Gaming

Minit's new racing adventure game combines fun with charity

Here's a short indie game that works toward a good cause. Win-win.

A gif for the Minit indie game in which a character can be seen waking up from bed.
Minit

When I first tried Minit in 2018 on Steam, I was surprised at how entertaining and short the indie game from Devolver Digital was. Based in a black and white setting, Minit runs in 60-second intervals and that's... about it. Its developers Jukio Kallio, Kitty Calis, Jan Willem Nijman, and Dominik Johann have since continued improving the bite-sized Minit experience and now have a Minit Fun Racer.

The action-adventure racing game is charity-based, which means that 100 percent of its proceeds will go to designated philanthropic organizations. "Forever," the developers add. To play the game, you will have to buy it off Steam for $2.99, which is even cheaper than the original Minit priced at $9.99.

"Hop on your scooter into the twisting traffic of the bustling city and the debris covered sands of the barren desert just in time to watch the sunset," the game's description states. "Befriend your local shopkeeper, chase coins, hit big jumps, and accomplish fun goals along each lap until you’ve seen it all!"

According to the Steam reviews for the Minit Fun Racer, the proceeds will go to organizations like Doctors Without Borders as well as Special Effect, which is a charity in the United Kingdom centered on increasing accessibility features in video games for people with disabilities. We love it.

Behold, a breezy race — Like Minit's original premise based on simplicity, Minit Fun Racer is super straightforward: you drive your little car on a black and white road where you have to avoid crashing into other vehicles, walls, trash cans, and people. The video game has points on the road like accelerators that help you increase the speed of your car once you drive over them. You also have to collect coins, which end up adding more time to the race. Here's a look at the trailer.

The only downside to the game is that, according to Steam's description, Minit Fun Racer is available to Windows XP, Vista, 7, and up users only. It's a shame because other users, I imagine, would also love Minit's short and sweet style of gaming.

This kind of game doesn't require massive space for memory and graphics. Its soundtrack is somehow retro and nostalgic. It hooks you in with its delightfully bare philosophy: race down a lane. Plus, the developers' decision to use Minit Fun Racer as a charity-geared video gaming experience is the cherry on top.