Acceleration City

Acceleration City is a browser-based open-world racing and coding game developed through Carnegie Mellon University's Player-Programmed Partner Games project. Players can freely drive through a diverse digital environment, participate in races and stunts, collect Minanimals, and explore the game world with a programmable CoBot companion.

The game's central mechanic is its CoBot. Every vehicle is equipped with a personal robotic companion that can generate ramps, platforms, and boost pads. While exploring, players can program the CoBot to respond to keypresses, while colored trigger zones can activate its functions during races.

Acceleration City was co-designed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and students from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania as part of the Player-Programmed Partner Games research project. Its design combines racing and exploration with programming and STEM-learning concepts.

The game was publicly presented as a Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy CoBot Coding Game in 2023, including during Remake Learning Days and Hour of Code activities. Carnegie Mellon describes it as an open-ended coding and open-world racing game.

Console Availability

Not available on any console. The verified sources identify Acceleration City as a web-based game rather than a PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo release.

Mobile Platforms:

Android/iOS native versions — Unknown — verify manually. Official Carnegie Mellon sources confirm browser-based access and recommend a Windows PC, Mac, or Chromebook with an up-to-date web browser, but I could not verify an official Android or iOS app published by the developer.

Browser/Web