The Ashwood Road
A long drive at night, from the driver's seat. Steer, change gear and watch the fuel, through rain, fog and snow, with the radio on. Drive the half-hour story through the forest, or a free drive on the coast, an alpine pass or the Hollow road.
- A story and four free-drive roads
- Keyboard, game controller or touch
- About 16 MB to load
Works best onPhone: WorksComputer: Plays best
Best on a computer with headphones, or with a game controller. Lane keeping is on to begin with: let go of the steering and the car keeps to its lane; steer to take over. Press Esc or P to pause, and choose Leave the game to come back here. Your settings and the story's last stop stay in this browser.
Cars: “Car Concept” by Eric Chadwick, © 2024 Darmstadt Graphics Group, and “An old pickup truck” by creosine, both CC BY 4.0. Fox: model by PixelMannen (CC0), rigging and animation by tomkranis (CC BY 4.0).
The game runs on your device. Scores and settings are saved in this browser only. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Why play The Ashwood Road here
- 100% free
- Play as much as you like. No account, no money, nothing to install.
- Private by design
- The game runs in your browser. Nothing to download.
- Works on any device
- Runs in your browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone. No app needed.
Who it's for
- A calm drive after a long day
- Turn lane keeping on, put the radio on and let the road unwind: rain on the glass, the wipers and the engine for company.
- A short ghost story
- Drive the story through the forest at two in the morning, with the fuel running low and the radio losing its signal.
- Practising car control
- Turn the aids off, take the GT onto a wet road or tow the camper through the alpine bends, and feel how grip and weight behave.
- Seeing new places
- Follow the coast under the moon, climb an alpine pass, or count the cairns on the Hollow road.
- Playing without installing anything
- It runs straight from this page in a browser tab, on any computer with a modern browser.
How to play The Ashwood Road
- Press Play (full screen is best), pick a vehicle and, if it can tow, a trailer, then choose Start the drive for the story or Free drive with one of the four roads.
- Press I to start the engine and E for drive. W is the gas, S the brake and A and D steer; drag with the mouse or the right stick to look around, and press C for the cameras outside the car.
- Lane keeping is on to begin with: let go of the steering and the car follows your lane and slows for tight bends. Steer any time to take over, or press K to turn it off.
- Watch the fuel and the next station in the corner. To fill up, pull up beside a pump, stop, turn the engine off with I and hold F.
- Press R for the radio, V for the wipers and H for the high beams. Press Esc, P or the pause button to rest, change settings or end the drive, and choose Leave the game to come back here.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the story?
- Your father's cabin at Kestrel Lake sells on Monday, and somebody has to empty it. It's two in the morning and 31 km of forest road lie ahead, with three stations closing for the season. It takes about half an hour, and a few things happen along the way.
- What are the free-drive roads?
- A pine forest; a coast road on the cliffs above the sea, with the moon on the water; an alpine pass with a drop to a valley of village lights and snowy peaks all around; and the Hollow road, where the signs, cairns and lanterns in the trees come from the old superstitions. The weather changes as you go, and the road never ends.
- Which vehicles can I drive?
- A light rear-wheel-drive GT, an old pickup, a van and a 4x4. Each has its own weight, power, gearing and grip, and the pickup, van and 4x4 can tow a box trailer or a camper, which swings out in tight turns and pushes in braking.
- How realistic is the driving?
- Each tyre has its own grip and slip, weight moves as you brake and turn, and wet roads, slush and snow grip less. Choose full, sport or no driving aids: anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control step in less as you turn them down.
- How does fuel work?
- Fuel burns like a real engine's: more at high revs and on climbs. A free drive starts with a full tank; the story starts with enough for the road and stations to top up. The corner shows how much is left, roughly how far it takes you and how far the next station is.
- Can I play with a game controller or on a phone?
- Yes to a controller: steer with the left stick, use the triggers for gas and brake, and look with the right stick. Phones get touch pedals and buttons, but it's made for a computer, and phones may run it slowly.
- Is anything sent anywhere?
- No. The game runs on your device, keeps your settings and the story's last stop in your browser, and the radio host speaks with your device's own voices.
- Is The Ashwood Road free?
- Yes. It's free to use, with no sign-up and nothing to install.
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