In the 52 years since Pong’s release, gaming hardware and software have consistently grown. Because of this growth, gamers and like-minded individuals have access to the most technologically advanced video games in human history.
Examples may include Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Red Dead Redemption 2, Madden NFL 25, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, BeamNG.drive, EA Sports FC 25, GTA 5, and the long awaited GTA 6.
Background
BeamNG.drive is the leading soft-body physics vehicle simulator available to consumers. BeamNG GmbH, is an international company headquartered in Bremen, Germany that specializes in the development of physics simulation-based software and are best known for their game BeamNG.drive.
How did we get to BeamNG.Drive?
In 2005, Rigs of Rods was released as a free and open source vehicle simulator that simulates the deformation, destruction, and motion of vehicles. In 2012, the team behind Rigs Of Rods decided to make their own physics engine from scratch using mostly what they learned from (ROR), and later that year BeamNG was born.
Where does it get its name?
The name BeamNG.drive is derived from abbreviations that hold separate meanings to the game. The Beam in the name stands for (beams and nodes) the NG is an abbreviation for (next generation) while the .drive represents the games main characteristic, driving.
Recent Years
BeamNG.drive has come a considerably long way since its initial release on August 3rd, 2013 and its release onto Steam on May 29th, 2015. The game has had many major updates since v0.18, updates that include better vehicle models, driving physics, crashing physics, graphics, engine simulation, tire simulation, aerodynamics, and fluid simulation and more. The latest update was on September 19th 2025 v0.37.
Player count
BeamNG.drive is one of the most played driving simulator games on Steam with an average player count of 22,000 players. On September 21st, 2025 they had reached their most consecutive players at once 32,320.
Why BeamNG.drive is the best game ever?
Keep in mind that this is only my opinion: 14 days or 354 hours I’ve spent playing the game, so I can safely say that BeamNG.drive is the best game to ever exist.
I have four main reasons to support my claim:
#1: The soft-body physics of the game. Because of the soft-body physics, vehicle crashes are the most realistic and fun I have experienced in a video game. I’ll spend hours on end watching car crashes in slow motion or in real time.
#2: The challenge in keeping my vehicle alive as long as possible. The game keeps track of the number of miles you traveled in your vehicle. Because of this mileage tracking I can keep track of how far I’ve traveled before I crashed. Pushing my virtual car to its limits with as much speed and strain as I can before I or the vehicle makes a mistake is really fun, especially when trying to reach the highest number of miles before it happens.
#3: BeamNG.drive is the best game ever because the off-roading capabilities within the game. BeamNG.drive has extremely realistic suspension and tire physics that make the game great for off-roading. I go rock crawling, dune driving, hit dirt jumps, ford rivers, and do trailer pulling up dirt trails.
#4: BeamNG.drive’s multiplayer capability. Although multiplayer is not supported by the stand alone game, players are able to download a multiplayer mod for the game known as BeamMP. In multiplayer, players can do just about anything and everything to do with cars with the company of your friends. When playing with friends, I will spend hours with them crashing into one another or doing police chases. Multiplayer just brings a whole other level of fun to the game.
This piece was written to give people a broader perspective on BeamNG.drive and to give my own reasons as to why I think it’s the greatest game to ever exist.
Sources:
- Steam. “Steam.” Steampowered.com, 2025, store.steampowered.com/.
- “Home.” Www.beamng.com, www.beamng.com/game/.
- “The Entire History of BeamNG.Drive.” BeamNG, 2022, www.beamng.com/threads/the-entire-history-of-beamng-drive.85066/.
