A niche game on Steam seems to have figured out exactly how to do early access right, and players are loving it.
In an era when many games linger in early access for years, often using it as an excuse to slowly add features or deliver constant updates, it’s refreshing to see a game spend only a short time there, handle player feedback well, and nearly double its player count upon full release.
Realistic snowmobile simulator Sledders released after 15 months in early access
Sleddersis a realistic snowmobile simulator game, about as niche as it gets. It first released on June 02, 2025 in early access on Steam and is now a full game as of March 20.
Players get to experience what I’ll believe to be authentic snowmobile driving—I’ll probably never know for sure—complete with realistic physics and actual snowmobile sounds.
Despite its very specific theme,Sleddershit over 1,800 peak players onSteamafter its release on March 20—almost double its early access peak—and earned an impressive average of 91% positive reviews in the last 30 days, with 97% positive reviews on launch day. It even becameSteamDB’sbest-rated release this week.
Even though snowmobiles aren’t exactly common worldwide—many countries don’t even have snow, let alone people who ride snowmobiles—Sleddersmight have found the same sweet spot asEurotruck Simulator. Just asEuro Truck Simulatorattracts many players who aren’t truck drivers in real life,Sledderscould appeal to enthusiasts who enjoy realistic experiences.
Early reviews suggest the game is a bit hard to start but fun to play, which is the sweet spot for simulators. If it’s too easy, it doesn’t feel real. If it’s too hard, it becomes frustrating.
Snowmobile enthusiasts helped make Sledders
A developer shared on the snowmobiling Reddit community whySleddershas connected so well with players. It turns out one of the developers is a real snowmobile expert who previously ran a snowmobile shop and even recorded real engine sounds to ensure maximum realism.
Sleddersis also available on Xbox and PS5 for $34.99.
