Long Drive North: Co-Op RV Simulator

 
Long Drive North: Co-Op RV Simulator is an Early Access survival game that tasks players with maintaining a fragile RV while traversing a desolate American landscape. Released into Steam Early Access on November 18, 2025, by Mindflair Games and Excalibur Games, it attempts to mix the zen-like maintenance of The Long Drive with more traditional survival mechanics. While the premise of a cooperative road trip is enticing, the current build is marred by bugs, repetitive loops, and a lack of true co-op integration, with promised “Shared RV” functionality still slated for early 2026.
Wrenches, Ramen, and Roadblocks: Core Gameplay

The Maintenance Loop: The game is less about driving and more about stopping to fix things. Your RV is a constantly degrading box of bolts. You must monitor tire pressure, oil levels, and engine heat. The most engaging part of the game is physically getting out, opening the hood, and topping up fluids or swapping out a blown tire on the side of a snowy highway.
Survival Lite: You have to manage hunger, thirst, and fatigue. You can stop at abandoned diners and gas stations to scavenge for canned food or hunt wildlife like deer for meat. Cooking is manual—you place the meat on a stove inside your RV—but the mechanics are currently rudimentary compared to dedicated survival sims.
Co-op (With an Asterisk): As of early 2026, the co-op mode allows up to four players, but each must drive their own RV. This turns the game into a convoy simulator rather than a shared living experience. The developer has promised a “Shared RV” update where players can ride together in one vehicle, but it has not yet arrived, leading to some disappointment among fans expecting a party-bus experience.
Atmosphere: When the game works, it nails the lonely, atmospheric vibe of a long haul. The weather system shifts from clear skies to blinding blizzards, forcing you to slow down or pull over, adding a layer of tension to the otherwise slow pacing.

How It Stacks Up
Long Drive North is currently a rougher, more serious cousin to the genre’s absurd greats.



Game
Key Difference




The Long Drive
The Long Drive embraces jank and absurdity (flying rabbits, physics glitches). Long Drive North takes itself seriously with a grounded, realistic tone. However, it currently lacks the depth or charm to make that realism fun, often feeling like a chore simulator without the payoff.


Pacific Drive
Pacific Drive is a polished, narrative-driven survival game with deep crafting and anomaly mechanics. Long Drive North is an open-ended sandbox with minimal story. If Pacific Drive is a sci-fi thriller, Long Drive North is a documentary about a mechanic having a bad day.


Jalopy
Jalopy focuses on a specific cultural setting (Eastern Europe) and economy. Long Drive North uses a generic “American Wilderness” setting that feels empty by comparison. Jalopy feels like a curated journey; Long Drive North feels like a procedural test.



Key Details

Developer: Mindflair Games.
Publisher: Excalibur Games.
Platforms: PC (Steam).
Release Date: November 18, 2025 (Early Access).
Price: ~$15-20 USD.
Genre: Vehicle Simulation / Survival.
Vibe: Ice Road Truckers meets House Flipper.

Who It’s For

Must-play for diesel-heads. If you enjoy the specific satisfaction of checking dipsticks, tightening lug nuts, and managing fuel mixtures, the granular vehicle maintenance offers a satisfying tactile crunch.
Perfect for podcast listeners. The long stretches of highway driving are meditative. It’s a great “second monitor” game where you can zone out and watch the scenery roll by until a tire blows.
Skip if you want a polished co-op game now. Until the “Shared RV” update drops, playing with friends just means driving in a line and talking over Discord. The lack of interaction between players (other than trading items) makes the multiplayer feel tacked on.

Why It Works (And Why It Doesn’t)
It works as a mood piece. The sound of wind howling outside while you cook a steak on a portable stove inside your warm RV creates a cozy sense of shelter. However, it currently fails as a game because the survival mechanics are trivial (food is everywhere) and the driving physics are floaty. It captures the idea of a road trip—the boredom, the breakdowns, the snacks—but forgets to add the excitement of the destination.