A neon-soaked, physics-driven desert racing game built with PixiJS and TypeScript.
Play Online — runs in any modern browser, desktop or mobile.
Neon Desert Outlaw is a top-down racing game set in a procedurally generated desert. Race through neon-lit outposts, drift across sand dunes, and compete against AI opponents — all rendered with dynamic lighting, bloom effects, and physics-driven particle trails.
- Physics-based driving — bicycle model with realistic friction, drift mechanics, and surface-dependent grip
- Procedural world — infinite desert generated with Poisson-disc sampling, chunked terrain streaming
- Dynamic lighting — headlights, neon glow, bloom post-processing
- Multiple game modes — Quick Race and Story Mode
- AI opponents — race against bots with distinct driving personalities
- Mobile support — touch controls with virtual joystick, responsive UI
- Synthwave audio — procedurally generated soundtrack with in-game music controls
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| W / ↑ | Accelerate |
| S / ↓ | Brake / Reverse |
| A / ← | Steer Left |
| D / → | Steer Right |
| Space | Handbrake |
| M | Toggle Sound |
| Enter | Start Race / Confirm |
| ESC | Back to Menu |
- Left joystick — steer and accelerate (push up to go, tilt to steer)
- B button — brake
- H button — handbrake
- Node.js 18+
- pnpm (recommended) or npm
git clone https://github.com/the911fund/neon-desert-outlaw.git
cd neon-desert-outlaw
pnpm install| Command | Description |
|---|---|
pnpm dev |
Start dev server with HMR |
pnpm build |
Production build to dist/ |
pnpm lint |
Run ESLint |
pnpm typecheck |
TypeScript type checking |
pnpm test |
Run unit tests (Vitest) |
- Engine: PixiJS 8 (WebGL/WebGPU)
- Language: TypeScript
- Bundler: Vite
- Testing: Vitest
src/
├── main.ts # App entry point
├── game/ # Game loop, input, config, race mode
├── physics/ # Bicycle model, drift, surfaces, collisions
├── world/ # Procedural terrain, chunks, obstacles
├── rendering/ # Camera, lighting, particles, bloom
├── vehicle/ # Vehicle entity, renderer, headlights
├── ai/ # Bot drivers and vehicles
├── story/ # Story mode missions and dialogue
├── ui/ # HUD, minimap, menus, touch controls
└── utils/ # Math helpers, object pooling
ISC