RoadCraft Review

By Marcus Jones  |  May 19, 2025

The throaty rumble of heavy diesel engines. Winches squealing as they strain to free a truck bogged deep in the mud. The distinct crunch of gravel compacting under massive tires. Welcome back to the rugged world of off-road simulation in Saber Interactive’s RoadCraft. From the developers behind the beloved Spintires, MudRunner, and SnowRunner titles, RoadCraft emerges as another ambitious entry that blends familiar gameplay with fresh twists.

At its core, RoadCraft is a satisfying fusion of Saber's previous hits. It borrows streamlined UI elements and gameplay cues from Expeditions, while infusing the infrastructure-repair mechanics popularized by the Runner series. However, RoadCraft significantly ups the ante. Instead of merely delivering a stack of lumber or steel beams and calling it a day, players are now actively involved in designing and constructing critical infrastructure. Need a bridge to cross that gorge? You're not just delivering materials; you’re planning its layout, choosing the path, and carefully assembling it piece-by-piece. Want to create a more traversable road through that swampy marsh? Lay out sand, flatten the terrain, pave it, and compress the ground through a methodical four-step process, turning previously impassable terrain into a reliable route.

Yet, your construction tasks don’t stop at roads and bridges. You’ll also replace broken pipes, carefully using crane trucks to remove damaged sections, recycling old materials, and hauling newly built pipes with cargo vehicles to complete repairs. Moreover, players will face the meticulous task of digging through challenging terrain to lay underground power cables, reconnecting power lines vital to restarting critical infrastructure like power plants.

Fundamentally, RoadCraft doesn’t stray far from the established formula—grab big truck, load a big truck, move cargo slowly and carefully to your destination. But it streamlines certain mechanics from the more intricate systems of SnowRunner. Gone are the detailed gear shifts and guesswork of terrain depth; now a quick press of a face button engages Low Gear, 4-Wheel Drive, or Diff Lock respectively, making navigation slightly more approachable without sacrificing the authentic feel of off-road traversal.

Customization takes a noticeable backseat this time around. While previous games allowed for detailed vehicle modifications, swapping tires, altering transmissions, or outfitting winches, RoadCraft opts for simplicity. You can purchase new models of vehicles as upgrades, but apart from cosmetic changes such as company liveries, customization options feel disappointingly sparse. It’s a missed opportunity that might disappoint enthusiasts who previously enjoyed tailoring their trucks to specific tasks.

Vehicle variety, however, remains impressively robust. Classic staples like scout vehicles, hefty transport trucks, cranes, and equipment haulers return, complemented by exciting newcomers such as steamrollers and asphalt layers. Each vehicle class presents distinct handling quirks, rear-wheel steering, treaded navigation, and specialized equipment handling, which constantly challenges players to adapt before inevitably ending up sideways in a ditch or submerged in a river.

RoadCraft expands the experience beyond just individual truck operation. Players manage a company responsible for reconnecting isolated areas devastated by a natural disasters, leaving roads destroyed, debris scattered everywhere, widespread flooding, and a complete loss of power. AI-driven companions deliver cargo along player-constructed routes, but this system introduces new strategic considerations: poorly built or inadequately maintained roads will lead to deliveries failing and routes deteriorating over time. The AI companions aren't perfect; their persistent mishaps and tendency to further damage terrain can occasionally feel more like babysitting than management. Still, successfully maintaining efficient routes provides a satisfying layer of depth, rewarding players with essential cash and experience.

A thoughtful addition is the recycling mechanic. Certain areas contain factories that convert collected debris into essential repair materials. Scavenging rusty cars, broken fences, and battered pipes not only cleans up the landscape but also directly contributes to your construction efforts. This feature elegantly combines environmental storytelling with practical gameplay rewards.

RoadCraft truly shines in multiplayer, featuring robust four-player cooperative play with full cross-platform support. Cooperation isn’t just encouraged; it’s integral. The four-step road construction process aligns ideally with having a full team online, efficiently dividing tasks among players. From laying down preliminary sand beds to the final compression stage, teamwork is crucial for smooth and rapid progression. Multiplayer quirks persist, however, particularly with physics synchronization. In one memorable session, Kevin’s mere presence caused my crane truck to perform a physics-defying breakdance routine, catapulting my scout vehicle clear across the map. Moments like these might technically be bugs, but they're undeniably entertaining, adding to the charm of co-op play.

What makes the multiplayer experience even more seamless is the excellent progression integration. When joining a friend’s game, you’re not just a temporary guest. You’ll work together on the host’s version of the map, completing objectives and tackling repairs, and when you leave, you have the option to save all the progress made during that session. This means you can pick up exactly where you left off in your friend’s world, now in your own session. It’s an elegant solution that respects your time and efforts, ensuring that no progress feels wasted.

Simply Put

RoadCraft delivers a compelling blend of strategic construction, management, and satisfying vehicular simulation. Though simplified mechanics and limited customization might frustrate hardcore fans, the game’s expansive co-op features, innovative recycling system, and dynamic road-building mechanics more than compensate. RoadCraft offers exactly what fans expect, engaging gameplay wrapped in delightful off-road absurdity. After all, who doesn’t enjoy watching trucks spontaneously dance up mountains?

RoadCraft blends satisfying vehicle simulation and thoughtful infrastructure-building mechanics with standout multiplayer gameplay, despite some minor simplifications and lingering quirks.