I already have a project car — an old beater that my friends and I plan to turn into a race car. It demands more time, tools, and mechanical sympathy than I can ever give. But why would I work on my own real project car, when I can pour hours into a virtual one? Even better, one in a world that’s actively trying to kill me?
Enter My Winter Car. The long-awaited sequel to 2016’s My Summer Car, a cult phenomenon that is equal parts driving sim, permadeath life sim, and existential crisis generator. Set in 90’s rural Finland, My Winter Car takes the same concept and setting but cranks the already punishing difficulty right up to 100.
Same Chaos, Colder Climate
The concept remains unchanged (or perhaps deranged) from its predecessor: you’re a lone tinkerer in 1990s rural Finland, trying to assemble — and survive long enough to assemble — your dream rust bucket from scratch.
The difference now? Well, it’s winter. A Finnish winter. That is to say, everything is frozen solid, and it’s nearly always nighttime. Everywhere you go, you’re fighting the elements — most frustratingly of all, the icy roads. They’ll send you spinning into a ditch at even the slightest hint of throttle or wheel lock. You’ll also wrestle with de‑icing, keeping the engine warm, and simply staying alive long enough to find something worth restoring. Because there’s a new meter to obsess over now — your body temperature — and it drops faster than your morale trying to make it past Monday in this damn game.
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Survival of the Stubbornest
Calling My Winter Car a car restoration game is technically true, in the same way that calling summiting Mount Everest a walk is technically true — if you ignore the altitude, frostbite, and constant threat of death, there’s heaps of walking involved. Don’t even think about car restoration in your first few (many) hours — the focus is primarily about two things: 1) figuring out what on earth you are actually supposed to do, and 2) not freezing to death in the attempt.
The former is harder than you’d think. My Winter Car tells you nothing. Absolutely nothing. You certainly don’t start with a project car in hand — and you’ll die, or rage-quit, long before you lay your hands on one. Venturing through the decrepit, freezing Finnish landscape is a perpetual cycle of trial and error. That and putting your starting car into a ditch you’ll never escape.
Sometimes, you’re not even sure whether what’s happening is a bug, or if it’s just meant to be that difficult. It’s hard to tell — the game’s in early access, after all, and half the experience is wondering if the pain is intentional. That being said, there’s a masochistic joy here: the satisfaction of learning a system the hard way.
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Final Thoughts: Brutal, Brilliant, and Completely Unforgiving
Many games promise hardcore simulation. Few mean it. My Winter Car does. It demands patience, creativity, and a gentle streak of masochism. It’s frustrating, unpredictable, and occasionally unfair — but when it all clicks, the sense of accomplishment feels utterly real.
I’m looking forward to chipping away at this one — slowly, painfully — and I can’t wait to see where the developer takes it.
My Winter Car is available now in early access on PC via Steam for $22 AUD.
