City Rider

The city cruiser

City Rider is a driving game where you take sports cars through city streets and highways, dodge traffic and earn money to upgrade or buy new cars. It suits players who like free-roaming driving with a keyboard and no fixed finish line to chase.

Qariscreskchar team · updated June 2022 · 4 min read

City Rider cover
Genre
Racing
Made by
Faramel games
Devices
Computer only
Input
Keyboard: WASD or arrow keys, Space, number keys
Session
Open-ended driving, stop whenever you like
Account
Free on Poki; no account mentioned on its page
Fit for
Suitable for most ages
Updated
June 2022

The first minutes

City Rider puts you behind the wheel of a sports car in a city that is full of other traffic. The goal is not a single race but a loop: drive, dodge the cars around you, collect money, and spend it on upgrades or on a different car. Poki lists it under driving games, and the page describes streets and highways, so expect both tighter city turns and longer open stretches.

Steering uses WASD or the arrow keys, and Space brakes. Two number keys, 1 and 2, switch between cars, Q and E work the indicators, and C changes the camera angle. Because the game is keyboard-only and listed for computers only, it is worth opening it on a laptop or desktop rather than a phone or tablet.

A sensible first session is a slow one. Drive a few blocks without chasing speed, find out how the car responds to a hard turn, and try each camera view with C until one gives you a clear picture of the road ahead. Once the controls feel familiar, the money you earn starts to matter, because it decides which cars and upgrades you can reach next.

Buttons in use

W / Up arrow
Accelerate
A D / Left Right arrows
Steer
Space
Brake
1 and 2
Switch cars
Q and E
Indicators
C
Change camera

Four or five pointers

  • Try the camera views early. Pressing C costs nothing and the right angle makes it easier to read traffic ahead.
  • Brake with Space before a turn, not in the middle of it. A car at speed is harder to place between other vehicles.
  • Treat traffic as the main obstacle. The game rewards careful lines through busy streets more than raw speed.
  • Spend money with a plan. Upgrades improve the car you already drive, while a new car changes how everything feels, so decide which you want first.
  • Keep the indicator keys in mind when you want the drive to feel more like a city trip than a sprint; they are there, even if they are optional.

Made for

Players who enjoy open driving on a keyboard and are happy to set their own pace, rather than racing against a clock or other players.

What to weigh up

  • Computer only: Poki lists no phone or tablet support, and the controls need a keyboard.
  • Poki shows ads around its games, so there can be an advertisement before or near the game itself.
  • The controls cover several keys (steering, brake, car switch, indicators, camera), which can feel like a lot in the first few minutes.
  • Poki lists the last update as June 2022, so do not expect recent changes.

Next on the card

Questions about City Rider

Does City Rider work on a phone?
Poki lists City Rider for computers only, and the controls rely on the keyboard, so a laptop or desktop is the right choice.
What do the number keys do?
According to Poki, 1 and 2 switch between cars. Q and E are the indicators and C changes the camera.
Is there a goal or finish line?
Poki describes driving through streets and highways, dodging traffic and earning money for upgrades and new cars. It does not describe a single finish line.