Mud Runner - "A Spintires Game" is finally out next week (31 Oct) for the 3 platforms (there's no word on Switch a version though). The old game, Spintires was a huge personal favourite of mine (in my top 3 of all time - crazy, I know - but true), but an unfortunate spat between the developer, Pavel Zagrebelny and his publisher Oovee meant the development of the game was halted after release over accusations of bad financial faith. The game was highly acclaimed and proved popular while being supported through many mods made for new levels and vehicles.

Spintires has found a new developer (who Pavel works with) and a new publisher - Focus Home Interactive - who already has a fair reputation with these "sim" type games, so the future looks rosy in Mud Runner. From what I've seen from early streams of the game, it does not seem like a Spintires v2.0, so much as a polished and tuned v1.5 with a bit of added DLC, re-done maps, a couple of new trucks and some short challenge scenarios and tutorials for the mud-virgins. It's still very much worth it for me though. There is an offer of 50% off for those who bought Spintires originally, so it seems the developer concedes this is a more of a relaunch, a move to new console platforms and healthy publisher relationship for a game that gets updates and more regular content (i.e. in the possibility for console mods, as Focus has done already in Farming Simulator 2017 for Xbox). I hear Pavel has developed a tool so that original Spintires PC mods will be easily ported to the new PC Mud Runner platform.

There is nothing quite like the mud physics in this game and the way the vehicles interact with the ground and water. Going is typically slow and often impossible for some of the smaller vehicles/heavy loads. Help is available in the form of winches, cranes, and massive ex-soviet military off-roaders, a variety of different load-outs and certain towing, diff-locking and 4 wheel drive strategies to rescue the over-turned. It's very detailed. Level objectives usually involve repairing vehicles, de-cloaking the map and unlocking garages and stranded trucks, then loading and unloading logs. The "new" version has updated physics, with liquids in the vehicles' tanks and carried bowsers sloshing about accurately, and loose branches snapping appropriately under the tyres.

The graphics have also had a slight refresh, with various new sorts of grasses added and small oil slicks being left sometimes in the puddles, as the old Russian hardware belches and splutters through the scenery. It still looks a bit washed out, but is very detailed and has some lovely lighting effects (i.e. the black exhaust clouds from huge, D-class, 8-wheelers catching sunlight rays through the tree foliage). The old game still does give a very good simulation of what goes on in Mud Runner's Russian wilderness, but the new interface seems much better designed for gamepads with additions like "auto-winch" locating the nearest tree for you (if there is one nearby...). The 4 player multiplayer is also retained and support for wheels added.

First person view has been added for the masochists like me - and even better - The mirrors are realistically covered in mud and so don't work at all in first person view, making safe reversing near impossible. I hope that gets fixed! The dash dials also look a bit plain and "2D" in FP mode, but the view does look good from the cab. When the truck idles for a while in 3rd person view, the driver realistically leans over the steering wheel and cries.

I do hope the deal Pavel has made with his publisher, "Focus" is a good one and means he can work further (and get paid) on something that is really quite unique in what it does. The man is obviously a genius in mud physics development and I do hope he's found a deal that will pull him out of the hole he was in with his old publisher. I'm really looking forward to seeing this game gain some traction.

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If anyone wants to go hardcore logging with me - hundreds of miles from civilization - you are most welcome! Join me comrade (I'm UsernamePending on XBL and Steam).

I played the spintires demo and enjoyed it, and i think I own the orginal game, but i never put more time into it. I should give this a look.

Did you find there was enough structure to the game to keep you interested, or did you mostly just enjoy it for the act of actually driving around?

@mikemcn: I do like the "zone out" qualities of this game, that still seem more interesting to me than doing laps; for example while listening to podcasts etc.

There is also structure there, but this can be hidden for those unfamiliar with the game and it's concepts: Most maps have the objective of picking up logs and getting them to a zone. But the map is initially partially hidden by weird black mini-cyclones that you can to drive up to to expose map areas around them. The exposed map may indicate some hidden vehicles that you can drive near to unlock, and garages that can also be unlocked. Doing these optional things first gives you a much better chance of succeeding in the principal log moving task, since you'll have a view of possible new routes through the displayed map and more capable vehicles and garages in which to fix and outfit them, once you've rescued and unlocked them.

This is especially true in "hardcore" mode (where I hang out), as fuel usage is increased, turning circles are more realistic and the diff locking feature is restricted to manual mode, along with you being unable to recover broken-down vehicles magically to garages. This can end up making the game very strategic!

Development was halted pretty early on for the PC because of the bad blood between the dev and Oovee, but modders jumped on the game and gave it legs turned it into a million seller. There are all sorts of weird and huge vehicles to download for the PC version and there is also a way (although not through Steam Workshop) to add entire new levels to the old game. People have made "rock crawling" levels and super-jacked off-roaders that entirely change the nature of the game while retaining the excellent mud and vehicle physics. Interestingly, some of this has found it's way back into the new game, with a challenge mode level with a "lifted" Russian jeep that has big wheels navigating the side of a mountain on a rock course.

It does seem like this new Mud Runner game will be a solid platform for new mods and the developer seems happy now and committed to working on the game and also with the modding community to turn this from quite a niche game into a product more people will recognise as unique, fun and beautiful (- I hope!).

I never bought SpinTyres but it always fascinated me. I might have to get this.

I briefly hoped this was a game about MUDs.

Can anyone tell me why this thread doesn't appear in "Recent Discussions" or "Forums" - the one area I thought all new threads got placed?- Even as an old salt here, I've never been able to understand those forum hierarchies and I have to search out this thread for replies manually...

There are a few YT'ers showing the new game off now. Here's one of the less abrasive and excitable demonstrations:

@darknorth: It sort of can be - in multiplayer anyway, with those unwilling or unable to retain their loads!

In the span of a minute I went from having no idea what this was to intrigued to the point that I will likely buy this. Only because @diz asked if anyone wanted to hardcore logging. Fuck yeah I do.

I wanted to try the original Spintires but it didn't come to any platform I own, so I'm very excited to try Mudrunner. I had no idea this was coming out, I just stumbled on it in the recent releases list today and it looks like it might offer the unhurried and unstructured gameplay I'm craving just now.

I guess it has a different name in the US, here in the UK it's called Spintires: Mudrunner, and i'm very much looking forward to it.

Been playing it a lot since release. A bit over 20 hours at this point. Just as cool/fun as the original if you're into this sort of stuff.

Just tried my first multiplayer game. That went about as well as expected lol All I wanted to do was look at the "Create Lobby" options out of curiosity before diving in. Next thing I know, I escape from the map choice screen and 3 other people instantly joined. I didn't think anyone could til I made the game.

TL;DR - Crazy river/ocean map. Hardcore mode. Trucks flipping and great winching action. Children will be children. I like rescuing vehicles.

So whatever I dive right in. Chose Deluge, the last and probably hardest map. Can't remember what it was called in the original but its the massive water level one. A real dick. I also set it to Hardcore/Simulation difficulty which I hadn't tried in single player, because why not. After some initial rough planning and introductions, we set out as a caravan looking for a river (more like ocean) crossing point. There was some initial toe dipping, by which I mean a lead person slowly rolls in and then you watch them sink and its like TOO DEEP TOO DEEP! And you quickly pull them out before they drift away in the current. After that, we ended up splitting off into two groups for no particular reason.

The one person just kinda dives in on a random spot and another follows. My suspicions that this is a reckless person are confirmed later. Me and the other dude, who I'm glad I got paired up with, set off into the water at a different spot slightly up river. I try and plan a route based on water depth things on the map screen and we go, winched to each other like a safety rope. He's in one of the trucks with garage supplies (used to unlock a garage location on the other side of the map) and I've just got a plain empty rig. We make it half way, parked on this tiny 1 car sized piece of land for a breather, and then push on. Not long after, hit a deep spot on my right side I guess and the water current tips me over and then pulls him down with me. Our vehicles practically disappear into the water.

Attempt #2: We switch to our other trucks still parked back at the start point. This time our roles are reversed, I say its his turn to lead, and I've got the garage truck. We make our way back to where we were and set off again. It seems to go better this time until.. again I hit some sort of weird hole and my truck tips over. He is okay though. He now spends the next 20 mins maybe working some winching magic on me. Keep in mind we're in the middle of a fast moving river, my truck is half under water on its side and he's up to his windows. He keeps moving around winching at me from different points to roll me over all while trying not to get carried away or stuck himself. You can see our trucks from the first attempt submerged in the water just downstream of us.. an ominous reminder.

Miraculously he does it and we make it to shore. The other two people made it across earlier and were off doing who knows what. My group slowly makes our way to the garage at the other end of the map, him slowly tugging me along. Working as a team is key. We make it to the garage and, to my surprise, we actually beat the other group there. They were stuck nearby and asked us to come fish them out. The other truck with the garage load actually ran out of fuel so we had to pull/push him over. Once that was unlock we could get to work on other stuff.

And that's where it started to fall apart. The one reckless person earlier just starts doing their own thing and not making much sense. If I had to guess, it was a younger kid. He takes his truck, hooks up the large log trailer (probably impractical for this massive river crossing) and goes off, saying (demanding?) that someone must load him up with a crane. Another guy gets fuel and a garage trailer (which I had to point out twice that it isn't used for repairs and is useless to us) and finally, the partner I had been working with offers to get a nearby watch point, drives off and suddenly disconnects. Crap.

To try and cut this story down, the two of them set off, I have to go get a crane now because the other guy disconnected. I eventually reach them at the logging point, I load him up, then myself. Large logged and reckless, the guy just randomly drives off into the ocean, I immediately get stuck after pulling off the road as I don't think this truck is big enough for the job, and the other guy is trying to pull me out. Big log guy ends up flipping over somewhere, by himself, in the ocean. No surprise. He disconnects. Now its just me and the one guy, he pulls me out, we start driving into the river, he starts to sink as well and almost totals his truck. I fish him back out and tell him to get to shore. These trucks aren't right for this we need the BIG one. He says this is a tough map and we're all alone and leaves. Oh well.

I've now been playing by myself here for fun lol I got the huge 8-wheel-drive f'n SCUD launcher truck, I get it fixed and fueled, and then I drive down the map and actually fish my sunken truck from Attempt #1 out of the river. Super awesome. I almost got the big truck sunk/stuck as well. I then pulled my dead truck all the way back to the garage and repaired it.

Now I'm sitting here wondering if I should quit or see how far I can go by myself for fun.

What's up with these early access games changing their title and then using the original title as subtitle. Wreckfest: Next Car game did this too. Spintires was an alright title already, why not just stick with that instead of the nonsensical 'a spintires game'. Need For Speed: A game where your wheels spin around.

@onemanarmyy: I can only assume it has something to do with the former publisher and rights? Not sure. Because of that though I've wondered how/why they used Spin Tires as the sub-title.

On the other side.. Spin Tires is a weird name lol Feels a little too literal. They could potentially want to move off of it to Mudrunner and are just using Spin Tires for this first sub-title to make those old players aware.

A little backstory, Spintires wasn't an early access game it was released under the small publisher Oovee who own the rights to Spintires, updates and dlc were planned for the original release by its developer Pavel Zagrebelny but his relationship with Oovee fell apart and they made little commitment to providing support for the game or for building a franchise, something Pavel was keen to do, there were also some legal matters between Oovee and the UK government regarding financials.
I think Oovee still own Spintires but have licensed it to Focus Home Interactive to put out an updated re-packaged version of it and Pavel is still involved, it's less about randomly adding a subtitle and more that this is a "new product" from Focus Home Interactive, it can't share the same name.

I bought it and spent a couple of hours going through the tutorial and the first few challenges this evening. It runs nicely on PS4 Pro (undoubtedly nicer on a high-end PC but it still looks great on console). I was baffled by the camera for a few minutes but soon got the hang of it. Plays fine with controller and the tutorial was good enough for my needs. The thrashing guitar menu music is adorable. I’m looking forward to driving out into the big wide world and getting into some trouble.

Been playing the PS4 version of this and having way more fun than I thought I would. That winch reminds me of fun accidents in War Thunder. Tried playing multiplayer but there doesn't seem to anyway of communicating. Still really fun, I especially liked the hill climbing challenge.

@seikenfreak: I've been playing multiplayer on Xbox (as UsernamePending) and have unlocked 4 of the 6 maps' hardcore achievements doing this. The player list kept refreshing, so I just set up as a server and (mud-)plugged away, while various people popped in and out.

I found some super coop friends this way that helped me out. Many others came and went in my session, but any impacts from griefing are limited because each player has their own equipment. The levels also typically take around 2 to 3 hours (or more) each to unlock and complete, so it is quite a commitment to see the maps through.

The first map I tried had a long time spent where other players didn't seem to complete any objectives. I discovered that players do seem to get random vehicles in a session, so some players may not have a vehicle that can accommodate a crane and load logs. It meant I found out I had to load up my team-mates, as I was the only one capable of equipping a crane. I don't know if this is included in multiplayer on purpose, to require team communication, or was just a freak accident. So, day 1 multiplayer lasted around 7 or 8 hours and cleared 2 maps on hardcore. On the last map, 2 of the players left the game just before the final log delivery they were helping to convoy, so they just missed out on some rare "hardcore" achievements.

Day 2 found me immediately getting an invite from a day 1 player on starting up. We cleared and prepared "downhill" on hardcore and were both trying to get our loaded trucks over a harsh river and up the hill. We both got stuck rigid and were seriously running out of fuel in our lowly 6 wheeler log trucks (the best that was available to us from the seemingly random drops). As if by magic, some dude just appeared in an 8 wheeled monstrosity and pulled us both to safety and got us up the hill to victory. Could not have done it without them!

I found out that it was a good idea throwing out party invites to people joining the game after a while: I'm not sure the game's voice chat system is any good. Unless people complete the tutorial and challenges, they may not know what to do in game, so comms are really helpful.

I don't usually do multiplayer, but am really enjoying the social aspects around this game. It does seem fairly "griefer"-proof, for one thing! Speaking of which, does anyone know what happens when a person hosting a map quits? Does another player get to host or is all progress lost?

@diz: There is a "Continue Saved Game" button in the multiplayer screen but I'm not sure the details. I know the session is hosted by whoever created the game, and there are no dedicated servers. I thiiiink in original Spin Tires the session would close if host left?

Going back to something else you said: People were popping in and out of your session? It seems like, at least on PC, people can't join an already in-progress session? Ive been told the exception is that you can invite other people on your friends list to join. In both of the two long sessions I did yesterday, no one ever joined after the initial start.

Update from yesterday: I was able to clear "Deluge" on hardcore yesterday after everyone left. That was pretty intense. I had a truck roll over in the water again, this time with a load of logs, which meant performing another epic truck fishing rescue. Before I delivered the final logs (I had the truck parked there waiting) I went out and unlocked the other vehicles on the map and got all the watch points. Completion time was 6 hours.

After that I squeezed in another run before bed, a hardcore clear of "Seashore". Hardcore isn't nearly as tough as I expected reading the difficulty notes. In this session I spent the entire run on my own, only coordinating and talking to the other players. I think a real hardcore run would be only starting with a 1 star vehicle and getting that 1 star completion difficulty. I've kinda got an itch to try that today.

I've received two friend invite from these Steam games so far. Going well.

@seikenfreak: Great news! Deluge is by far the toughest, for sure. I just got off it, after starting my own server alone, ruining all possible hope of completion by drowning my vehicles, then, ahem, re-starting it, using the one extra available star to replace one of the six wheelers with a eight wheeler. I managed to cross the "deluge", clear the map, open up the garage and then try to find a vehicle that had a crane. I ended up towing all the locked vehicles on the map back to the garage (no mean feat) to see if I could fix a crane on any of them. It was only the last available vehicle on the map (a rather cruddy 6 wheeler) that could take a crane. By then, a few other players had appeared on the map and I plugged in my headset and re-stated my desire to see a crane so we could start lifting logs.

When I arrived at the "log kiosk" with a crane, the 3 other players were all there with garage and fuel attachments, so I started barking a few orders. Eventually we got a convoy together with 3 trucks carrying 3 loads of small logs and a fuel and repair truck, and were nearly across the deluge, when one of the convoy lost their loads, then left the game in disgust shortly after, when he realised what a set-back this was. It meant we had to go back for another log load. The remaining three of us persevered the deluge again after dropping off that initial partial delivery to nanny over one more load of short logs and pop the hardcore level achievement. All in all, it took me about 6 hours too - and that was with the easier vehicle load-out.

I do wonder in the sense of not having more vehicles able to take cranes in the game. It really does make things harder for log shifting; especially not being able to tell if a particular vehicle can accept a crane or not.

What a game, though.

@diz: Yea they occasionally have the K-700 log loader but I think it would be nice to either have a crane-only attachment for a smaller truck like the B-66 or something.

I just clear "Downhill" on hardcore, 1 star, with one of the people from yesterday. He contacted me on Steam, apologized for losing internet and wasn't able to get back into the server. We made it through Downhill alright though. Started only with the little lifted jeep thing but it felt a little too easy as a big 6x6 wasn't too far away. The other two people in the group never said anything and after clearing some watch points by themselves they randomly left.

Back to what you were talking about though, the two trucks that were available to me had no crane options and the other guy did. So our roles were sort of decided for us which can be fun or not depending on what you're into.

Social aspect definitely makes it less lonesome. Obviously cuts down the time to do stuff. The more meta, cool part is when other people need help its like an impromptu objective randomly on the map.

So many ideas for what they could do with this game.

@seikenfreak: Yes, this game could go places and the core tech would be also good in some other sim style games too (Farm Sim, PUBG?). I see they (worryingly) still have to give Oovee chops in the title screen and they changed all vehicle names and most maps (but I think "Crossing" is the exact "River" map from the original game), so hope there is no further issue with all that stuff and Pavel the dev can crack on with content and improvements. The xbox achievements do give the game more legs - maybe a sign of things to come (i.e. it recognises a car in the back of a truck as well as logs, distances traveled, etc). Mud racing circuits might be a fun start and I think there were a few such maps modded for the last iteration.

The K700 does do logs, as I discovered, but not very well - and earlier deluge spawned only the 65111 with a possible crane config ( - probably not as bad as all that, but I was still banking on using 8 wheels to cross that deluge). And as I visited my unlocked vehicles from the map, I unlocked other players' vehicles from the same spawn locations I visited (- this could come in handy in welcoming players to a late map, or joining a game in progress, as possible on the xbone). Maybe these more arcane aspects of the game make it more intriguing; and now I know these wrinkles I can be a smartarse about it.

One thing I miss from the old game (I'm pretty sure it wasn't a mod, although I did install a few) that I have not found yet in this one, is a low-loader semi-trailer; so you could load up, then load up, if you see what I mean. Ah, fun times...

Anyway, we should both be proud - Deluge hardcore achievement currently shows a 0.22% completion!