Simulations can be a very odd genre sometimes, as depending on how they’re implemented you can legitimately wonder how much gameplay they have to offer, especially now. The classic Oregon Trail, which pretty well my entire generation likely played on a computer at home, a friend’s house, or at school, is a great example. What I remember most about it is that there were many unpleasant ways to meet your demise, but I don’t actually remember anyone I know beating it. It was just this gauntlet of random tragedy that you could try to outlast, but the experience very much felt stacked against you as the player.

I’d consider Desert Race Adventures to be somewhat of a descendent of that same concept. You’ll need to start by choosing your driver and assistant, each of which will have their own strengths and weaknesses that you’ll need to consider as you head out for the brutal endurance race ahead. Care will need to be taken as you decide what gear to outfit yourself with, including even the weight it will add to your car, since too many heavy items will hurt your fuel consumption and this is a game where every ounce of advantage you can have will matter.

In general your goal will be to merely survive from checkpoint to checkpoint, but even they offer little in the way of respite. You’ll have to choose carefully whether to rest, repair some aspect of your vehicle, or resupply, and the further you get in the race the more difficult these decisions will be, since you’ll likely be hurting pretty well across the board. While you won’t succumb to something as memorable as dysentery, you’ll encounter a lot of failure all the same, and while there’s no doubt that success is possible, it also feels like the RNG gods and pretty random negative events will do all they can to squash even the most promising runs. Way back when people were excited to be playing almost anything, despite its limitations Oregon Trail is still etched onto many memories. Drowning in an ocean of eShop titles though, this doesn’t feel like a very good use of time that could be spent playing something more interesting and rewarding.