Parents' Guide to

BAFL - Brakes Are for Losers

Game Nintendo Switch , Windows 2018
BAFL - Brakes Are for Losers Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Paul Semel By Paul Semel , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 8+

Simple arcade racer with cartoony crashes fun for all ages.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 8+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's It About?

As a racing game, BAFL - BRAKES ARE FOR LOSERS has no story. In its Championship mode, you compete in a series of races, but there's no other motivation; this doesn't have a deep plot where you're racing to prove something to yourself. Instead, you use the thumbstick to steer your car around circular tracks in multi-lap races. The kicker of the game is that your car has no brakes, and will keep moving forward -- even if you're going the wrong way.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Though it's simple and old school in its approach, this arcade-style racing game will appeal to race fans of all ages. Like other racing games, BAFL – Brakes Are for Losers has you driving a variety of cars in multi-lap races. Except that this has a cartoony, arcade-like approach, is played from an aerial perspective, and your car, well ... to put it simply: YOU HAVE NO BRAKES. Instead, you simply have to aim your car using the left thumbstick and watch it go.

There is, of course, a bit more to this racer. For instance, you have to contend with hazards such as vision-impairing fog and pirates who shoot cannonballs. There are also pickups that will enable you to hit every other car with a bomb or fix the damage your car sustained when someone else hits it with a power-up. But while there's a lot of simple fun to be had here, BAFL does have some minor issues. For starters, when playing solo on the Switch, you might want to use it as a handheld, because it can be hard to see which tiny car is yours, even on a big TV. It's also way too easy to accidentally pull in for a pit stop, which slows your progress and can accidentally lose you a race. But with a little practice, and a lot of luck, BAFL – Brakes Are for Losers will have you scooting around this arcade-y racing game like an Indy 500 veteran.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about good sportsmanship. When you play a game like BAFL - Brakes Are for Losers, do you try to give other drivers a chance, or do you try to drive opponents off the track? Why?

  • Talk about automotive safety. Though BAFL - Brakes Are for Losers isn't a realistic game, does all the crashing show you anything about why you have to pay attention while driving, and why you should always wear a seatbelt?

Game Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate