How to play Dirtbound

1. Open the original game

Use the Play Dirtbound button to launch dirtbound.fr in a separate game window. Keep this guide open beside it. A solo run does not require you to create an account, and you do not need to install a desktop app.

2. Choose a short solo stage

Open Solo, choose the rally-stage option and begin with the 1 km length. The menu also offers 2, 5 and 10 km stages, plus an endless option. A short road makes it easier to finish a run, compare attempts and notice where you lose control.

Select a landscape and season you like. Keep those choices and the car consistent while you learn, so your practice has a familiar starting point.

3. Settle the car before you chase a time

Accelerate with W or Up Arrow. Steer with A and D or the left and right arrow keys. S or Down Arrow brakes and reverses. Make small steering corrections on the straight, then ease off before a bend instead of asking the car to turn sharply at full speed.

Use the handbrake with Space when you want to rotate the car more quickly. Start with a short press and release it as you straighten the car. Holding it through every bend makes it harder to build a smooth exit.

4. Find a useful camera view

Press C to switch between the available overhead and chase views in solo play. Try both on the same route. Pick the view that makes the next corner easiest to read, then keep it for a few runs while you learn.

5. Recover and keep going

If you leave the road, R returns your car to the stage. A reset can add a time penalty, so a slightly slower clean line is often a better practice target than a run full of recoveries. Escape or P pauses the game.

On circuits, R has a different role: it returns you to the approach to the start line to restart the lap. It is useful to know which mode you selected before pressing it.

A simple three-run practice plan

1. First run: finish the stage and learn how the car responds. Ignore the clock.
2. Second run: brake a little earlier for the corners where you ran wide.
3. Third run: focus on leaving corners straight, with fewer resets.

Once a short stage feels comfortable, try a longer route or a circuit. If you compare cars, change one choice at a time. There is no need to hunt for a claimed fastest car before you can put a clean run together.

Explore the rest of the menu

Circuits let you repeat a lap. Daily Challenge gives you the day's route. Multiplayer is the place to create or join a room with friends, while the editor lets you build circuits. The experimental mode has its own item controls, listed on the controls page.

Game references

This guide follows the original game's menu and published controls. Saved bindings and later game updates may change what you see.