# Sunset Switchback > Swoop around bendy coastal roads and over hills before the checkpoint clock runs out. A road racer in the spirit of the arcade classics: the road rushes at you, bends round the horizon and rolls over hills, with traffic to weave through and rival cars to catch. Gas is automatic, so you steer, brake into hairpins, drift for a turbo and save your nitro for the straights. Every checkpoint adds time, and when the clock hits zero the run is over. Race through five cups of coast, desert, neon city, mountain pass and sunset, take the fork you like, earn bronze to platinum medals, and use your cash to buy new cars, tune them and paint them. There is a new daily road every day. - Play: https://sidekickarcade.com/play/sunset-switchback/ (in the browser, phone or computer, free, no sign-up) - Neighborhood: [Zoom Lane](https://sidekickarcade.com/category/zoom/index.md) - Controls: Buttons, mouse or keys: arrows or A D to steer, Down to brake, Space to boost. Mouse: slide from an arrow onto BRAKE to drift - Best on: landscape screens - Coins for goals: 3 per 1 stages, up to 15 a run ## How to play 1. Gas is automatic. Steer with the left and right buttons under your thumb, or the arrow keys or A and D. Every way of steering turns the car at the same speed. 2. Hold the brake while you steer through a bend to drift. A long drift pays off in a turbo when you let go. Press the boost button, Space or Up to spend a nitro tank. With a mouse, slide from an arrow onto BRAKE to drift. 3. Reach each checkpoint before the clock runs out; every one adds time. Bumping traffic or driving on the grass slows you down, so stay on the road and pick the lane that is free. 4. Finish a stage faster for a bronze, silver, gold or platinum medal. At a fork, steer left or right through the finish to pick the next road. Stars open new cups, and cash buys cars, tuning and paint. ## Tips - Ease off the steering on straights. The car drifts to the outside of a bend, so start turning before the curve arrives, not in the middle of it. - Hold the brake and steer together through a bend to drift. Keep drifting until the bar passes the mark, then let go for a turbo. - Save your nitro for a clear straight. A boost into a car you cannot dodge costs more than it gains. - Follow close behind a car for a moment: the slipstream refills your nitro. ## Questions ### Is it free? Yes. It's free to play in your browser, with no download and no sign-up. The cash you earn in the game and the coins you earn on the site can never be bought. ### How do I steer on a phone? Use the two big arrow buttons under your left thumb, and the brake and boost under your right. Hold a button down to keep steering. You can swap the sides in the pause menu. ### Is steering the same on a keyboard and a touch screen? Yes. Touch, mouse and keyboard all steer left, right or straight at the same speed, so the same skills earn the same times on every device. ### How do I drift with a mouse? A drift needs the wheel turned and the brake held at once. A mouse is one pointer, so hold an arrow, then slide onto BRAKE: the wheel stays turned while you hold it. On a touch screen you can do the same with one thumb, or use two thumbs. On a keyboard, hold Down and an arrow. ### Can I upgrade my car? Yes. Win cash in races, then buy new cars and tune the engine, tires, brakes and nitro in the garage. Higher ranks open higher levels. ### Is there a daily challenge? Yes. A new road arrives every day at 00:00 UTC, the same for everyone. Finish it each day to build a streak. ## Achievements - **Checkered flag** (bronze, 10 coins): Cross the finish line of a stage. - **Sideways** (silver, 30 coins): Earn 3 drift turbos in one run. - **Medal rack** (silver, 30 coins): Collect 12 stars from your medals. - **Full tour** (silver, 40 coins): Clear four stages in one run. - **Secret achievement** (silver, 50 coins): Keep playing to find it. - **Gold rush** (gold, 70 coins): Win gold or better on 10 stages. - **Daily driver** (gold, 80 coins): Finish the daily road 7 days in a row. - **Secret achievement** (gold, 90 coins): Keep playing to find it. - **Flawless dozen** (gold, 100 coins): Win 12 different stages flawlessly: first place, no bumps, no grass. - **Mile marker** (gold, 120 coins): Clear 500 stages in total. - **Switchback Legend** (diamond, 250 coins): Win platinum on every stage. Earns the title "Switchback Legend". - **Master mechanic** (diamond, 250 coins): Max out every upgrade on all 8 cars. Earns the title "Master Mechanic". ## More to play - [Strip Sprint](https://sidekickarcade.com/play/strip-sprint/index.md): Launch on the green, shift on the beat, and build a garage of ever-faster cars. (Zoom Lane) - [Mini Mud Cup](https://sidekickarcade.com/play/mini-mud-cup/index.md): Race tiny buggies and monster trucks over dirt, ramps and puddles, then upgrade between races. (Zoom Lane) - [Bolt Alley](https://sidekickarcade.com/play/bolt-alley/index.md): Swipe between three lanes, jump, slide and sprint through town as the speed climbs. (Zoom Lane)