A little-known physics simulation game is attracting nearly as many players as Forza Horizon 6 on Steam.

      BeamNG.drive

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      It's fair to say that Forza Horizon 6 is the most significant racing game of the year. Released in May, it reached a peak of over 300,000 concurrent players on Steam shortly after its launch. And keep in mind—that's exclusively on Steam, not accounting for console and PC players on the Xbox platform, where Microsoft does not publicly disclose player counts. However, the excitement eventually subsides, and as of last month, FH6 averaged just under 29,000 concurrent players at any given moment, which is only a tenth of its peak figure. You might be surprised to learn which game is gaining ground and could soon be in close pursuit.

      BeamNG.drive, the vehicle physics sandbox that has been playable in various forms for over a decade, recorded an average of 20,660 concurrent players on Steam in July, reflecting an 8.45% increase, according to data initially noted by Overtake. Although the game is technically still in early access, it boasts a vibrant modding community and has recently received its largest update to date, which incorporates Gran Turismo’s open-source tone-mapping system for enhanced color and lighting realism.

      I admit that my personal experience with BeamNG.drive is quite limited; to be honest, I wouldn’t know where to begin if I launched it now. My familiarity mostly comes from TikToks showcasing players launching vehicles of various sizes off ramps under different gravitational forces. If you’ve ever been curious about what would occur to a Cybertruck subjected to 30 times the force of Earth, BeamNG is the game for you.

      If you can drive it—or crash it—it’s in BeamNG.drive.

      This development is interesting and extends beyond industry-specific relevance. High-budget games with price tags of $80 are increasingly common, and even titles that may seem less expensive, like FH6, often encourage players to purchase premium versions with additional content for up to $120. Notably, Grand Theft Auto VI will launch with an $80 standard edition that excludes character and vehicle customization—elements that many players find appealing. To access those features, players will need to pay $100 for the “Ultimate Edition.”

      Are players growing weary of this trend? I don’t have concrete data to support this, but it’s generally not a trend most consumers would find favorable. Therefore, it may say something noteworthy that a game priced at $25, offering countless ways to have fun as long as you’re willing to engage, is attracting a comparably sized audience, at least on PC.

      It's also essential to highlight how fundamentally different these two games are. BeamNG is a detailed simulation sandbox that allows for various setups to achieve different experiences; Horizon is a pick-up-and-play, open-world racing game that operates very smoothly but remains more structured in its design. Like many contemporary high-budget games, FH6 also engages players through a FOMO (fear of missing out) mechanism, with limited-time rewards for those who invest the most time, thus maintaining a high active player count.

      These titles are polar opposites yet secured the top two spots in the racing genre on Steam last month, leaving a considerable gap to Assetto Corsa in third place.

      Data from SteamDB since BeamNG’s release doesn't suggest that this surge in attention is an anomaly, either. Over the past decade, the game has shown a consistent upward trend, gaining significant traction in mid-2020 through 2021. Its peak concurrent player count also occurred just last month, immediately following that major update, reaching 47,424 users. It's clearly in a very strong position now, which is remarkable, especially considering it's developed by a modestly sized independent team of 70 people from around the globe. Perhaps other publishers charging premium prices while closing studios could take a few lessons from them.

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