The MotoGP and RIDE franchises have long set the standard for authentic motorcycle racing sims. Now, developer and publisher FunkyMouse aims to join that conversation with LANESPLIT, featuring 14 fully customizable, high-performance bikes built for speed and precision.
Players will live their fantasy of weaving through traffic on the streets of Japan, Switzerland, and Miami. Solo developer Shakya Ranatunga explains that motorcycle-focused games are challenging due to the niche audience.
“Motorcycles are generally much harder to set up, especially when it comes to getting the physics and lean to feel right,” says Ranatunga. “The motorcycle gaming audience is also much smaller than the car racing market, making it a riskier focus for developers.”
When creating LANESPLIT, Ranatunga aimed to capture the thrill and risks of high-speed motorcycle riding. “The concept came from watching high-speed dashcam footage and real riders lane-splitting through dense traffic,” he says. “It looked dangerous but exhilarating. A game could capture that adrenaline and freedom while letting players experience it safely.”
PLANET JEM’s NIGHT-RUNNERS PROLOGUE, set in the underworld of Japanese street racing, inspired multiple elements of LANESPLIT. “Its focus on atmosphere and speed was a major influence,” Ranatunga notes. “Dashcam footage also inspired the raw, unfiltered feel of the HUD.”
Locations were chosen based on road feel. “Some maps are tight and hilly, others wide and open. This variety keeps gameplay fresh and offers new challenges,” he explains.
By emphasizing real-time critical decisions, Ranatunga wanted players to feel the experience of moving through traffic swiftly. “Most racing games don’t capture what riding feels like in real-world traffic,” he says. “I wanted to focus on flow and split-second decisions. Weaving through moving cars creates constant tension, making every run unique.”
To realize his vision, he used Unreal Engine 5 for realistic visuals and compatibility, Blender for models, and FMod for engine sounds. The game evolved from a rough prototype testing traffic AI and a simple road, eventually adding maps, a scoring system, and multiplayer.
LANESPLIT launched on PC via Steam on January 28 to mostly positive reviews, with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions in development. Community feedback from the demo was vital. “It helped me quickly see what felt good and what needed reworking,” Ranatunga says.
The game is currently available on Steam for $17.99.