Choose Project CARS
Choose Project CARS if you want the Multi-player, Steam Leaderboards, and VR Supported side of the pairing. 3,968 Steam reviews back the pick.
Project CARS vs Car Tuning Simulator
Project CARS and Car Tuning Simulator both land in Sports, Simulation, Racing on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Sports, Simulation, Racing on Steam. Project CARS (2015) is 6 years older than Car Tuning Simulator (2021). Project CARS scores higher on Steam reviews (74.1% positive) than Car Tuning Simulator (45.7% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Car Tuning Simulator
Choose Car Tuning Simulator if you want an Action, Indie, and Adventure experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2021) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Car Tuning Simulator launched in 2021.
Both Project CARS and Car Tuning Simulator sit in Sports, Simulation, and Racing on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Project CARS |  Car Tuning Simulator | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2021 |
| Genres | Sports, Simulation, Racing | Action, Sports, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, Casual, Racing |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | Price unknown | 0.49 USD |
| Steam reviews | 74.1% positive (3,968 reviews) | 45.7% positive (46 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | Slightly Mad Studios | Boom Games |
Side by side
- Both share Sports, Simulation, Racing on Steam.
- Project CARS (2015) is 6 years older than Car Tuning Simulator (2021).
- Project CARS scores higher on Steam reviews (74.1% positive) than Car Tuning Simulator (45.7% positive).
- Project CARS is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Car Tuning Simulator has no Deck rating yet.
Project CARS vs Car Tuning Simulator — FAQ
- Should I play Project CARS or Car Tuning Simulator first?
- If you want chronology, Project CARS (2015) came out before Car Tuning Simulator (2021). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Project CARS and Car Tuning Simulator similar?
- They overlap on Sports, Simulation, Racing on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Car Tuning Simulator have multiplayer like Project CARS?
- No. Project CARS supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Car Tuning Simulator is listed as single-player only.
- Does Project CARS run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Project CARS is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Car Tuning Simulator doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.