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If you are asking what games are like SHIFU: Traffic Masters, start with BeamNG.drive for low-grip physics, deliveries and police pursuits. Choose Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator for passenger work, American Truck Simulator for cargo and company progression, Forza Horizon 5 for the biggest general driving playground, or Burnout Paradise Remastered for arcade chaos. Forza Horizon 4 is still a useful Britain-set comparison, but its Steam listing says it is no longer sold there.
SHIFU: Traffic Masters is a planned Boxy.Poly game listed for Q1 2027. Its appeal is unusually specific: a 1990s China open world, ordinary work vehicles, jobs such as taxi and bus driving, cargo hauling and suspect chases, plus deliberately awkward handling where weather, traffic and road surfaces matter. The alternatives below are playable now and each matches a different part of that formula.
What makes SHIFU: Traffic Masters different?
The official Steam description presents a 1990s Chinese city built around everyday driving rather than supercars. You can haul cargo in tiny trucks, carry taxi passengers, run bus routes, chase suspects in police cars and then leave the job structure to free-roam. Boxy.Poly summarizes the handling philosophy as “Drive slow cars fast.” Grip is unreliable by design, so a modest vehicle can become difficult on a wet or rough road.
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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Traffic is part of the simulation. Cars, cyclists and pedestrians react to what you do, while changing weather and road conditions alter how a vehicle behaves. Cargo may spill if you drive carelessly, and passengers can leave after rough taxi work. The official page also says that “Between jobs, the whole city is open to free-roam.” That combination of job consequences, low-power vehicles and a period setting is why no single substitute is identical.
#1 Best Overall
- Race from one course to another through interconnected paths that span the world
- Traverse mountains, forests, cities, and more—with shifting weather patterns and a day/night cycle
- Ride on rails, jump off walls, skim across water, and more as you race for the finish line
- Take on the adrenaline-packed Knockout Tour—a fierce 24-driver elimination mode
- Explore courses at your own pace and wander the world to discover fun surprises in Free Roam
Because the game is planned for Q1 2027 rather than available now, the practical approach is to choose the feature you value most and use the closest current match.
Quick comparison of the best alternatives
| Game | Best match for | World and driving feel | Work or progression | Multiplayer and platform notes | Distance from SHIFU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forza Horizon 5 | Large world, variety and constant activities | Open Mexico, performance-focused cars, dynamic seasons and weather | Hundreds of campaign challenges and events | PC and console versions; Steam requires an Xbox Live/Microsoft account; multiplayer activities and EventLab | Closest in free-roam scale, farthest from workhorse realism |
| BeamNG.drive | Physics, damage, deliveries and police scenarios | Soft-body simulation across 12 open-world environments | Delivery missions, scenarios, time trials and pursuits | PC; Steam Early Access; extensive modding and controller or wheel support | Closest mechanical substitute |
| Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator | Taxi fares, traffic and passenger service | Barcelona with a 1:1 road recreation covering 460 km (286 miles), traffic jams, accidents and weather | Passenger requests, vehicle upgrades and employee management | PC and console versions; supports wheels and controllers | Closest passenger-job loop, different setting and tone |
| American Truck Simulator | Cargo, route planning and a transport company | Large U.S. highways and deliberate truck handling | Driver-for-hire work, garages, hired drivers and fleet management | PC; supports wheels, gamepads and other input devices | Deepest logistics career, but not a compact city sandbox |
| Burnout Paradise Remastered | Stunts, shortcuts, destruction and pursuit energy | Arcade open city with jumps, speed and crash-focused handling | Events, records, online challenges and police-themed content | PC and consoles; EA account and online activation required | Matches free-roam excitement, not believable employment |
| Forza Horizon 4 | Britain, seasonal change and the older Horizon format | Shared Britain world, dynamic seasons and more than 450 cars | Exploration, stunts, races and multiplayer activities | Steam listing currently says it is no longer available there; check other official stores | Useful setting comparison, not a work simulator |
1. Forza Horizon 5: best overall open-world driving game
Choose Forza Horizon 5 when you want the broadest current driving playground rather than a close simulation of SHIFU’s jobs. Its official listing places the festival in Mexico and advertises hundreds of cars, a deep campaign with hundreds of challenges, dynamic seasons and weather, multiplayer activities and EventLab tools for building custom races and modes.
Why it fits
- The map supports long, uninterrupted free-roam sessions across cities, roads, dirt and varied terrain.
- Dynamic seasons and weather provide the changing environment that SHIFU uses to make driving conditions feel different.
- There is always another activity, challenge or player-created event, so the world rarely feels empty.
- A large roster lets you switch between nimble cars, off-road machines and high-performance vehicles without leaving the map.
Where it differs
Horizon is a polished festival racer. Its cars are generally desirable performance machines, handling is tuned for speed and accessibility, and mistakes do not normally make a customer leave or cause a cargo load to spill. The game has events and progression, but not taxi fares, scheduled bus routes or a transport company to manage. If your priority is a living city full of ordinary vehicles and consequences for careless work, BeamNG.drive or Taxi Life is a better first download.
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Who should choose it
Pick Horizon 5 if you want one game with the most varied map activities, social play and vehicle choice. It is also the safest recommendation for a group with mixed tastes: one player can race, another can explore, and another can create an EventLab activity.
2. BeamNG.drive: closest to SHIFU’s physics and sandbox
BeamNG.drive is the strongest substitute for the feeling of driving a vehicle that can get into real trouble. BeamNG describes it as a soft-body physics simulator with near-limitless possibilities. Its official store text lists 12 open-world environments, free roam, delivery missions, police pursuits, scenarios, time trials and extensive modding.
Rank #2
- Earn a "living" by delivering packages with your kei truck. Take in the atmospheric scenery or blitz through (road safety not required).
- Buy drastically overpriced gas and get to know the locals.
- Simple controls and retro graphics. Listen to cool beats while driving
- Nothing strange going on, no lore, nothing at all, we promise.
- Languages - English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish (LATAM), Portuguese (Brazil), and Traditional Chinese.
Why it fits
- Soft-body physics make collisions, deformation and rough landings visible rather than cosmetic.
- Delivery missions echo SHIFU’s cargo work, while police pursuits provide a parallel to its suspect-chase jobs.
- Open maps let you improvise routes, test vehicles and create your own challenges between structured activities.
- Mods expand the vehicle and map selection, which is useful when you want small trucks, service vehicles or unusual traffic scenarios.
What to expect from the handling
BeamNG rewards smooth inputs and planning. A vehicle can lose control when a wheel leaves the road, a load shifts or a suspension component is damaged. That makes it a better match for SHIFU’s “what happens if I try this?” appeal than an arcade racer. It is also more technical: you may spend time selecting a vehicle configuration, adjusting a route or recovering from a crash instead of completing a short, authored mission.
Important qualification
The Steam edition is marked Early Access, so features and presentation can change. That status does not prevent free-roam or the listed scenarios, but buyers should expect an evolving simulation rather than a finished, tightly scripted city-life game. Choose it when physics and experimentation matter more than a specific 1990s setting.
3. Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator: best for passenger work
Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator directly addresses the question, “Is there a game where I can drive taxis in a living city?” You operate in Barcelona, pick up passengers, follow road rules and grow a transport business. The official listing specifies a 1:1 recreation of 460 km (286 miles) of roads, along with traffic jams, accidents, weather, passenger requests, vehicle upgrades and employee management.
Why it fits
- Passenger requests turn each trip into a service decision rather than simply a race to the finish.
- Traffic, accidents and route choices make arrival time and driving style matter.
- Vehicle upgrades and employee management create a business layer beyond individual fares.
- The large, measured road network gives you a genuine city-driving routine instead of a handful of disconnected tracks.
Where it differs
Barcelona is modern and recognizable, not a low-poly 1990s Chinese city. The tone is orderly simulation: you are expected to obey traffic rules and keep customers satisfied. It does not center on cargo spill physics, bus routes or police chases. Handling is also less deliberately awkward than SHIFU’s low-grip work vehicles.
Best use case
Choose Taxi Life if your ideal SHIFU substitute is “start a shift, navigate traffic, deliver passengers and reinvest the earnings.” It is the clearest match for taxi work and city congestion, especially if you plan to use a wheel or controller.
Rank #3
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4. American Truck Simulator: best for cargo and company progression
American Truck Simulator expands the cargo side of SHIFU into a deliberate long-haul career. You begin as a driver for hire, transport loads across U.S. states and eventually become an owner-operator who buys garages, hires drivers and manages a fleet. The official store listing names food, machinery and hazardous cargoes, licensed trucks, route planning, road rules and company management.
Why it fits
- Cargo selection and route planning make each job a logistics problem, not just a destination marker.
- Truck handling, braking distance and road rules reward anticipation and steady driving.
- Garages, hired drivers and fleet growth provide meaningful progression after individual deliveries.
- Wheel, gamepad and other input devices are supported, making a dedicated driving setup practical.
Where it differs
This is a highway-focused truck simulation with a slower pace. You will spend more time on interstates and rural roads than weaving through a compact city. There are no taxi passengers, bus timetables or police pursuits in the core loop, and the vehicles are heavy tractor-trailers rather than tiny work trucks. It matches SHIFU’s employment and cargo logic while leaving behind its mixed-vehicle city life.
Best use case
Pick American Truck Simulator when “job simulation” means planning legal, profitable freight runs and building a transport company. It is the deepest choice for readers who enjoy progression systems and logistics more than quick urban tasks.
5. Burnout Paradise Remastered: best for arcade chaos
Burnout Paradise Remastered turns Paradise City into an immediate stunt and destruction playground. The official description highlights jumps, stunts, shortcuts, speed and destruction records, online challenges, police-themed content, extra districts and additional vehicles. It calls the game the ultimate driving playground for playing online with friends.
Why it fits
- You can enter a large city, find a jump or shortcut and create your own activity without a lengthy setup.
- Destruction and pursuit energy capture the mischievous side of chasing suspects and pushing ordinary routes beyond their limits.
- Online challenges give the free-roam map a social purpose.
- Extra districts and vehicles provide variety after you have learned the main streets.
Where it differs
Burnout’s handling is built around aggression, speed and spectacle. Crashes are entertainment, not a threat to a delivery or a passenger’s patience. Events are arcade challenges rather than believable employment, and there is no company-management layer. If SHIFU’s appeal is the possibility of ruining a fragile job, Burnout will feel too forgiving; if the appeal is simply driving around a city and making trouble, it is an excellent fit.
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- Boost your progression faster than your friends by earning double Speed Points for your first four hours of multiplayer.
- Unlock the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale and Porsche 911 Carrera S for early use in multiplayer
Account requirement
The PC version requires an EA account and online activation. Check that requirement before purchase, particularly if you want a game that works without linking another account.
6. Forza Horizon 4: Britain and seasonal change, with an availability warning
Forza Horizon 4 remains useful when the setting matters. Its shared open world is based in Britain and includes dynamic seasons, exploration, stunts, multiplayer and more than 450 cars. Its older Horizon structure can appeal if you prefer a Britain-set map to Mexico.
Why it fits
- Seasonal changes alter the look and feel of roads across the same map.
- Britain provides a distinct landscape and road network compared with the other recommendations.
- The large car roster and free-roam activities offer a familiar Horizon-style driving loop.
Availability caveat
The Steam page currently states, “Forza Horizon 4 is no longer available on the Steam store.” That does not establish availability on every other storefront or in every region. Verify the current official store listing, edition and platform before planning a purchase. Choose it for Britain and seasonal atmosphere, not for SHIFU-style taxi, cargo or police work.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which game should you choose?
Choose Forza Horizon 5 for the broadest current package
You want a large, attractive world, hundreds of cars, frequent events, weather changes and multiplayer options. You do not need realistic employment or consequences for damaging a vehicle.
Choose BeamNG.drive for low-grip experimentation
You care most about unstable handling, visible damage, deliveries, police pursuits, open maps and modding. You are comfortable with an Early Access simulation that can be more technical than a conventional campaign.
Best Value
- HACK THE CITY: Control the city's infrastructure, in real time, with Aiden's cell phone. Trap your enemy in a 30-car pileup by manipulating the traffic lights. Stop a train, and then board it to evade the authorities. Narrowly escape capture by quickly raising a drawbridge. Anything connected to the city's CTOS can become your weapon.
- SEAMLESS MULTIPLAYER EXPERIENCE: Discover a new level of interaction, cooperation and confrontation between players thanks to a brand new multiplayer game system that links the single and multiplayer modes into one seamless experience. That means no menus, no loading screens, just instant open world multiplayer action.
- DYNAMIC NAVIGATION: Watch_Dogs gives you the ability to not only use the city's ctOS to your advantage, but the streets as well. In real-world Chicago, cut through one of the buildings or climb to the rooftops to catch your target.
- HIGH OCTANE DRIVING: Get behind the wheel of more than 65 vehicles bursting with horsepower to explore the massive city while completing missions. Ubisoft Montreal partnered with Ubisoft Reflections, the acclaimed studio behind the award-winning Driver series to develop each vehicle with state-of-art physics and handling.
Choose Taxi Life for passengers and city traffic
You want fares, route decisions, traffic jams, customer satisfaction, vehicle upgrades and a transport-business career in one city.
Choose American Truck Simulator for cargo and management
You prefer freight planning, realistic truck behavior, long routes, garages, hired drivers and gradual company growth.
Choose Burnout Paradise Remastered for instant arcade action
You want jumps, shortcuts, destruction, police-themed events and online challenges rather than realistic work.
Choose Forza Horizon 4 only after checking availability
You specifically want Britain and dynamic seasons, and you have confirmed a legitimate current storefront for your region.
How the alternatives compare with SHIFU’s key features
| SHIFU feature | Closest alternative | What you actually get |
|---|---|---|
| Low-grip, consequence-heavy driving | BeamNG.drive | Soft-body physics, deformation and recovery from crashes across open environments |
| Taxi passengers and city traffic | Taxi Life | Passenger requests, congestion, accidents, weather and transport-business management |
| Cargo hauling and progression | American Truck Simulator | Freight types, route planning, garages, hired drivers and fleet growth |
| Free-roam variety and changing weather | Forza Horizon 5 | Mexico, dynamic seasons, hundreds of cars, campaign challenges and EventLab |
| Police-chase excitement and vehicle destruction | Burnout Paradise Remastered | Arcade pursuits, stunts, shortcuts, records and crash-focused play |
| Period atmosphere and regional identity | Forza Horizon 4 | Britain and seasonal change, subject to current store availability |
Platform, account and input considerations
- SHIFU: Traffic Masters: planned for Q1 2027; it is not a playable substitute yet.
- BeamNG.drive: the Steam listing identifies it as Early Access. Its sandbox and modding focus make a PC with comfortable storage and a controller or wheel especially attractive, although exact hardware requirements should be checked on the current store page.
- Forza Horizon 5: the Steam edition requires an Xbox Live/Microsoft account. Confirm that account linking is acceptable before buying.
- Burnout Paradise Remastered: EA account and online activation are required on PC.
- Taxi Life: supports wheel peripherals and controllers, so it can work as either a seated simulation or a conventional gamepad experience.
- American Truck Simulator: supports wheels, gamepads and other input devices; a wheel is useful but not mandatory.
- Forza Horizon 4: Steam availability has ended according to its listing. Check official regional storefronts rather than relying on old keys or outdated guides.
A practical way to decide before buying
- Define your job loop. If you want passengers, select Taxi Life. If you want freight and company growth, select American Truck Simulator. If you want both deliveries and pursuits in a sandbox, select BeamNG.drive.
- Decide how much realism you want. BeamNG.drive and American Truck Simulator punish poor inputs more than the Horizon games. Burnout Paradise Remastered intentionally rewards reckless driving.
- Choose city scale or landscape scale. Taxi Life centers on one detailed urban network. American Truck Simulator emphasizes long-distance landscapes. Forza Horizon 5 offers the broadest mixture of terrain and activities.
- Check account and storefront requirements. Confirm platform, region, edition, account links and current availability before checkout, especially for Forza Horizon 4 and any game with an external account requirement.
- Match your controls. A controller is sufficient for every recommendation, while Taxi Life, BeamNG.drive and American Truck Simulator can take better advantage of a wheel when you want slower, more deliberate driving.
Bottom line: the best SHIFU substitute depends on the part you want now
BeamNG.drive is the closest overall mechanical stand-in for SHIFU’s awkward handling, open-world experimentation, deliveries and police scenarios. Taxi Life is the answer for passenger work in traffic, and American Truck Simulator is the answer for cargo and a lasting transport career. Forza Horizon 5 is the best general-purpose open-world driver, Burnout Paradise Remastered is the best arcade alternative, and Forza Horizon 4 is a Britain-focused option only after you verify where it is currently sold. None reproduces the exact 1990s China setting and mixed work-vehicle roster, so your priority should determine the purchase.
Quick Recap
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