Cars Thief

The first few minutes

Cars Thief is a city driving game. Instead of racing along a fixed circuit, you travel around a city, take different cars and try to get away from the police. Poki also tells you to avoid crashes, so careful driving matters even when you are being chased.

You control a car with the WASD keys or the arrow keys. The F key lets you get in and out of cars, which is how you swap one vehicle for another. That small action is the heart of the game: the car you choose changes how the city feels to drive in.

Because the city is the setting, there is no single racing line to learn. You decide where to go, which car to use and when to leave it behind. The police add pressure, and the need to avoid crashes keeps that pressure from turning into reckless speed.

This is one of the older titles in this set. Poki lists it as released in March 2019 and last updated in June 2022. It is listed for desktop only, because the controls depend on a keyboard.

There is no scoreboard to guide your decisions in the description Poki gives, so you set your own pace. Some players prefer to explore the city slowly and try every car; others look for the fastest way out of sight of the police. Both are valid ways to play, and the game does not force you to choose between them. What it does ask is that you drive with some care, since crashes are the thing to avoid.

Which button does what

Small things that help

• Spend a little time learning how each car turns before you try to outrun anyone. A familiar car is easier to control at speed.
• Avoid crashes even when chased. A bump can cost you more than a slower route would.
• Use F to change cars when it suits you. A different vehicle is a different set of handling habits.
• Learn a few roads. Knowing where a street leads helps you plan an escape.
• Use a keyboard layout that is comfortable for steering. Arrows and WASD both work, so pick the set your hand finds easier.
• Try approaching a corner at a lower speed than you think you need. It is easier to speed up again than to recover from a collision.
• Take a moment to look at the map before you set off. Even a rough idea of the layout makes a chase easier to manage.

Who gets the most from it

Players who like free-roaming driving and trying out different vehicles more than strict lap times. It also suits anyone with a keyboard and a browser who wants a game that needs no setup. It is not a fit for phones or tablets, since Poki lists desktop only.

Honest limits

Questions about Cars Thief

Cut from similar cloth

• Neon Challenge Legendsanother game based on steady control and timing
• Snake vs Humana more action-heavy game in the same set