The easiest way to get started on Windows is to download and run the installer from the Download page.

Installation:

  1. Download the .exe installer from the Download page
  2. Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions
  3. Launch the game from the Start Menu or desktop shortcut

Uninstallation:

Run unins000.exe located in the game installation folder, or use Windows Settings → Apps. If some chunks folders persist, delete the folder manually.

Prerequisites:

  • Windows: Python 3.11+
  • Linux: Python 3.11+

Step 1: Download the source

Download the ZIP file from the Download page and extract it.

Step 2: Run the automatic setup script

The game includes automatic setup scripts that create a virtual environment, install dependencies, and run the game.

Windows (PowerShell):

# Navigate to the extracted folder cd drift_race_v0.8 # Run the PowerShell script .\run.ps1

Windows (Command Prompt):

# Navigate to the extracted folder cd drift_race_v0.8 # Run the batch script run.bat

Linux:

# Navigate to the extracted folder cd drift_race_v0.8 # Make the script executable (first time only) chmod +x run.sh # Run the shell script ./run.sh

What the script does:

  • Checks if a .venv folder exists; if not, creates a new virtual environment
  • Activates the virtual environment automatically
  • Installs all required dependencies from requirements.txt
  • Launches the game

Next time: Just run the same script again. It will reuse the existing virtual environment and launch the game directly without reinstalling dependencies.

Manual setup (advanced users):

If you prefer to set up manually:

Windows:

python -m venv .venv .\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1 pip install -r requirements.txt python -m drift

Linux:

python3 -m venv .venv source .venv/bin/activate pip install -r requirements.txt python -m drift

Multiplayer from command line:

Host a room:

python -m drift.app --mode host --code ABCD --name YourName

Join a room:

python -m drift.app --mode join --code ABCD --name YourName

Troubleshooting: If Pygame-CE fails to install, update pip first:

python -m pip install --upgrade pip pip install -r requirements.txt

Driving:

Up / Z Accelerate
Down / S Reverse
Left / Q Steer left
Right / D Steer right
Space Handbrake
R Reset your car
L Headlights on/off
C Cycle car type
Esc Open Settings

Gameplay tips:

  • Drifting is about balancing throttle and steering — too much angle, scrub speed; too little, straighten out.
  • Handbrake can help initiate a drift, but throttle modulation keeps it going.
  • Tire marks start smoky and fade toward rubber to show your line.
  • Mouse wheel to zoom, middle-mouse drag to pan the camera.

AI and Multiplayer:

  • N — spawn an AI (host only)
  • In multiplayer, share the room code for others to join.

Debug & Performance:

  • F3 — toggle debug overlays. When OFF, the game skips debug calculations for better FPS.
  • FPS and Debug status are shown in the top-right.

If you installed via the Windows Installer:

Run unins000.exe located in the game installation folder, or use Windows Settings → Apps to uninstall.

If you downloaded the ZIP/source version:

Simply delete the entire game folder. The virtual environment and all dependencies are contained within the .venv folder, so no system-wide cleanup is needed.

1. Make sure pygame-ce is installed (not regular pygame)

Drift Race requires pygame-ce (Community Edition) for optimal performance. Regular pygame may cause significantly lower FPS.

# Uninstall regular pygame first pip uninstall pygame # Install pygame-ce pip install pygame-ce

2. Use the automatic run scripts

If you downloaded the ZIP/source version, use the provided run scripts (run.ps1, run.bat, or run.sh) which automatically handle the virtual environment setup and activation.

3. Verify your installation

Windows:

# Check which pygame version is installed pip list | Select-String pygame # Should show: pygame-ce (not pygame)

Linux:

# Check which pygame version is installed pip list | grep pygame # Should show: pygame-ce (not pygame)

Additional performance tips:

  • Disable debug mode by pressing F3 (debug calculations can impact FPS)
  • Turn off headlights with L if not needed
  • Limit the number of AI cars spawned
  • Close other applications to free up system resources
  • Update your graphics drivers to the latest version

Note: If you're still experiencing issues after these steps, make sure you have Python 3.11 or 3.12 installed, and that all requirements from requirements.txt are properly installed in your virtual environment.

If you're having trouble activating the virtual environment manually, the easiest solution is to use the provided automatic run scripts (run.ps1, run.bat, or run.sh) which handle everything for you.

Alternative: Run commands directly

You can also run commands directly using the full path to the Python and pip executables inside the venv.

Windows (PowerShell / CMD):

# Install packages .\.venv\Scripts\pip.exe install -r requirements.txt # Run the game .\.venv\Scripts\python.exe -m drift

Linux:

# Install packages .venv/bin/pip install -r requirements.txt # Run the game .venv/bin/python -m drift

Note: On some Linux systems, the executables might be named python3 and pip3 instead of python and pip. If one doesn't work, try the other.

Why use a virtual environment?

  • Keeps project dependencies isolated from system Python
  • Prevents version conflicts with other Python projects
  • Makes it easier to manage and reproduce the exact environment
  • Allows different projects to use different package versions
  • Pygame-CE install issues: Update pip, ensure Python 3.11/3.12, then reinstall requirements.
  • No audio or errors at startup: The game auto-falls back to simpler audio settings; if all fail, audio is disabled.
  • Performance on low-end PCs: Disable debug (F3), keep lights off (L), and avoid spawning many AI cars.