Distance (video game)

Distance is a 2018 racing game by Refract Studios for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation consoles. Following a crowdfunding campaign and an early access launch in 2014, it was released in September 2018 and is scheduled for release on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 in July 2024.

Gameplay
Distance is a racing game where the player controls a vehicle with the ability to fly. Courses feature obstacles like gaps or saws.

Development and release
Distance was developed by Refract Studios, founded by former DigiPen Institute of Technology students in Seattle. The game is as a spiritual successor to Nitronic Rush, a student project developed at DigiPen and released in 2011, which intellectual property is owned by DigiPen. In October 2012, Refract launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign seeking $125,000 for Distance. It features the addition of a multiplayer mode compared to Nitronic Rush.

The game was released into early access via Steam on December 9, 2014. A PlayStation 4 version was announced on December 2, 2014 and showcased at PlayStation Experience 2015 with PlayStation VR on December 4, 2015. Distance was fully released for Windows on September 18, 2018. PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 versions are scheduled for July 19, 2024.

Reception
The PC version of Distance received "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregation website Metacritic. Reviewing the early access version in September 2017, Ali Jones of PCGamesN found the multiplayer to be the best part due to the availability of thousands of courses. Upon release in September 2018, Gamekult noted the delayed development and found it to be an exhilarating racing game.