Arctic Drive Guide
Arctic Drive is a 1–4 player co-op survival drive through a procedurally generated Arctic, and your car is the only thing between you and the cold. The free demo is out now; Early Access starts on November 25, 2026. These pages answer the questions the demo actually creates — which garage parts to fit first, why the engine overheats, what a repair kit costs, how to navigate when the game gives you no map — using the demo, the developers' patch notes and player reports, with a checked date on every page.
Updated Nov 13, 2026
Early Access: November 25, 2026 · exact unlock time not announced
Price: Not announced yet (Steam page has no price)
Platform: Steam (Windows) · 1–4 player online co-op · demo lists full controller support
Free demo: Out now since October 8, 2026 · Top 47 most-played demo of the last Steam Next Fest
Wishlists: 100,000+ (developer post, November 2026) · 100,000 demo players
What EA adds: 50+ locations, more vehicles, a longer scenario, tornadoes (developer posts)
The road: No map. A compass, a road and whatever you can see from it (official demo page)
Release
Basics
- Arctic Drive beginner guide: survive your first run▶ VideoIn the demo you wake in a cold cabin with no food and a disassembled car in the garage. Loot the cabin, then fit the battery, radiator, engine oil and winter tires, turn on the heater, load food, water and jerry cans, and follow the road. There is no map — use the compass at the top of the screen and watch for buildings from the road. At the first POI, find a recycler and crafting bench, turn scrap into repair kits, and keep the engine temperature and fuel in check.
- Arctic Drive controls and HUD▶ VideoIn the demo, hold left click to pick up or place an object, hold G to drop it, hold right click to drink, and hold P to pee. The handbrake is the brake; the game has no map, only a compass at the top of the screen. The demo lists full controller support, but the main store page lists partial support — check Settings after Early Access launches.
- Arctic Drive starting garage checklist▶ VideoIn the demo, get the car running before you leave: fit the battery, radiator, engine oil, winter tires, doors and steering wheel, then turn on the heater and load food, water and jerry cans. The radiator and oil are the two you cannot skip — a missing radiator overheats the engine, and a cold engine with no oil will not last.
Repair
Survival
- How fuel works in Arctic Drive▶ VideoFuel is the resource that ends most runs. In the demo, take every jerry can, siphon fuel from wrecks when you can, and keep the car light: the official demo page says weight slows you down and burns fuel faster. There is no map, so plan by landmarks and do not pass a gas station without topping up. The flare gun (60 gear/scrap at the workbench) calls an emergency air drop.
- Cargo and weight in Arctic Drive▶ VideoArctic Drive has no normal inventory screen. You carry objects physically; a backpack adds a couple of slots, and the car's trunk, back seat and a trailer are your real storage. The official demo page says weight slows the car and burns more fuel, and a tight turn can spill your haul. A Cargo Box costs 35 gear/scrap at the workbench (official screenshot).
- Survival in Arctic Drive: hunger, thirst and the cold▶ VideoArctic Drive tracks hunger, thirst and body temperature. Eat and drink at every POI, wear warm clothes, shelter in the car or a building, and use the heater — it runs off the battery, so turn it off when you stop. The cold kills slowly; a warm car and a full stomach are part of the same fuel-and-repair loop.
- Arctic Drive weather and hazardsArctic Drive has blizzards, whiteouts and a full day-night cycle. The demo's scripted storm stops after 180 seconds; shelter in a cabin, gas station or the car and wait it out. Tornadoes are coming in Early Access — outrun them or hide, or you can lose your truck or your haul.
Crafting
Vehicles
Base
Map
Co-op
Demo
Updates
Setup
- Arctic Drive system requirementsOfficial Windows requirements: minimum Windows 10/11 64-bit, Intel i5-6600 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X, 4 GB RAM, GTX 1650, DirectX 11, 15 GB storage; recommended i5-10400 or Ryzen 5 2600X, 8 GB RAM, RTX 3060. The store page also has macOS/Linux requirement blocks, but its platform flags currently list Windows only.
- Arctic Drive platforms and controller supportArctic Drive is confirmed for Steam on Windows, with 1–4 player online co-op. The demo lists full controller support (including DualShock/DualSense), while the main store page currently lists partial controller support. No console version, crossplay or Steam Deck rating is confirmed; the developers have said they want console versions later.
Help
FAQ
Compare
Live
- Is Arctic Drive down right now? Live server statusThe card below shows how many people are playing the free Arctic Drive demo right now, from the official Steam player-count API and refreshed every 5 minutes. The full game is not out yet — Early Access starts on November 25, 2026 — so this is the demo's count, not the full game's. If the number looks normal, Steam is up and a connection problem is local or a rolling patch.
- Arctic Drive player count right nowThe number below is the live Arctic Drive demo player count on Steam — people in the free demo at this moment, from the official API, refreshed every 5 minutes. The full game launches in Early Access on November 25, 2026; until then, this is the demo, not the full game.