Drive Beyond Horizons entered Early Access on 24 March 2025, published by Tacty Studio and Santor Games, and it asks whether you can keep a rusted car alive on an endless procedurally generated road. You start at Home with a barely running Dada, scavenge parts from 24 documented points of interest, and manage fuel, oil, radiator water, hunger and thirst at the same time. Up to four players can share the road in online co-op.
These tips go beyond the basics. They're the strategies experienced players use to play more efficiently, the hidden mechanics most people miss, and the optimizations that compound over a full playthrough. If you're just starting, check our beginner's guide first.
Essential Tips
1. Run the full checklist at Home before your first drive: petrol in the tank, oil in the engine, water in the radiator from the tank behind the house, handbrake released
Run the full checklist at Home before your first drive: petrol in the tank, oil in the engine, water in the radiator from the tank behind the house, handbrake released. Missing any one of those four is the most common reason a new save never leaves the driveway.
2. Ignition is held W, the I key, or a click on the ignition switch itself
Ignition is held W, the I key, or a click on the ignition switch itself. If nothing happens, check the battery, because lights, ignition and the car radio all need one fitted before they respond.
3. Fuel type is set by the engine, not the car
Fuel type is set by the engine, not the car. The Dada, Musgoat, TriClops, Bonphiac and GTR units burn petrol while the Poyopa, IFA, C18 and P-51 units burn diesel, so identify the engine before you pick up a nozzle.
4. A turbocharger weighs 5 kg and adds 20 km/h
A turbocharger weighs 5 kg and adds 20 km/h. On a 105 km/h stock Dada that is a 19 percent gain for almost no weight, which makes it the first upgrade worth hunting once the car actually runs.
5. Radiator capacity ranges from 6L to 24L and weight from 5 kg to 13 kg
Radiator capacity ranges from 6L to 24L and weight from 5 kg to 13 kg. A bigger unit buys distance between water stops, which matters because water is not guaranteed at every point of interest.
6. Garages are the highest value stop on the road because they can spawn two whole cars
Garages are the highest value stop on the road because they can spawn two whole cars. Strip the donor for the specific parts your build is missing instead of trying to recover both vehicles.
7. Hunger and thirst drain constantly, including during long stationary repair sessions
Hunger and thirst drain constantly, including during long stationary repair sessions. Carry food cans, soda cans and energy drinks out of Home and keep the first aid kit for zombie encounters rather than for hunger.
8. The four hostile things in the game are zombies, UFOs, landmines and gas station explosions
The four hostile things in the game are zombies, UFOs, landmines and gas station explosions. None of them pursue you far, so reversing out of a bad situation is almost always cheaper than fighting through it.
9. Speed bumps spawn directly on the road and are easy to miss at pace
Speed bumps spawn directly on the road and are easy to miss at pace. At 180 km/h in a TriClops one will strip wheels and bumper trim, so ease off whenever the surface ahead changes.
10. Do not assume a bigger engine is an upgrade
Do not assume a bigger engine is an upgrade. The GTR inline six makes 212 km/h at 90 kg on 4L of oil while the flat 6 makes 180 km/h at 250 kg on 10L, so read the numbers before you commit to a swap.
Advanced Strategies
Build Optimization
The difference between an average build and an optimized one is massive. See our builds guide for full breakdowns.
For Dada (A-Tier):
- Focus on Part by part vehicle assembly combinations for maximum output.
- Core gear: I4 Petrol Engine
- Stat priority: Offensive stats first
For Musgoat (A-Tier):
- Versatile approach that handles any situation.
- Core gear: V8 Petrol Engine
- Stat priority: Balanced stats
Mechanic Interactions
Understanding how Drive Beyond Horizons's systems interact is where the real optimization lives. Our combat guide covers this in detail.
Part by part vehicle assembly + Fuel and fluid upkeep: Every car is a stack of slots: engine, radiator, battery, wheels, lights, seats, dashboard, shifter and more, each removable and swappable. Combined with Fuel and fluid upkeep, petrol engines take the green nozzle at a gas station and diesel engines take the red one.
Procedural road and points of interest + Hunger and thirst meters: The road generates as you drive, and 24 documented points of interest spawn on it, beside it, or slightly off to the side. When paired with Hunger and thirst meters, both drain slowly for as long as you play, including while you stand in a garage sorting parts.
Road hazards and enemies scaling: Four hostile things exist: zombies, UFOs, landmines and gas station explosions. A speed bump is not classed as an enemy but it will still strip wheels and trim off a car doing 180 km/h.
Equipment Efficiency
| Equipment | Best Use Case | Why |
|---|---|---|
| I4 Petrol Engine | First restorations and any chassis where weight matters more than pace. | The Dada's stock four cylinder: 3L of oil, 110 kg, and a 105 km/h ceiling. |
| V8 Petrol Engine | Heavy builds chasing the highest boosted top speed. | The Musgoat unit: 5L of oil, 200 kg, 140 km/h stock, and the only engine in the game that takes two turbochargers at once. |
| Flat 6 Engine | Touring builds where trunk space for fluids is not a problem. | TriClops power at 250 kg and 180 km/h stock, with room for a single turbo. |
| Turbocharger | Any finished car, fitted the moment you find one. | A 5 kg part that adds 20 km/h flat. |
| Radiator | Long stretches between points of interest where water refills are not guaranteed. | Capacities run 6L to 24L at 5 kg to 13 kg. |
Location Efficiency
Home (Hour one, before your first drive): The starting property, with a garage, a water tank behind the house, and loose parts scattered around the front and back exteriors. A basket on the garage's left wall holds cleaning supplies and there is always a car radio on the first table.
Gas Station (Spawns beside the road at any distance): A run down convenience store and pump island ringed by chain link fence. The pumps carry both fuel types with green nozzles for petrol and red for diesel, and they fill containers as well as tanks.
Garage (Spawns beside the road at any distance): A small mechanic shop with two roller doors. It can contain up to two cars plus parts and tires across the floor, which makes it the single best restoration stop on the road. A Large Garage variant also exists.
California Motel (Mid run, once you have cargo space): One of the twelve major points of interest and a multi room building rather than a single container. It takes far longer to clear than a bus stop or a billboard, and it pays out accordingly.
Minefield (Skip until you can repair at the roadside): A hazard rather than a loot stop. Landmines are one of the four hostile entities in the game and a single detonation will take wheels and body panels off a finished car.
Mistakes Even Veterans Make
- Filling a diesel engine from the green petrol nozzle because it was the closer pump.
- Driving off with an empty radiator, then watching the engine burn oil until it stops.
- Skipping the home garage sweep and leaving the free car radio and cleaning supplies behind.
- Treating the Minefield as a loot stop rather than a hazard and losing a finished car to one landmine.
- Swapping to the heaviest engine you find without checking its oil requirement, then running dry 20 minutes down the road.
Pro Quick Tips
- Run the full checklist at Home before your first drive: petrol in the tank, oil in the engine, water in the radiator from the tank behind the house, handbrake released. Missing any one of those four is the most common reason a new save never leaves the driveway.
- Ignition is held W, the I key, or a click on the ignition switch itself. If nothing happens, check the battery, because lights, ignition and the car radio all need one fitted before they respond.
- Fuel type is set by the engine, not the car. The Dada, Musgoat, TriClops, Bonphiac and GTR units burn petrol while the Poyopa, IFA, C18 and P-51 units burn diesel, so identify the engine before you pick up a nozzle.
- Start with Musgoat, switch to Dada when ready
- Invest in I4 Petrol Engine above everything else
- Clear areas in order: Home → Gas Station → Garage → California Motel → Minefield. See our maps guide
- Part by part vehicle assembly + Fuel and fluid upkeep together are stronger than either alone
More Drive Beyond Horizons Guides
- Drive Beyond Horizons Drive Beyond Horizons Overview
- Drive Beyond Horizons Best Builds
- Drive Beyond Horizons Tier List
- Drive Beyond Horizons Walkthrough
- Drive Beyond Horizons Beginner's Guide
- Drive Beyond Horizons Weapons Guide
- Drive Beyond Horizons Combat Guide
- Drive Beyond Horizons Boss Guide
- Drive Beyond Horizons Maps & Locations
- Drive Beyond Horizons Crafting Guide
- Drive Beyond Horizons Classes & Characters
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