Every once in a while we like to drop everything for a few hours and dig into a smaller indie game. Nothing story-heavy, or mechanically complicated. But something accessible and fun. That is exactly what Stunt Bike Extreme, is.
We we given a review code a while ago, but only recently (thanks to Game of the Year…) got around to giving it a spin.
What a great palette cleanser it’s been!
Stunt Bike Extreme isn’t earth-shattering, but it’s a return to a simpler time in gaming. Whilst feeling fresh enough to be fun in more modern times.
Stunt Bike Extreme
Do you remember Trials/Trials HD/Trials Extreme? That’s what Stunt Bike Extreme is.
A spiritual successor, if you like.
You race your stunt bike through courses as quickly as you can. Navigating obstacles and getting to grips with exaggerated physics to keep on your wheels.
Part puzzle game, part time trial game. You can clear a stage in 30 seconds. Or, you can get stuck for a minute trying to navigate a particular bit.
Hit the rest or restart buttons and instantly give the course another go.
Stunt Bike Extreme has a lot going for it. Very accessible accessible and easy to learn.
You quickly learn how to manage gravity and movement of your bike. Then, the rest is speed, luck and that mastery of the physical world.
The good stuff
Stunt Bike Extreme has been a really pleasant surprise. Nobody can deny that a 30-40 second run is more than acceptable when it comes to respecting your game time.
You can quickly restart a course, you get checkpoints if you want to re-run a section quickly.
The courses are simple and clever. Challenging you and making sure you can’t just hold down the accelerator to get to the end.
One thing that has really impressed me is the camera work. Whilst you’re always essentially on rails and a linear track, the bends and turns in the semi-3D space are really well managed. You never feel lost, unsure where you’re going or unable to see what you’re being challenged with.
On top of all that, you have some pretty solid customisation options, to use your hard-won currency.
Stunt Bike Extreme lets you change helmets, tops, trousers and of course, bikes. Then you level-up your bikes to improve their stats, too.
For such a small game, you get a lot of game.
The not-so-good
I think for a game that costs a few quid, it’s hard to complain about anything. But, let’s help set expectations.
Stunt Bike Extreme looks like a game from the Xbox Live Arcade/360 era. It doesn’t matter particularly and it suits the game style. But this isn’t a high-resolution texture showcase.
Blocky, stretched textures, you name it. For a game in 2026, it feels aesthetically retro.
The only other complaint I have is that it doesn’t boot on the Steam Deck, presently. A real shame, because Stunt Bike Extreme is exactly the kind of “just one more try” game, you want to have with you for those short gaming stints.
Overall
It’s really easy to recommend Stunt Bike Extreme. Easy to access, engaging in sorry bursts and clearly built to pay homage to older titles.
If the game continues to be updated and improved, the sky is the limit. It feels great, and that’s the hard part.
With 400+ courses to go at, and all the course collectibles to go for. You get a lot of game for not a lot of money.
If you loved those Stunt Bike arcade games of the Xbox 360 era, Stunt Bike Extreme is giving you more of that good stuff.
Highly Recommend.
