Rock Crawling

Summary

Rock Crawling is a simple but fun one-button monster truck game where you’ll need to master the art of managing traction, vehicle weight, and knowing when to tap the throttle or back off (which also comes in super handy when you return to your favorite drifting games).

You’ll get to race a selection of short-wheel-based big-wheeled monster trucks up a variety of hillsides while navigating seemingly never-ending obstacles, from dodging falling boulders and collapsing bridges, all while trying not to go flying backwards down the slope you just spent ages working your way up.

The levels start easy enough, but the difficulty creeps up as new obstacles, terrains, and increasingly challenging AI rivals get thrown at you.

Once you’ve proven your talents, you’ll get to compete in tournaments that take you to completely different locations around the world, including stages where the rocks are on fire, and the floor is (quite literally) lava. Along the way, you’ll unlock, customize, and upgrade your trucks by earning gems as bonuses.

Rock Crawling features

• Release date – October 16, 2025
• Difficulty – Beginner
• Levels/environments – Many short levels + 8 tournaments
• Number of vehicles – 5
• Vehicle customization/upgrades – Yes
• Multiplayer – No
• Mobile – Yes
• Developer – StoreRider

Physics

The physics are straightforward, but they’ll catch you out if you start slacking. One unique aspect of the game is that the trucks have a super short wheelbase, which makes them wheelie-happy. Hold the throttle for a tiny bit too long on a steep climb, and the whole thing wants to tip backwards (often before you get a chance to do anything about it).

To master the grip, you’ll need to read the terrain up ahead and adjust the throttle accordingly. If you’re a drifting game fan, the instinct to feather the throttle when need be rather than just flooring it constantly will already give you a big head start.

While this game is great for beginners, once you’ve got to grips with it (excuse the pun!) Drive Mad offers similar physics, but takes it up quite a few notches with a huge selection of over 100 levels of bouncy monster truck-style puzzles along with wildly different vehicles on every level.

Graphics

The visuals are basic, even if there’s a decent variety of scenery on offer. The good news is that the simple graphics keep the game running smoothly on just about anything, including phones and Chromebooks.

If you want something that’s more visually impressive, you’ll want to check out games like UNBOUNDED and Drift Hunters MAX, where you’ll genuinely be surprised you can play them in your browser. You’ll need to ensure you’ve got a decent-spec computer for the ultimate experience, though.

Rock Crawling controls

PC/laptop/Chromebook

• Left mouse click/Space bar – Accelerate

Mobile/tablet (iOS/Android)

• Press the on-screen button to accelerate.

It plays just as well on mobiles, so it’s a solid pick if you need something to kill time on the go. You can also browse our mobile games for plenty more portable options that we’ve tried and tested.

How to play Rock Crawling

Initial setup

When you first open the game, you’ll see a settings cogwheel in the top left where you can toggle sound, pick a nickname, and choose your nation.

The pink garage icon on the left lets you preview all five trucks and their stats, and below that, you’ll find the (blue) customization menu where you’ll get to spend your gems on new body colors/liveries, wheels, and vehicle flags (more on that further down).

Getting started

Press the spacebar (or click the left mouse button), and you’ll begin the uphill race against a handful of AI opponents. You kinda have your own lane while the rivals fight it out against each other in theirs. You’ll soon notice they’re not exactly up to the level of Formula Drift’s finest when it comes to driving ability (or overtaking, for that matter), especially on the early levels.

Get too aggressive on a climb, and you’ll get a sudden reality check as the front end lifts, flipping the truck, and sending you sliding all the way back down the hill while your opponents slowly wheelspin past you. If you stay on your roof for too long, it’ll immediately be game over. However, you’ll get the option to watch an ad to continue from your last checkpoint or head back to the start line.

You’ll pick up gems as you progress, and dodge obstacles like rock piles and landslides that will kill your momentum and often leave you stuck on the slope. At the end of each level, you get a crack at nailing a prize slider that multiplies your gem earnings from 2X up to 5X (aim for the green zone), along with a mystery card that offers things like extra gems, vehicles, or other goodies.

Want to take the chaos up a notch? Deadly Descent takes the crashing and flipping fun even further with 20 levels of downhill obstacle carnage where simply having enough wheels left to cross the finish line counts as a win. You’ll also find plenty more games like these in our stunts and crash games.

Alternatively, if you like the more careful throttle-feathering aspect, Hill Racing – Egg Drop requires you to transport a fragile egg across a variety of bumpy levels, where it’ll fly out over the slightest bump if you’re not paying attention.

Game modes

You’ll progress through several short levels before eventually unlocking tournaments. The first few levels ease you in with small rocks and simple terrain, but it doesn’t take long before you’re dealing with collapsing wooden bridges, massive boulders, and the occasional wade through water (don’t panic, you won’t waterlog the engine).

You’ll also need to watch out for things like seesaw-style ramps where getting there first lets you collapse the bridge and leave your opponents smashing into it the wrong way up (but if they reach it before you, they’ll happily return the favor!)

Once you’ve cleared enough levels, you’ll unlock 8 tournaments that take you across the globe to a variety of unique locations with longer tracks, tougher opponents, and different scenery. Win the tournaments, and you’ll walk away with a massive (500+) gem payout and a new ride.

If you’d rather crank up the competition, Epic Racing – Descent On Cars is a popular pick among Drifted fans, taking the action downhill across 39 increasingly intense levels where smashing into rivals is strongly encouraged! If you don’t fancy that, you’ll find plenty more alternatives to try in our driving games collection.

Rock Crawling truck list

There are five trucks in total:

• PICKUP – Free starter truck. Offers even stats and gets the job done on the early levels.
• BUGGY – 500 gems. Features a lightweight front (to distribute the weight a little better) and a bigger roll cage.
• SUV – 1,250 gems. A more typical-looking monster truck, based on a widebody Jeep.
• TRUCK – 2,500 gems. This smaller truck is a big step up, offering a spare wheel on the back that acts as a stabilizer to avoid you tipping over in some situations, but still struggles when pushed to its limits.
• TANK – 10,000 gems. This heavyweight tank is the ultimate pick, again featuring stats that are evenly distributed across the board.

Each truck feels different to drive, and some are much bigger and heavier than others. Whether to save up for a new one or pour your gems into upgrading what you’ve already got will come down to your personal preference.

If five trucks aren’t enough, Hill Climb Racing 2 has a massive roster from bikes to buses and tanks, and the terrain variety keeps things fresh for much longer. You’ll find plenty more alternatives in our ever-growing monster truck games collection, too.

If you fancy the opposite approach, Offroader V6 lets you explore in 4x4s and supercars across four open-world maps with everything unlocked from the start.

Tuning and upgrades

Each truck has three stats you can upgrade: max speed, acceleration, and grip. Green bars show you what you’re getting for your gems, and upgrade costs go up with each level, so you’ll want to plan your spending.

Whether to upgrade or save for something better is the classic racing game dilemma, and you’ll need to decide which route suits you best. Upgrading early on makes a real difference initially, but once you’re up against better rivals, it’s usually worth saving for the bigger trucks once your gem income picks up.

Customization

Open the customize menu, and you’ll find three categories: body colors/skins/liveries, wheels, and flags that mount on the back. You can purchase these using gems, and some items have icons showing they can be unlocked for free by watching an ad.

It’s fairly limited, but it lets you make your truck look a little more unique as you progress. Unfortunately, there’s no online modes in Rock Crawling, so if showing off your ride to other players is what you’re after, our multiplayer games have you covered.

Advanced tips and tricks

Don’t hold the throttle constantly

It’s tempting to floor it, but avoiding flipping the truck is far more manageable in controlled bursts while keeping an eye on the front end. It’s the same idea as feathering through a low-grip corner when drifting. Apply too much throttle, and the back end will fly out.

Reverse for a run-up on the steepest sections

Sometimes you’ll reach a super steep wall of rock that your truck will struggle with. Usually, you’ll have the chance to back up and build speed, giving you the momentum to clear it.

Don’t panic if your rivals decide to give it a shot, as they’ll likely fail. This is where your patience will pay off (even if it feels counterintuitive at the time), especially on the steeper tournament stages.

Be patient when you get stuck (not if!)

There will be times when your truck gets wedged against a rock or tipped at an awkward angle at some point, and the worst thing you can do is panic.

Tapping the throttle in short bursts when you’re on your roof (assuming the wheels can grip the terrain) can sometimes rotate the truck enough to free it. Patience is the most underrated skill in this game, and rushing after a mistake almost always makes it worse.

Save your gems early on

It’s easy to blow your first few hundred gems on skins and wheels, but your gem income is slow at the start. Focus on upgrades and saving for new trucks first.

Once you start winning tournaments (the first one alone pays 550 gems along with a free vehicle bonus), the earnings stack up quickly, and you’ll have plenty left over for the fun stuff.

Rock Crawling FAQ