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Real-time multiplayer racing

How to play ApexMidnight

ApexMidnight is a free, browser-based racing game. No download, no launcher. Pick one of 89 cars, jump into a lobby, and you are wheel to wheel with real players and AI rivals on neon Tokyo street circuits in seconds. Here is exactly how a race works, and every control you need.

Start racing freeSee the controls
A live race: lap timer and best lap top left, running order top right, minimap and nitro gauge along the bottom, speed and gear bottom right.

A race in five steps

From a cold start to the chequered flag, this is the whole loop.

  1. Pick and tune a car

    Choose a car from your garage, pick a paint job, and spend tuning Apexons to sharpen its speed, grip or acceleration. Every car has a Performance Index so you know where it sits.

  2. Join or create a lobby

    Create a room and share the link with friends, or drop into an open lobby. Every empty slot on the grid is filled by a competitive AI rival, so a race is never empty.

  3. The host drops the green light

    Everyone loads onto the same circuit and lines up on the grid. A shared countdown starts the race for all drivers at once, in real time over WebSockets, and the race goes fullscreen on its own.

  4. Race the laps

    Hold the racing line, brake late, drift the tight turns and burn nitro on the straights. A live minimap and leaderboard track every car around you. Fall off? Respawn back on track.

  5. Cross the line

    Finish for Apexons to spend on cars and tuning, plus driver XP toward 50 levels that unlock faster machinery. Done early? Spectate the drivers still out there. Then rematch the whole grid in one tap.

Controls

Drive on the keyboard, or plug in a controller. Both work at the same time, so a friend on the same machine can grab a pad.

Keyboard

Throttle
W
Brake / reverse
S
Steer left / right
AD
Handbrake (drift)
Space
Nitro boost
Shift
Horn (flags you on the minimap)
H
Fire at targets
F
Free-look camera
←↑↓→
Respawn on track
R
Fullscreen
F5

Gamepad

Xbox labels shown; PlayStation equivalent in brackets. Your controller rumbles on impacts, kerbs and boost.

Throttle
RT
Brake / reverse
LT
Steer
L stick
Handbrake (drift)
X (□)
Nitro boost
A (✕)
Horn
B (○)
Fire at targets
RB (R1)
Free-look camera
R stick
Respawn on track
Y (△)

Go faster: drift, nitro and the racing line

Anyone can finish a lap. These three things win the race.

Brake in a straight line, turn in late and clip the kerb: a clean line through the bend carries far more speed than fighting the car.

Drift

Tap the handbrake into a tight corner to break the rear loose, countersteer, and feed the throttle back in. Slides carry speed through hairpins the grip line cannot.

Nitro

Your boost is a limited resource. Save it for long straights and corner exits where the extra top speed pays off most, not for a corner you are about to brake into.

Racing line

Brake in a straight line, turn in late, clip the apex, and let the car run wide on exit. The smooth line beats the short line almost everywhere.

Want the detail? The guides break down drifting, tuning and the racing line corner by corner.

Race types, track options and modifiers

The lobby host picks the format, switches on what litters the track, stacks optional modifiers and can set bonus objectives, so no two grids play the same.

Race types

Standard

Classic grid race against other players, with AI rivals filling every empty slot.

Time Trial

A solo run with no bots on track. Chase down your own best-lap ghost.

Elimination

Each lap, the last car yet to complete it is knocked out until one remains.

Checkpoint Rush

Beat the clock: your timer drains as you drive and tops up each time you complete a lap. Hit zero and you are out.

Track options

Power-ups

Item boxes along the track grant boosts, shields, an EMP and the odd self-malus.

Guzzoline

Start on a full tank that drains as you drive. Thread the petrol stations to refuel, or smash in and explode.

Animals

Dogs, cats, wild boar, deer and elephants dart across the road. Clip one and you slow down for a moment.

Grid handicap

Slower cars (lower PI) start ahead on the grid, tightening the field for a closer race.

Hazards

Oil slicks and destructible barrels litter the track. Slide over a slick or smash a barrel and you lose grip and pace.

Modifiers

Low grip
Less grip everywhere. The car slides earlier and a late brake costs you.
Double weapons
Twice as many weapons on track, so the field fights the whole way round.
No nitro
Boost is switched off for everyone. Pure lines and throttle control.
Mirror
The whole circuit is flipped left to right, so every corner you know arrives the other way.

Objectives

Style ace
Bank a big skill score over the race for bonus Apexons.
Clean race
Finish without a single crash for bonus Apexons.
Drift king
Rack up drift after drift for bonus Apexons.

After the flag

A race is never the end of it. Every result feeds a wider game.

Crews

Found a crew or join an open one. Every race a member finishes counts toward a shared weekly target, and clearing it pays every driver who scored.Crews

Seasons and titles

Seasons run Monday to Sunday on three ladders: your rating, championship points and crew contribution. The podiums are paid in Apexons and the winners keep a title.Seasons and titles

Race calendar

Fixed weekly events open their own lobby at the advertised minute. Reserve a seat, or book your own rematch for later and invite friends to it.Race calendar

Daily streak and crate

Finish a race each day to keep your streak, which multiplies what your daily challenges pay. A free crate each day holds Apexons, mastery XP or a cosmetic.

Mastery and achievements

Every car builds its own mastery that pays Apexons and free tuning points, and there are 100 achievements, championship series and ghost lap records to chase.Mastery and achievements

Now put it into practice

89 cars, 15 circuits, and a full grid every time. Free, and it runs in your browser.

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