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Squirrel's Pick Squirrel's PickThe best game on this page. If you only try one, try this. Closest Match Closest MatchThe most similar game to the anchor, by what players say.
DrivingTransportationOpen World
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$4.99 ~63.7 hr median co-op complexity: light 97.5% of 930k
The Squirrel's verdictSame core loop: accept jobs, haul freight across a map, manage fatigue and traffic laws, upgrade trucks and trailers. ETS2 delivers the driving depth and truck feel that reviewers say On The Road doesn't yet have, plus co-op for hauling with friends. For anyone who wanted the sim feeling On The Road promised but didn't provide.
Not for you if you were drawn to On The Road's vans-and-big-trucks variety or its newer city/graphics work, since ETS2's map and vehicle roster reflect a 2012 release.
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Automobile SimDrivingOpen World
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$4.99 ~67.7 hr median co-op complexity: light 96.9% of 194k
The Squirrel's verdictSame trucking-sim core: hauling cargo across a map, managing a fleet, long-haul driving mechanics. Where On The Road offers unfinished ideas with poor execution, American Truck Simulator delivers a stable, complete driving model with real weight and traffic AI. For players who wanted On The Road's concept actually working.
Not for you if you want the newest experimental features rather than a polished, established simulator with years of incremental content.
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DrivingAutomobile SimLevel Editor
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$39.99 ~21.2 hr median co-op complexity: moderate 72.9% of 8k
The Squirrel's verdictSame driving-sim itch as On The Road: route-based commercial vehicle simulation with an emphasis on precise handling over arcade thrills, plus co-op support On The Road lacks. Reviews describe stiff, unrealistic controls similar to complaints leveled at On The Road, and performance issues persist. This suits players chasing bus routes over truck routes, not those seeking fixed physics.
Not for you if you were hoping the driving physics and performance problems that bothered you in On The Road would be solved here.
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Automobile SimDrivingOpen World
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$9.99 ~11.6 hr median no co-op complexity: light 71.2% of 4k
The Squirrel's verdictSame commercial-vehicle simulation niche, same rough edges: control jank, crashes, and no wheel/TrackIR support show up in both sets of reviews. Bus Simulator 16 adds route planning, passenger management, and out-of-cab walking, plus company macromanagement layered on top of the driving. Suits players who want simulation-adjacent city driving with business systems rather than a polished truck sim.
Not for you if you need reliable controller support or expect the driving physics themselves to feel authentic rather than approximate.
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Automobile SimOpen WorldDriving
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$19.99 ~4.9 hr median co-op complexity: light 70.8% of 2k
The Squirrel's verdictBoth put you behind the wheel of trucks (and here, vans and forklifts too) across a small European map with cargo hauling and manual loading. Truck & Logistics Simulator adds co-op and vehicle variety beyond semis, but AI is described as unresponsive and the map is smaller than genre standards. Suits players who want more vehicle types over deep simulation fidelity.
Not for you if you need responsive traffic AI, a large map, or cargo strapping mechanics rather than self-centering loads.
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Automobile SimDrivingOpen World
$29.99 ~24.3 hr median no co-op complexity: light 66.5% of 3k
The Squirrel's verdictSame commercial-driving-with-economy-progression setup as On The Road, but built around buses and tourist routes instead of trucks, with an open world you can explore on foot or by car between routes and RPG-style employee hiring. Full release rather than early access, at 24 hours median playtime.
Not for you if you want truck-specific cargo hauling, care about frame rate in cities, or need polished vehicle sound design.
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DrivingOpen WorldAutomobile Sim
$11.19 ~10.2 hr median no co-op complexity: light 62.3% of 5k
The Squirrel's verdictSame city-driving-sim framework as On The Road: dense urban maps, vehicle handling that reviewers call inconsistent, and rough edges depending on early-access-style patching rather than a finished product. Taxi Life swaps trucks for taxi fares and passenger AI, with drivers who run lights and block junctions instead of trucks that feel disconnected from the road. Steam rating sits at Mixed.
Not for you if you need a working wheel setup or reliable traffic AI, since both are widely reported as broken.
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Automobile Sim
$19.99 ~16.9 hr median no co-op complexity: light 52.2% of 414
The Squirrel's verdictBoth put you in a truck world with rough edges, but TransRoad: USA shifts the focus from cab-view driving to running a trucking company: hiring drivers, managing routes, and expanding a fleet across three modes including campaign and sandbox. If On The Road's driving feel appealed but you want the business layer instead of behind-the-wheel immersion, this swaps one for the other.
Not for you if you want to drive the truck yourself rather than dispatch hired drivers and manage a company from a menu-heavy interface.