REVIEW: Sledders (2026 Video Game) - on PS5

Review by Jon Donnis

Sledders is a snowmobile simulator that drops you into a vast, snow-covered mountain range and leaves you to find your own entertainment. There are no races, checkpoints or objectives. You simply climb aboard a snowmobile and head out into the wilderness, tackling steep slopes and trying to navigate the deep snow without ending up on your side.

The idea has some appeal, and my first few minutes were reasonably entertaining. Getting up to speed, tearing across the snow and inevitably crashing provided a few laughs. Unfortunately, that initial enjoyment soon disappeared, and I was left wondering what I was supposed to do next.

Visually, Sledders is decent enough. The snowy landscapes provide a convincing setting for backcountry riding, and the open areas give you plenty of room to explore. The graphics might not be particularly impressive, but they do the job. The problem is that there is very little to discover beyond more snow and mountains.

The game puts considerable emphasis on realistic handling. Every movement matters, with throttle control, leaning and steering all affecting how your snowmobile behaves. The intention is clearly to recreate the challenges of real snowmobiling, but I found the controls frustrating rather than rewarding. Even relatively minor movements can send you face-first into the snow, and getting stuck becomes a regular occurrence.

You will spend a fair amount of time resetting your snowmobile and trying again. While mastering difficult terrain might appeal to simulation enthusiasts, I struggled to find much enjoyment in repeatedly falling over or becoming bogged down. There is no proper tutorial to explain the controls or help newcomers understand how to handle the machines, leaving you to work things out through trial and error.

That might be acceptable if there were other activities to break things up, but there aren't. Sledders is essentially an open-world sandbox with no races, challenges, objectives or alternative game modes. You choose a direction, ride around and decide what you want to attempt. Once the novelty of speeding across the snow wears off, there is very little to encourage you to keep playing.

I understand the appeal of a game that lets you create your own adventures, but the underlying riding needs to be enjoyable enough to support that freedom. Here, the awkward controls and constant crashes make even simple journeys more frustrating than they should be. Getting to the top of a difficult climb might provide a sense of achievement for some players, but I wanted something more substantial to work towards.

There are features that could make the experience more appealing to the right audience. Licensed snowmobiles from Lynx, Polaris and Ski-Doo give enthusiasts familiar machines to choose from, while multiplayer lets you explore with friends. Proximity voice chat allows players to talk while riding together, and replay features, including ghost rides, offer a way to revisit your best runs.

Mod support is another welcome addition, with custom wraps and community-made maps available to download from within the game. These features provide options for players who want to spend time experimenting and exploring, although they do little to address the lack of structured gameplay.

The engine sounds are another disappointment. I found them unpleasant enough to turn the volume down almost immediately, which is hardly ideal for a simulator built around the experience of riding a snowmobile.

Ultimately, Sledders feels like a game made for people who love snowmobiling and want to recreate the experience as closely as possible. If you enjoy exploring mountains, attempting difficult climbs and messing around with friends without needing a particular goal, you may get plenty out of it.

Personally, I came away disappointed. After a few minutes of speeding around, crashing and repeatedly getting stuck, I had little reason to carry on. The realistic approach is understandable, but realism alone cannot make up for a lack of enjoyable activities.

Sledders has a decent foundation, and the open environments look perfectly acceptable, but I wanted more from it. Without races, challenges or meaningful objectives, the experience quickly becomes repetitive. If you want a snowmobile simulator, this might be worth considering. If you want a video game with things to do, you will probably get bored very quickly.

I score Sledders a disappointing 6 out of 10.

Out on PS5 Now

https://store.playstation.com/en-us/concept/10010642