For years, Mario fans have dreamed of a Mario Kart maker; a game that would allow the infinite creation of new, customised tracks for Nintendo's popular racing games. But while Nintendo has refreshed the series with the open-world exploration of Mario Kart World for Switch 2, it continues to favour curated gameplay over user-generated content.
Given that absence of an official option, fans might want to take a look at the new indie game Mythic Kart Maker – particularly anyone who was a fan of Mario Kart 64. In fact, you might want to take a look at it anyway because it captures those early to mid '90s graphics very nicely (also see our guides to the best retro gaming consoles and retro gaming handhelds).
Kart Maker JUST LAUNCHEDBuild tracks while you driveTons of official TracksRace, battle, or time attack instantlyDownload & share tracks & custom racers👉 Play on Steam: https://t.co/OCqmBrLawN pic.twitter.com/PYmtj5iVMIMay 4, 2026
Developed by Dream Mix Games, Mythic Kart Maker is a combat racing game that lets you build your own tracks as you drive. You can then share them with other players via Steam Workshop.
There are currently 13 official tracks and already over 100 player-made tracks on Steam. you can also customise skins for the racers, and there are plans to add a story mode.
Some fans are reminded of the PS3 kart racer ModNation Racers, while Diddy Kong Racing as well as games like Shining Force 3 and Camelot games have been cited as influences for the vibrant 64-bit pre-rendered low-poly art style.
But the developer says their biggest inspiration was Burnout 3 Takedown, which they rate as the "greatest racing game ever".
You might initially think it more intuitive to predesign tracks from an overhead view, but the developer says they found that to be more tedious, and the tracked often turned out not to be as much fun. Drawing the circuits by actually driving them allows you to get a feel for how the track will drive as you create it.
There's a range of tools you can use to make your course stand out, with several grass and dirt painting options, obstacles like trees and rocks, item placements, mushrooms that bounce you into the air, and the ability to adjust the terrain.
You can buy Mythic Kart Maker in early access on Steam for $6.59.
If you're starting on a project of your own, see our guides to the best game development software and the best laptops for game development.
This article originally appeared in ImagineFX. Subscribe to ImagineFX to never miss an issue. Print and digital subscriptions are available.
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