RoadCraft, Saber Interactive’s newest off-roading experience, builds on the foundation of SnowRunner and Expeditions: A MudRunner Game. Available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, it launched with eight massive maps across three biomes: desert, highland, and forest. That covers over 28 square kilometers of tricky, muddy terrain.
Despite the variety, some may notice biome repetition. However, the level of environmental detail, thanks to improved visuals and sound design, brings these maps to life. Weather systems, lighting, and reflective water effects push immersion forward, especially on high-end GPUs like the RTX 4090.
RoadCraft’s Core Feature: Manual Road Building
At its core, RoadCraft is about road building. Players dump sand, flatten it, lay tarmac, and press it down to build roads across disaster-affected terrain. These roads can be created manually or using a limited point-and-click AI system. While this AI can automate construction, it’s often unreliable on anything other than flat, dry ground.
Road-building ties directly into progression. As roads are laid and debris cleared, buildings transform from ruins to operational hubs. Some tasks even reshape entire maps—like draining a flooded mine to reveal buried machinery. Each functional structure offers new resource or crafting options, though players cannot choose where to place them.
Still, you can decide which buildings to restore first. Sand quarries, for example, should be unlocked early since they make remote road construction less tedious.
The AI Struggles… a Lot
Despite the premise, RoadCraft’s AI often underperforms. Delivery trucks get stuck easily if your freshly built road has even slight dips or muddy patches. There’s no way to upgrade AI vehicles with better tires or customize them cosmetically. This can feel limiting, especially when their poor performance affects your resource gain.
Thankfully, players can assist or push AI trucks to finish delivery routes. Some missions require repeated routes that help accumulate experience and materials. Others are one-offs. While not strategic in the grand scheme, these missions provide meaningful goals tied to each map’s restoration progress.
Multiplayer alleviates some frustration. Crossplay co-op for up to four players (with voice chat) adds a more satisfying, social element to road-building. In testing, the co-op mode was smooth on PC, although save sync issues and lost progress did arise.
Driving Feels Good… With a Few Missing Features
RoadCraft’s driving mechanics show notable improvements. Tarmac handling is tighter, and vehicles remain stable even at speed. Each truck has unique quirks and purposes, and interaction with terrain feels better thanks to an updated physics system.
However, some simulation aspects are simplified. Fuel consumption doesn’t impact gameplay. Customization and upgrades are almost nonexistent. There’s one low gear, and AWD and diff lock are always active. Cargo is no longer slot-based, meaning you just load what fits and hope your truck can handle it.
That said, mastering vehicle behavior still matters. The Muel T1 Cargo Crane Truck, for instance, is indispensable for crane missions and cargo drops. With no upgrades to rely on, success depends on player knowledge and route planning. Vehicles like the Kronenwerk L-34 offer multiple variants, adding versatility despite the absence of deep modification systems.
A Strong Start That Leaves Room for More
RoadCraft offers strong value for its £35 price tag. While its building mechanics lack strategic complexity and its AI is frustrating, the scale and execution of the maps deliver a satisfying off-road simulation. Between eerie abandoned towns and vast sandy expanses, the game’s environmental design keeps exploration engaging.
Some features—like destructible terrain, varied road materials, and terrain reshaping—add depth to what could otherwise be a grind. But it’s clear certain aspects were toned down to distinguish it from SnowRunner. That restraint may leave room for SnowRunner 2 down the line.
There’s still room for polish. Manual headlights, consistent crane controls, and night driving are noticeably absent. Yet, after 50 hours of play, RoadCraft still feels fresh. There’s potential for repetition later, but for now, fans of the genre have plenty to enjoy—and much to yell at the AI about.
