Moonshine Runners Samogonki

27 votes

Some games are so weird and hard to describe that you don't know how they came to be or why and that's how you get Moonshine Runners Samogonki. This is a game from the early 2000s that continues to survive on the vast digital plains of the internet. It has an overly-narrated story about a planet with valuable liquid that can do anything so a bunch of robots invade and take the planet and the liquid for itself. The citizens of the planet decide to fight back by competing in a series of dangerous cart races with the robots because that will get them to leave. Yep, that's the plan.

About Moonshine Runners Samogonki

Kart racing games have proven to be quirky, and chaotic, but also enjoyable with a lot of room to experiment. This game seems like it was built on the idea of experimentation and there's earnest charm to that. So many studios simply focus on reusing the same properties that we find ourselves looking to random sources to find random titles. The game works well, but you won't be blamed for having to look things up so that you figure out exactly what's going on. If you do that, you can have a good time racing against the game or other players.

How to Play

Moonshine Runners Samogonki is a 3D kart racing game about aliens trying to defeat robots with the keyboard or mouse.

Controls

Up Arrow - Move Forward
Down Arrow - Reverse
Left Arrow - Turn Left
Right Arrow - Turn Right
Num. 1 to 3 - Use Spells
Spacebar - Honk Horn

If you decide to play with the Turn-Based system, you can use the cursor to move over the map, and to your racer, select them with the Left Mouse Button, click where you want them to move, and choose which spell you want them to use. The goal is to win all of the races and take back your planet.

At the start of the game, you'll get a chance to choose one of five racers, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. After you do, you're free to drive around the hub area and find races that are indicated by arrows and auras. By entering the aura, you can enter a race on the indicated track. When the race begins, you'll be able to drive across the track and collect energy for your spells. Your spells can be used to attack other racers, to defend yourself, or to pull off special maneuvers. Other racers may attack you and your health is indicated by the meter at the bottom. If it empties, your car will be destroyed and you'll have to wait for it to reform. You can restore health and energy by collecting bottles along the track.

By winning races, you can unlock more tracks. Singleplayer has you playing through a story mode where you race computer opponents. You can also play with a friend in the Multiplayer mode which offers a split-screen option.

Tips and Tricks

This is a game that was made in the days when players were expected to figure things out for themselves or to read the manual. It's not always clear how things work and certain buttons don't always respond well, so spend some time playing around the hub area until you have a good feel for your racer. You're free to swap out your racer in the hub world, so find the one that best suits your play style.