Ten tips to get better at browser racing games

Racing games look like they are all about speed, but the fastest players are usually the smoothest. These tips work whether you are on a track, a stunt ramp or an endless road.

Driving technique

• Brake early, accelerate late. Slow down before the corner, not in it, then power out as the car straightens.
• Take the racing line. Start wide, cut to the inside at the middle of the corner and let the car drift out again.
• Make small steering movements. Tapping a key is smoother than holding it down, and steering too hard scrubs speed.
• Look ahead. Focus on the next bend, not on your own bumper.
• Use drifting carefully. In games that reward it, drift only on wide corners, and stop just before the exit.

Using the game

• Learn the controls in a calm moment. Check whether the game uses arrow keys, WASD or tilting, and find the brake and boost keys.
• Spend coins wisely. Upgrade handling or acceleration before top speed, since a car you can control is quicker than one you cannot.
• Replay the same track. Memorising a course gives you more time improvement than any upgrade.
• Watch your best run. Games with a ghost car show exactly where you are losing time.
• Take breaks. If you keep crashing at the same spot, you are probably tired, not unlucky.