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Not every game is born after months of planning and market analysis, and Driving Is Hard is a great example of that. The idea for the project came about during a casual conversation at the office coffee machine, when the developers started wondering about combining racing with the exceptionally difficult formula of Foddian games. At first players were even meant to steer the car using only the mouse, but it quickly became clear that the idea didn't work in practice. In the end, the mad prototype turned into a game in which, instead of a car, you use a bathtub on wheels, and behind its wheel sits a bald hero called Jeff.
From a joke at the coffee machine to a challenging racing game with a bathtub on wheels
The story of Driving Is Hard began before Elegant Horse Studios operated as a fully fledged studio. The founders were then employed full-time at other companies, and in their spare time they worked on their own projects. During one break at the coffee machine the subject of Foddian-style games came up, that is, titles purposely designed so their high difficulty level would frustrate players. One of the developers then came up with the idea of making a similar game, but rather than climbing or traditional movement across a map it would focus on racing. The first prototype was created extremely quickly. After returning home the creator started coding and after one intense weekend the first version of Driving Is Hard was ready. At first the controls were mouse-only, but testing quickly showed that such a system was simply awkward. The developers therefore abandoned that solution and opted for more classic controls familiar from arcade-style games. After that change testers' reactions were noticeably better, and the original joke began to turn into a real project. That was also when the idea for the game's distinctive appearance emerged. Initially several types of vehicle were considered, including a remote-controlled car, a stylised race car and a buggy. Ultimately the developers decided a regular buggy wouldn't make the game stand out enough. The inspiration came from a story one of the creators told about a bathtub that disappeared from his family home after a renovation. So instead of a classic vehicle they created a bathtub fitted with wheels, and inside sat a half-naked, bald protagonist. Thus Jeff was born, who has to tackle extremely steep terrain and cope with the game's merciless physics.
Seven worlds, three difficulty levels and a constant battle with physics; here every mistake can mean losing progress
Driving Is Hard is built on a very simple premise, but its execution is meant to be exceptionally demanding. The player drives Jeff in a bathtub on wheels through seven different worlds, each offering its own obstacles, mechanics and challenging sections of track. The key is getting to grips with the vehicle’s physics, because even a small error can end in a fall and force you to repeat part of the course. The developers have prepared three difficulty levels. "Driving Is Easy" offers a calmer experience and checkpoints, "Driving Is Hard" is the standard challenge, and "Driving Is Insane" is aimed at players who want to test their patience to the absolute limit. Beyond simply completing the courses, the game also contains Jeff’s story, in which he faces his father’s expectations, family problems and his own doubts. During play you can also unlock new bathtub skins and hunt for 21 hidden soaps. That means the unusual concept isn’t limited to jokes and punishing physics, but also has its own character and narrative. Driving Is Hard is already available on Xbox and supports Xbox Play Anywhere. For around $10 players can see how far they can get in the tub before a steep track and merciless controls send Jeff back to the very bottom.
Driving Is Hard shows that even a simple and absurd idea can become a full-fledged game. The title offers a demanding ride in a bathtub on wheels, seven worlds, three difficulty levels and the story of Jeff. The developers focused primarily on challenging physics and the satisfaction of overcoming successive obstacles. The game is already available on Xbox and could be an interesting proposition for fans of demanding arcade games.
source: Xbox
