Even if you are not a massive gamer, you probably played or heard about Hill Climb Racing. It’s a 2D driving game where you have to drive over rough terrains without flipping over your car. Well, that small 2D driving game has crossed 2 billion downloads. This number puts the game among the likes of Candy Crush Saga, PUBG Mobile, and even Subway Surfers.
What started as a breakout indie hit from Finnish developer Fingersoft has grown into a literally global phenomenon. Even 13 years after its debut, the original Hill Climb Racing still attracts over 4 million daily players, and continues adding new audiences thanks to updates, spin-offs, and sequels.
The Long Road To 2 Billion Downloads
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Hill Climb Racing’s rise is a rare success story in the mobile space. The game didn’t have the best graphics or the most immersive controls. It featured two buttons, “brake” and “gas,” but with very goofy physics. Accelerate too much, and the car will do a wheelie and flip over; the same applies if you brake too hard. The goal was to be precise with both the accelerator and brake buttons and reach the end of the level without flipping over, but what made that difficult was the uneven terrain.
You have to precisely feather both buttons and traverse the terrain to complete the level. This simplicity in design is what made the game popular. You didn’t need to be someone well-versed in games to play it. This low barrier to entry made it one of the most downloaded games of its generation, and it’s still carrying that momentum to this day.
It has remained relevant thanks to regular updates, seasonal events, and the ripple effect of popular sequels like Hill Climb Racing 2. Combined with a series total approaching 3 billion downloads across all titles, the franchise has become one of the biggest in mobile racing.
Fingersoft has also expanded the brand with spin-offs like LEGO Hill Climb Adventures and the soft-launched Hill Climb Racing 3, keeping the game fresh while staying true to the core formula fans fell in love with.
