Racing games are always a fun fare, as are general driving games. So, put a unique twist to it by not allowing you to accelerate with a pedal and you have a soapbox race. Make the route to the goal be a crazy pathway full of tight turns, upward slopes, and wallrides and you have Zeepkist. This is a game featured in the Jingle Jam Games Collection, and is one that I’ve had a lot of fun with.

In simple terms, Zeepkist is a game of time trials. For the adventure mode, each level has a par time and two extra times. As long as I managed one, I moved onto the next. This being a soapbox racer, the start is on a slope to gain some initial speed. From there, it’s a simple task of guiding the vehicle to the end. Or it would be, without those things I mentioned earlier. Tight turns need a touch or more of the brakes to navigate without breaking the vehicle or falling off the track. But too much braking will slow the vehicle.

A slow vehicle isn’t going to claim any fast times. Or even make it to the end of the level in some cases. As such, there’s skill needed to navigate these levels with enough momentum to both not fail and reach the goal. There is a quick restart button to use at any time, which will see plenty of use. There are 20 levels on the main route of the adventure before the warning. The warning that hardcore territory is being entered. That warning is well advised, as these levels are harder. Fully relying on specific skills.

For each medal claimed on a level, some things are unlocked. These things are the next level, bonus levels, and customisation options. Those customisation options come in two forms. The headgear for the character, and the vehicle they travel in. The colour of the character can also be changed to further inject personalisation preferences on them.

There’s plenty of fun options for the customisation, with standard vehicle bodies being mixed with the likes of hamburgers and skateboards. Heck, the vehicle you start in is a bathtub. For headgear, there’s helmets, caps, and more besides. Each have a few colours, so there’s likely to be something for everyone. When it comes to the online mode, seeing everyone’s personalised look is always a fun time.

Speaking of that online mode, this still uses the time trial format. But now it’s competitive. As in, there’s a leaderboard that everyone in the lobby can see. There’s a set time in which each player tries to be fastest on that leaderboard. There’s no disruptions from other players possible, as everyone else appears as a ghost on the track. This can be helpful when trying to find the best lines, or even sneaky shortcuts. At the end of the time, the fastest players are recognised on the podium, then the next level loads.

Now, there wouldn’t be much fun in just having those levels the developers have designed. Which is why there’s a level editor. This editor is a beast. Plenty of track pieces to use in designing levels, along with scenery such as trees and containers. It’s all tile-based, with the accuracy possible boosted further by having transform tools visible once placed. Move or rotate a piece easily, with options on the right providing even more transformations such as size.

And speaking of transformations, the paint tool allows for a wide variety of colours to be used on each section of a track. For a simple track piece, that means the road surface, the underlayer of the piece, and the two colours of the barrier. It’s not just colours, either. Materials can also be used on almost all pieces, meaning wooden roads and ice trees are absolutely possible. It’s a very simple thing to use with a lot of possibilities. As I saw when in an online lobby that was cycling through custom levels.

Zeepkist has a great premise, and offers a great challenge for those who want to take it on. There’s enough levels in the adventure to keep players occupied, learning the mechanics to become competitive. And with players creating their own, there’s a large supply of custom levels to keep anyone invested. That competition is further fuelled in the online mode, which is fun no matter how small the lobbies.

I have loved every minute of Zeepkist, and I’m happy that it was included in the Jingle Jam Games Collection. Without its appearance there, I might never had given it a try. If you also want to give it a try, along with gaining access to over 70 other games, then give to the Jingle Jam £35 or more and help some great charities. Be quick, though. There’s only one day left until Jingle Jam is over.

Images Taken From:
Zeepkist | PC