What do you dream of when you close your eyes at night? We’ll admit, at some point, we’ve imagined ourselves living the life of an anime character in some sort of utopian ‘90s Japan, doing nothing but driving modified JDM cars in a cel-shaded universe.
It appears someone has been tapping into our very specific dreams and thought, “Hey, that’d be a good idea for a video game.” Allow us then to introduce you to Kaido Genkai. We are so excited.
Kaido Genkai in-development screenshot
This indie title will be the debut game from Canada-based Karoshi Electric Company, a team currently made up of just three members. It’s described as an open-world racing exploration game with RPG elements embedded in, with ‘an adventure where you learn about your past, challenge rivals, and unlock an array of unique cars.’
Those unique cars are unlicensed versions of some utterly wonderful slices of ‘80s and ‘90s JDM. So far, screenshots have revealed lookalikes to the Honda City Turbo, EG Civic, Autozam AZ-1, Mitsubishi Evo V and best of all, a Daihatsu Midget. It’s stated that the final car count will be around 19, so we’re keen to see what else is coming.
Kaido Genkai in-development screenshot
We don’t yet have a confirmed release date for Kaido Genkai, just that the game is a work in progress for the time being. Karoshi is hoping a playable build will be available by autumn.
If it’s to be released anytime this year, it would be another in a pretty sensational list of new racing games to arrive so far in 2025. We’ve already been left enamoured with the return of Tokyo Xtreme Racer, and that was joined by the promising, if a little dry on content, early access launch of Assetto Corsa Evo.
Kaido Genkai in-development screenshot
More is to come later in the year, too. Forza Horizon 5 lands on PS5, JDM: Japanese Drift Master will soon launch in early access, and we’ll be keeping an eye on Wreckfest 2 as it further expands on a promising platform.
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