‘Quite a Ride’ is a massive slab of nope, for all the right reasons.
Goodwin Games
I’ve never played a game from Kazakhstan, but after finally finding one from the country — Quite a Ride, from Almaty-based studio Goodwin Games — I don’t think this’ll change any time soon. That’s not because it looks bad — it just seems absolutely terrifying.
Quite a Ride is a surreal “biking survival horror game” and has been signed by Northern English publisher Silver Lining Interactive, whose members have worked on titles as diverse as Dave the Diver, The Alters, and Caravan SandWitch. It’s not the first partnership between the pair, as Silver Lining also helped Goodwin bring its Slavic-inspired and emotionally charged debut Selfloss to PC and consoles in 2024.
This follow-up couldn’t be further from its predecessor. Quite a Ride puts you on the saddle of a pedal bike as a lone wanderer journeying through “a haunting rural landscape where thick mist spawns anomalies, poisoning the land” to create monsters and apparitions. Your only quest is to find out what’s going on — positioning itself as a scarier alternative to the spectacular Pacific Drive, as you don’t even have a car to hide in.
Immediately from the trailer, you can see Quite a Ride’s most obvious influences. S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Chernobylite, Half-Life 2, and Silent Hill are all very present in its foggy, abandoned, post-Soviet aesthetic, complete with weird creatures, radio static, and the never-ending feeling of impending doom. It’s definitely rough around the edges right now, but like Forest Reigns, it has huge potential.
Quite a Ride emphasizes exploration and constant movement; stopping your bike for too long invites the unwanted attention of creatures trailing you. Your only guide is a strange phone that’s apparently possessed by a “cryptic silhouette” whose messages may help or mislead you. Its battery slowly drains, and the only way to recharge it is by riding your bike.
The road constantly changes, uncovering labs, towns, and all that weird nonsense from the trailer. The game also adopts collective progress, meaning that “players’ collective global efforts can change the environment, unlocking new locations, hidden characters, and secret quests over time.”
Ah yes, but can you pet the dog?
Goodwin Games
Still, there are plenty of questions left unanswered, namely: why is there jellyfish in the sky? What’s that blood-spitting plague doctor creature all about? Why is the pylon bubbling? Are those floating Boys of Silence? Most importantly, can you pet the inexplicable Pomeranian dog in your bike basket?
Silver Lining’s Ross Griffith said that when he tried it out, “I was scared sh**less, and I loved it. It’s rare to find a game that gets under your skin in such a deliberate, unnerving way. Folks will love this one.” Love’s a strong word, Ross, but I’m certain there are plenty of brown-trouser/cycling short moments yet to be shared.
In a way, I can’t wait not to try it, but I’ll still cheerlead my more fearless and stronger-bowelled friends as they venture into its world. Right now, Quite a Ride looks like one of the more unique and exciting indie horror games out there; Silver Lining Interactive is giving Goodwin Games time to “focus their efforts on crafting a truly unforgettable world”, which only makes this one even more intriguing — and a firm addition to any Steam wishlist.