In our quest for the simplest free flash racing game, we’ve stumbled upon an early leader here in Oldskool Racer. Unlike Box Racers, there isn’t any way to modify your “skills” or “health”, nor are there even concepts of “skills” or “health.” And more than one track? You’ve gotta be kidding me.

This simple flash racing game is just that: Simple. You have a car that’s slightly faster than all other cars, and you must pass the rest of the field in three laps to win. Reaching and staying at top speed is easy in this free flash game, since the concept of “hitting the wall” is totally absent. Turns and obstacles on the track are little more than decorative elements, as the car “turns” for you whenever you approach a sharp change in track direction. Sound silly? Well, it kind of is.

The real game, then, is about passing other racers. They’ll try to block you, and the only type of collision you can have with other cars is a strange example of simplified positive feedback: the car that is behind (even if it’s mostly a side-to-side collision) gets shoved back, and the car that is in front gets pushed forward. Thus, passing can turn into a really, really frustrating endeavor against an unrealistic physics model.

If you’d like to play Oldskool Racer, just try it out below:

Racing games don’t have to be intense, Tokyo Drift-style ultra-realistic course racers. Free ones, especially, are typically not. Box Racing is a good example of this, and unless you’re looking for a hardcore street-racing feel, it’s worth a play.

Don’t get me wrong, free flash racing games can be very hit-or-miss. Especially simple, lo-fi ones like Box Racing. The controls can be shaky, the AI unbalanced and the graphics uninspired. Box Racing avoids most of these online game pitfalls, even poking fun at its own simple graphics with its name — the racers are, after all, vaguely colorful boxes.

One of the stranger aspects of the game is a series of “skill bars” that allow you to adjust your racer’s relative levels of health, top speed and “skill”. Top speed and health — the ability to stay alive while your racer hits walls, signs and other objects — is pretty straightforward. I could never quite figure out what “skill” was supposed to do — do let me know in the comments if you can figure it out.

The “health” aspect is a bit annoying, especially with respect to Box Racing’s controls. It’s tough to avoid hitting the sides of the track, and the “health” aspect seems to be a bit of a crutch to avoid building in a more complex damage system. It’s understandable, though — after all, the game is free, and has a fairly well-balanced AI.

If you’re looking to play a free online racing game, this is a simple and well-designed option. Check it out below to play.