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90/100
Players4 ratings

Where to get it

CSR Racing cover

2012 · BossAlien · Arcade · Racing

CSR Racing

CSR Racing is a racing game for mobile devices.

Released
28 June 2012
Platforms
AndroidWindowsiOSmacOS
Genres
ArcadeRacing
Developers
BossAlien
Publishers
NaturalMotion
Modes
MultiplayerSingle-player
Country
United Kingdom
Age ratings
ESRB E

About

Custom Street Racing, commonly known as CSR Racing, is a 2012 free-to-play drag-racing video game by Boss Alien and NaturalMotion Games. In the video game, the player takes the role of a new racer looking to gain fame in a deserted city that is being ruled by five racing "crews". A sequel to CSR Racing was released on iOS and Android on June 29, 2016, officially titled CSR Racing 2. The next game in the CSR Racing series early access as beta was released in Malaysia in January 2024, called "CSR Racing 3".

CSR Racing was first shown on stage at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 11, 2012 and was subsequently released on the Apple App Store on iOS on June 28, 2012. It was revealed that the game made over $12 million in a month shortly after launch, making it one of the top ten grossing iPhone mobile games of 2012.

Keywords

  • online
  • free-to-play
  • digital distribution
  • motorsports
  • vehicle customization
  • apple game center
  • versus screen

Media

CSR Racing screenshot 1

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

CSR Racing's single-player component is split into five tiers, with each tier introducing progressively faster opposition and vehicles. To move on to a new tier, the player must race and beat the crew boss for the level. After beating the boss of each level, the player will be challenged to a high-stakes rematch. If the player wins the race, they are awarded the boss's car; however, if the player loses, they must give back the gold won from the previous boss race.

Unlike a traditional racing game, CSR Racing does not feature steering, braking or acceleration controls. Instead, the game focuses on timing gear changes and use of the nitrous upgrade by tapping the screen, in a similar fashion to a rhythm game. Races take place across either a quarter- or half-mile distance, depending on the event in which the player has chosen to compete. These events range from repeatable Regulation Races, which are split into three different difficulties (Rookie, Amateur, Pro), to direct confrontations against rival crew members.

Development

BossAlien was formed by ex-employees of Black Rock Studio (Pure, Split/Second) in June, 2011. Following the release of the game, BossAlien was purchased by NaturalMotion Games for an undisclosed fee, and now operates as the company's Brighton development studio. In January 2014, NaturalMotion was acquired by Zynga for $527 Million.

Reception

Aggregate review website Metacritic assigned a score of 67/100 based on reviews from 6 critics.

Media reception to CSR Racing has been generally positive, with Modojo awarding it 4/5 and Gamezebo describing its visuals as "better than some games from the previous console generation (Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii)". Other outlets like Pocket Gamer criticized the implementation of in-app purchases, describing the game's gas system as "an unpardonable grasp for cash", but adding that it was "an accessible and fun racing game."

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
iOS28 June 2012Worldwide
Android3 April 2013Worldwide

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Genres

Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.