In a slightly confusing situation, there are two radio-controlled car games with very similar names about to arrive from different developers. With both Recharge and ReCharge RC: High Voltage coming soon, you’ll need to either choose between them, or potentiall invest in both.
Recharge is currently scheduled to arrive first on Steam Early Access in Q1 2025, developed by Room Games, and it’s inspired by late 1990s title Re-Volt. There are plans for a full launch on PC and consoles later, with the Unreal Engine game offering single player, and multiplayer for up to 12 RC cars. You also get a choice of camera angles, and a range of customisation options including paint and performance upgrades.
A couple of the interesting features are some of the tracks are apparently ‘professional designed’ which might make them more challenging and engaging, along with the option to use an RC controller to play the game, and plans for the future including split-screen, open world exploration, drift mode, and damage, along with pitstops and repairs, and the ability to create and share your own custom tracks.
Room Games are a Turkish development studio founded in 2022, with two recent releases on Steam being Floor 9 and Jumping Jack.
And announced literally days later for a planned release date in Q2 2025 is ReCharge RC: High Voltage, from Hondune Games, a solo developer and artist named Brandon Proulx, who has previously released Code Racer, and Santa’s Slippery Slope (Ski Stunts) on Steam, along with original ReCharge RC and Truck Trials on mobile devices.
ReCharge RC: High Voltage aims to be a sim-cade title which attempts to be enjoyable for existing RC enthusiasts and complete newcomers, boasting accurately modeled suspension geometry, air control, and a detailed damage engine, with a wide selection fo realistic RC models, plus a livery and decal editor.
You also get a variety of camera options, include first person mounted cameras, and claims to have an unrivaled track creation system which you can use to build and share circuits whether you aim for realism or the most outlandish fantasy challenge. Along with performance optimised for low end devices, the roadmap includes multiplayer, campaign modes, daily competitions, road cars, drifting and livery sharing.
Giving Recharge and ReCharge RC: High Voltage an equal chance
I’m not qualified as a copyright or trademark lawyer, so I’m staying well clear of naming rights and the laws around them. That’s a discussion that the two developers might want to have, especially as both are self-publishing, to clear up any potential confusion between the two RC car games.
Personally, I’m keen to try both, as someone who has raced RC cars along with sim racing. And while one might be a better title overall, it’s likely that Recharge may do some things better, and ReCharge RC: High Voltage may excel in other areas, just as the likes of iRacing, RaceRoom, Automobilista 2, Assetto Corsa EVO and Le Mans Ultimate can all co-exist and find their own audience. As a potential customer for both titles, I’d rather have more choice and options.
I’m not familiar with either developer as far as I’m aware, and both Recharge and ReCharge RC: High Voltage look like they could be great RC car racing games. And with prices not announced for either title, there probably won’t be anything to choose between them until we can get to play them.
Recharge is available now to wishlist ahead of the Q1 2025 Steam Early Access launch, here. ReCharge RC: High Voltage is available to wishlist ahead of the Q2 2025 Steam launch, here. Obviously I’ve added both!
Hey, I’m Hondune of Hondune Games!
I was just sent this article and wanted to weigh in with what’s going on. This situation has been very frustrating for me. As you mention in the article I made the original ReCharge RC back in 2017. Room Games took my name to make a very similar title and rushed to put a steam page up right before I announced the sequel to my original game. This is a project I have been openly working on for around 4 years at this point. I was open with my community about being close to the official announcement and steam page release and it seems likely this other company knew about this considering the timing of pushing a mostly empty steam page up just days before my planned announcement day.
I have tried speaking with them, even offering to help them rebrand and find a new name, but they blew me off, told me they won’t change it, and refuse to talk to me any further despite repeated attempts to contact them. I am a solo dev so my ability to fight this is extremely limited so I’ve been kind of stuck. It’s certainly been a bit of a nightmare after working on this for so long just to deal with this when finally announcing it :/ I am absolutely all for as many RC games existing as possible, it’s an underserved niche for sure and those of us who are into RC in real life have been desperate for more games for years now. I just wish they would choose their own name.
But the show must go on I suppose. And I’ve made a ton of progress on the game even just since this was posted! If you have any questions or want to chat please feel free to reach out! I’m more than happy to talk to press, especially people who actually race RC in real life!