing games, it won’t quite fit your expectations of either genre. The campaign mode, which follows a night-long “hunt”' with a bunch of unsavory characters, is a mix of rubber-burning thrills and violence. During its more conventional levels, you’ll race your kart or motorbike through tight cobbled streets, using boosts to overtake your Lovecraftian competitors while avoiding the monsters strewn across each track. Indie Spotlight(Image credit: Whalestork Interactive)This point-and-click mystery game feels like Little Red Riding Hood’s somber older sibling, and it hooked me in the first five minutes Indie Spotlight (Image credit: Whalestork Interactive)This point-and-click mystery game feels like Little Red Riding Hood’s somber older sibling, and it hooked me in the first five minutes (Image credit: Whalestork Interactive) This point-and-click mystery game feels like Little Red Riding Hood’s somber older sibling, and it hooked me in the first five minutes However, playing as a pacifist won’t stop your fellow motorists from blasting you to bits. Certain levels are more combat-focused. One stage in the sewers is a team deathmatch on wheels, where opposing racers vie to kill each other with deadly weapons found in power-ups. It’s a strange mix of Bloodborne, Mario Kart, and Quake, but the result is undeniably silly fun – in one race I shot from fourth to first place in a race because I used the Threaded Sword’s dash attack to overtake two of my rivals and behead a third. (Image credit: LWMedia) There are even one-on-one boss battles, in which you burn rubber against some familiar-looking characters. But if you’re picturing engine-powered dodge-rolls and dying to agonizing one-shot attacks, let me put your mind at ease: even these bouts are giddily arcade-y. Fighting Father Gregory is a two-stage fight that begins with a manic car chase, complete with falling boulders and daring jumps. When I finally corner him in a dingy graveyard, the teeth – or in this case, the Gatling Gun mounted on Father Gregory’s motorbike – come out. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to fight a trigger-happy werewolf from a speeding go-kart, but yes, it’s as awkward as it sounds. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more To make things worse, the track is littered with mounds of grave dirt that stall my kart upon contact, which makes me an easy target. My health bar is much smaller than Father Gregory’s, which stretches across the screen, and guns from power-ups only last for a few shots. This means I’ve got to fly around the course non-stop, scooping up a randomized weapon before drifting around and sinking a few shots into my pursuer. After cycling through shotguns, pistols, and even a Gatling Gun of my own, big Greg finally dies in a fiery blaze and my whistle-stop tour of Miralodia continues. I won’t spoil every detail of the hunt, but Nightmare Kart is fairly short, and you should expect to get an hour or two of silly fun out of it. Considering it’s free, that value is hard to argue with. Nightmare Kart stretches so far beyond its punchline that it’s hard to think this was ever just a joke, and I can see myself regularly coming back for a few laps. If you find yourself between games, I’d recommend taking Nightmare Kart for a spin – and FromSoftware, take notes:everythingis better with go-karts and nitrous. Nightmare Kart is out now on PC. To see what other indie gems we’ve been enjoying this year, head on over to ourIndie Spotlight series. 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War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”