Cover artwork I generate from the game data. I do not use publisher artwork.
Game profile
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
The best selling racing game of all time now offers over 90 tracks thanks to the Booster Course Pass. Up to eight players race locally or online in chaotic item fueled battles.
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What kind of game this is
At its core this is Racing / Party, set in a fantasy world. Visually it is deliberately stylised rather than photorealistic, and the overall tone stays light and upbeat. The structure is guided rather than open, so you are moved along instead of dropped into a map. It is built around short sessions, which makes it easy to pick up for half an hour.
The difficulty is moderate and fair, demanding attention without punishing you for it. There is no story to speak of, the systems carry everything. You can play it with others cooperatively or go head to head. It is available on one platform. It is a full price release.
What stands out
- Over 90 tracks
- Eight players locally
- Chaotic item racing
This fits you if
- you want your skill measured against other people
- you are after a proper adrenaline rush
- you usually have thirty to sixty minutes and want that to be enough
- cutscenes annoy you and you just want to play
- you have someone to play with
- you enjoy competing against other players
Look elsewhere if
- you play mainly for narrative
- you want a game with a clear ending you can reach
- you play alone, this needs other people
- you are not willing to pay full price right now
What it costs you in time
This one has no finish line. It is built to be played for years, in whatever rhythm suits you.
How the rating ranks
Critics settled on 93 out of 100, which puts it above 95 percent of the 1206 games here and at rank 44 overall. That is a strong score, comfortably above what most releases manage.
For comparison, Racing averages 81 points across the database, so this one sits 12 points above its own genre. The figure rests on 634 collected ratings.
Released in 2017, so it has 9 years behind it. Usually cheap by now and the rough edges are long fixed.
The facts
- Release year
- 2017
- Genres
- Racing, Party
- Playtime
- Endless game
- Difficulty
- Moderate, fair
- Story weight
- None, pure gameplay
- Play with
- Co-op, Competitive
- Setting
- Fantasy
- Visual style
- Stylised
- Price bracket
- Full price
- Platforms
- Switch
- Critic rating
- 93 / 100
Direct comparison
| Genres | Release year | Playtime | Critic rating | Price bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | 2017 | Endless game | 93 | Full price |
| Kirby Air Riders | 2025 | approx. 15 hrs. | 88 | Full price |
| SpeedRunners | 2016 | Endless game | 76 | Budget |
| Sonic Rumble Party | 2025 | Endless game | 72 | Free-to-play |
If you liked this, try these
- Kirby Air Riders Shared: Racing, Party, Fantasy, shorter
- SpeedRunners Shared: Racing, Party
- Sonic Rumble Party Shared: Racing, Party
- Brawlhalla Shared: Party, Fantasy
- Mario Kart Tour Shared: Racing, Party, Fantasy
- TowerFall Ascension Shared: Party, Fantasy