ZERO STAR GAMES THE PIXEL MOTORSPORT SERIES VOL. 01

NO ASPHALT REQUIRED / PICKUP TRUCK GRAND PRIX

TAILGATE RALLY

SIX TRUCKS. THREE TRACKS.
ONE VERY DUSTY TROPHY.
01 / SUNSHINE COASTPICK YOUR CREW
Precision driving. Questionable sportsmanship.

WALL DRIFT Hold forward + turn close to a wall to build speed. Touch it and the drift ends.

WATCH THE EDGE A hard boosted wall impact, direct high-speed ram, fall, or fifth hazard ends your track. Glancing scrapes are survivable.

PLAY CLEAN. MOSTLY. Placement earns 5–0 points. Careful driving earns up to 2 more.

MEET YOUR NEXT COUCH RIVALRY

A FREE PIXEL TRUCK RACING GAME.

Tailgate Rally is a top-down arcade racer from Zero Star Games. Drive a pickup through beach, forest and snow circuits, build speed with close wall drifts, and use a few questionable items to shake up the pack. Play solo against AI or invite one friend to share the same device.

The three-terrain cup

Racers
Six: one or two players, with AI filling the grid.
Tracks
Sunshine Coast (beach), Timber Run (forest) and Frostbite Pass (snow), four laps each.
Speed
Hold forward and turn near a wall to drift. Boost panels and automatic ramp jumps add speed and risk.
Items
Three random items per track, used in order: oil, water, rocket, gas or food. Food can backfire and cover your own view.
Scoring
Places earn 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or 0 points, plus up to 2 clean-driving points. A crash eliminates you for that track; you return on the next.

Pick your controls

Player 1
W forward, S brake/reverse, A/D turn, F item.
Player 2
Arrow keys drive; either Shift uses an item. Choose Local Rivals for two-player split screen.
Gamepads
Left stick or D-pad steers; RT/R2 accelerates; LT/L2 brakes/reverses; X/Square uses an item; Start/Options pauses. Keyboard and controller play can be mixed.
Touch
Solo mode has on-screen steering, forward, brake and item buttons on smaller screens.
Pause & sound
Escape or P pauses. Select Sound off to hear the original retro music and effects; change their levels in Settings.

Before you race

Is Tailgate Rally free to play?

Yes. Tailgate Rally is a free browser racing game from Zero Star Games. No account or download is required. JavaScript and Canvas are required to play.

Can two people play Tailgate Rally together?

Yes. Choose Local Rivals for two players on the same device with side-by-side driving views and four AI rivals. Use one keyboard, two standard-mapped gamepads, or a keyboard and gamepad. Solo Run has one player and five AI rivals. There is no online multiplayer.

Can I play on a phone or with a controller?

Solo mode includes on-screen touch controls on smaller screens. Standard-mapped gamepads are supported when the browser exposes them: connect a controller, press a button, then use Settings to assign it to a player. Controller compatibility depends on the device and browser.

How do I turn on the retro music and sound effects?

Select Sound off to enable original chiptune music, crunchy drums, engines and race effects. Settings has separate music and effects volumes and a music toggle. Audio starts off on each page load; volume preferences are saved in this browser when storage is available.

THE DRIVER’S HANDBOOK

A LITTLE KNOW-HOW.

Race six pickups over four laps each at Sunshine Coast, Timber Run, and Frostbite Pass. Pick solo or two players using a keyboard, gamepads, or both. Solo has a map on the left and a driving view on the right; two players get separate left/right cameras.

Your controls

Player 1: W forward, S brake/reverse, A/D turn, F item.
Player 2: ↑ forward, ↓ brake/reverse, ←/→ turn, either Shift item.
Escape or P pauses. Solo touch controls work on smaller screens. Gamepad: left stick or D-pad steers, RT/R2 (or A/Cross) drives forward, LT/L2 (or B/Circle) brakes and reverses, X/Square uses an item, Start/Options pauses. Use Settings to assign controllers to players. In menus, use the stick or D-pad, A/Cross to select and B/Circle to go back. Keyboard and gamepad controls can be mixed.

Find your speed

Hold forward and turn near the striped wall to drift. Your speed builds while you hold the drift. Touching the wall ends the drift; drift speed alone never causes a wall crash. Yellow chevrons boost you. Striped ramps launch automatically. Follow the arrows around each track; reversing across the finish won’t earn laps.

Use your three items wisely

You get three random items at the start of each track, used in their given order. Oil spins trucks and costs speed, but you recover facing your original direction; water slows them. Hold S/↓ or the gamepad brake trigger while using either to throw behind you; otherwise they go forward. Rocket gives a big boost, gas a small one. Food covers half of a random racer’s view, possibly your own. AI racers can also be distracted by food.

Stay in the race

Falling past an unguarded edge, a hard direct boosted wall impact, a direct high-speed ram, or a fifth track hazard eliminates you until the next track. Glancing wall scrapes and sideswipes are survivable. Item hits do not count as hazards. Crashed players can watch the remaining racers. No racers left means the track ends immediately.

Bring home the cup

Finishing places award 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 points. Finishers also start with a 2-point driving bonus: each two hazard hits or four wall contacts removes one bonus point, down to zero. Crashed racers earn no points. The highest three-track total wins; tied totals share the result.

 YOUR RIDE. YOUR SETUP.

CONTROLS & SOUND.

Gamepads

Connect a controller, then press a button so your browser can find it.

Steer: left stick / D-pad · Forward: RT / R2 or A / Cross · Brake / reverse: LT / L2 or B / Circle · Item: X / Square · Pause: Start / Options.
Menus: D-pad / stick to move, A / Cross to select, B / Circle to go back. Left/right adjusts settings. Release held controls after starting or resuming.

Retro audio

Sound is off. Enable Sound below to listen.

Original chip melodies, crunchy drums, engines and race effects. Your music and effects levels are saved in this browser when storage is available. Audio needs one click or keypress to start.

 ONE QUICK PIT STOP

Restart this cup?