GamesSimulationAmerican Truck SimulatorI’ve waited 8 years and now they’re finally putting my hometown in American Truck SimulatorWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesSimulationAmerican Truck SimulatorI’ve waited 8 years and now they’re finally putting my hometown in American Truck SimulatorWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: SCS Software)
Since American Truck Simulator launched with California and Nevada back in 2016, the game has slowly been expanding eastward with DLC introducing new states to drive through. It’s taken eight years for developer SCS Software to finally reach the heart of the midwest, and as thrilled as I was to learn that my home state of Missouri is coming to the game, I’m downrightecstaticat the news that my teensy hometown is going to be part of the game.
In a recentblog postintroducing the dev team working on Missouri, a developer named Filip writes, “I’m looking forward to creating Cape Girardeau, an unmistakable city on the Mississippi River. I hope to translate the genius loci of the riverside town both in the more industrial areas as well as in the urban part of the city.”
You probably have not heard of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. It’s a city of about 40,000 people, and notable for precisely three things: housing the university where Cedric the Entertainer and formerMarvel Comicseditor Roy Thomas graduated, producing the infamous conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, and serving as the primary filming location for the fictional Missouri town of North Carthage in David Fincher’s Gone Girl adaptation. It’s utterly bizarre to hear the town referred to in such flowery terms as these, especially coming from the Czech development studio of a small-scale trucking game.
Cape is notpreciselymy hometown - I’ve never lived within the city limits - but like many population centers centered in rural areas, it’s the fulcrum of the region’s outlying towns, sporadic homes, and local industries, such that it’s effectively the hometown ofeveryonefor miles and miles around, myself included. American Truck Simulator is the only game I’ve ever played that accurately conveys the spirit of the rural US, accurately capturing the gentle sense of decay you feel passing through small towns along the open road.
It’s not as if ATS has anything particularly poetic to say about rural America, but playing it often feels meaningful just thanks to how accurately it recreates sights and sounds that aren’t often given much care in other video games. While there isn’t even a single screenshot of digital Cape Girardeau out there yet, there’s no studio I’d trust more than SCS to bring the very peculiar sensibilities of a very particular midwestern town to life.
SCS has two other map expansions coming before Missouri - Nebraska and Arkansas - so it could still be quite some time before I finally get to bring my canary yellow Peterbilt 389 down these familiar streets. But I’ve already waited the better part of a decade for this moment, so I guess I can stand a few extra months.
American Truck Simulator is the one game that can make me excited to visit the most boring parts of the US.
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
CATEGORIESPC GamingPlatforms
CATEGORIES
More about simulationOne of the most enchanting games like Stardew Valley I played in 2024 just got a big new update, placing the medieval life sim RPG back on my radarThe Sims creator’s first game in over 10 years is an AI life sim that uses your real memories: “The more I can make a game about you, the more you’ll like it"LatestLeague of Legends co-creator responds to report that Arcane was a “financial miss,” says “people think we make things like Arcane to sell skins, when in reality we sell skins to make things like Arcane"See more latest►
More about simulationOne of the most enchanting games like Stardew Valley I played in 2024 just got a big new update, placing the medieval life sim RPG back on my radarThe Sims creator’s first game in over 10 years is an AI life sim that uses your real memories: “The more I can make a game about you, the more you’ll like it"LatestLeague of Legends co-creator responds to report that Arcane was a “financial miss,” says “people think we make things like Arcane to sell skins, when in reality we sell skins to make things like Arcane"See more latest►
More about simulationOne of the most enchanting games like Stardew Valley I played in 2024 just got a big new update, placing the medieval life sim RPG back on my radarThe Sims creator’s first game in over 10 years is an AI life sim that uses your real memories: “The more I can make a game about you, the more you’ll like it”
More about simulation
One of the most enchanting games like Stardew Valley I played in 2024 just got a big new update, placing the medieval life sim RPG back on my radarThe Sims creator’s first game in over 10 years is an AI life sim that uses your real memories: “The more I can make a game about you, the more you’ll like it”
One of the most enchanting games like Stardew Valley I played in 2024 just got a big new update, placing the medieval life sim RPG back on my radar
One of the most enchanting games like Stardew Valley I played in 2024 just got a big new update, placing the medieval life sim RPG back on my radar
The Sims creator’s first game in over 10 years is an AI life sim that uses your real memories: “The more I can make a game about you, the more you’ll like it”
The Sims creator’s first game in over 10 years is an AI life sim that uses your real memories: “The more I can make a game about you, the more you’ll like it”
LatestLeague of Legends co-creator responds to report that Arcane was a “financial miss,” says “people think we make things like Arcane to sell skins, when in reality we sell skins to make things like Arcane"See more latest►
Latest
League of Legends co-creator responds to report that Arcane was a “financial miss,” says “people think we make things like Arcane to sell skins, when in reality we sell skins to make things like Arcane”
League of Legends co-creator responds to report that Arcane was a “financial miss,” says “people think we make things like Arcane to sell skins, when in reality we sell skins to make things like Arcane”
League of Legends co-creator responds to report that Arcane was a “financial miss,” says “people think we make things like Arcane to sell skins, when in reality we sell skins to make things like Arcane”
See more latest►
Most PopularWarner Bros. is inexplicably delisting a bunch of games without warning, again, and devs are once again distraught: “We are heartbroken"Marvel Rivals joins Manor Lords, Palworld, and Helldivers 2 as one of Steam’s best-selling and most-played new releases of 2024 despite launching at the end of the yearSonic 3 didn’t relegate Gerald Robotnik to Sonic Adventure 2-style flashbacks so he could be “more of a present danger"The secret’s out: Christopher Nolan’s new Tom Holland-led movie is an Odyssey adaptation and a “mythic action epic shot across the world"Hideo Kojima offers another Death Stranding 2 update and a demonstration of his unique PS5 controller technique: “Building the game"Palworld drops a massive update that further distances the survival game from Pokemon following the Nintendo lawsuit, and fans couldn’t be more proud: “Justice for Palworld"The Silent Hill 2 Remake director has pitched a Lord of the Rings horror game, and suddenly I’m hunched over growling ‘my precious’ at the thought of itCreature Commandos gets a season 2 as James Gunn bestows us all with a monstrous holiday giftSonic 3 writers have their say on whether Robotnik is really dead and begin the Jim Carrey Oscar campaign: “The fact that the Oscars almost exclusively only focus on drama is a little silly"Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’s directors reveal the surprising influences behind their new “gnome noir” movie – including a Hitchcock classicAfter being labeled a Dark Souls copy, Black Myth: Wukong is now getting its own imitators on the Nintendo store
Most PopularWarner Bros. is inexplicably delisting a bunch of games without warning, again, and devs are once again distraught: “We are heartbroken"Marvel Rivals joins Manor Lords, Palworld, and Helldivers 2 as one of Steam’s best-selling and most-played new releases of 2024 despite launching at the end of the yearSonic 3 didn’t relegate Gerald Robotnik to Sonic Adventure 2-style flashbacks so he could be “more of a present danger"The secret’s out: Christopher Nolan’s new Tom Holland-led movie is an Odyssey adaptation and a “mythic action epic shot across the world"Hideo Kojima offers another Death Stranding 2 update and a demonstration of his unique PS5 controller technique: “Building the game"Palworld drops a massive update that further distances the survival game from Pokemon following the Nintendo lawsuit, and fans couldn’t be more proud: “Justice for Palworld"The Silent Hill 2 Remake director has pitched a Lord of the Rings horror game, and suddenly I’m hunched over growling ‘my precious’ at the thought of itCreature Commandos gets a season 2 as James Gunn bestows us all with a monstrous holiday giftSonic 3 writers have their say on whether Robotnik is really dead and begin the Jim Carrey Oscar campaign: “The fact that the Oscars almost exclusively only focus on drama is a little silly"Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’s directors reveal the surprising influences behind their new “gnome noir” movie – including a Hitchcock classicAfter being labeled a Dark Souls copy, Black Myth: Wukong is now getting its own imitators on the Nintendo store
Most PopularWarner Bros. is inexplicably delisting a bunch of games without warning, again, and devs are once again distraught: “We are heartbroken"Marvel Rivals joins Manor Lords, Palworld, and Helldivers 2 as one of Steam’s best-selling and most-played new releases of 2024 despite launching at the end of the yearSonic 3 didn’t relegate Gerald Robotnik to Sonic Adventure 2-style flashbacks so he could be “more of a present danger"The secret’s out: Christopher Nolan’s new Tom Holland-led movie is an Odyssey adaptation and a “mythic action epic shot across the world"Hideo Kojima offers another Death Stranding 2 update and a demonstration of his unique PS5 controller technique: “Building the game"Palworld drops a massive update that further distances the survival game from Pokemon following the Nintendo lawsuit, and fans couldn’t be more proud: “Justice for Palworld"The Silent Hill 2 Remake director has pitched a Lord of the Rings horror game, and suddenly I’m hunched over growling ‘my precious’ at the thought of itCreature Commandos gets a season 2 as James Gunn bestows us all with a monstrous holiday giftSonic 3 writers have their say on whether Robotnik is really dead and begin the Jim Carrey Oscar campaign: “The fact that the Oscars almost exclusively only focus on drama is a little silly"Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’s directors reveal the surprising influences behind their new “gnome noir” movie – including a Hitchcock classicAfter being labeled a Dark Souls copy, Black Myth: Wukong is now getting its own imitators on the Nintendo store
Most Popular
Warner Bros. is inexplicably delisting a bunch of games without warning, again, and devs are once again distraught: “We are heartbroken”
Marvel Rivals joins Manor Lords, Palworld, and Helldivers 2 as one of Steam’s best-selling and most-played new releases of 2024 despite launching at the end of the year
Sonic 3 didn’t relegate Gerald Robotnik to Sonic Adventure 2-style flashbacks so he could be “more of a present danger”
The secret’s out: Christopher Nolan’s new Tom Holland-led movie is an Odyssey adaptation and a “mythic action epic shot across the world”
Hideo Kojima offers another Death Stranding 2 update and a demonstration of his unique PS5 controller technique: “Building the game”
Palworld drops a massive update that further distances the survival game from Pokemon following the Nintendo lawsuit, and fans couldn’t be more proud: “Justice for Palworld”
The Silent Hill 2 Remake director has pitched a Lord of the Rings horror game, and suddenly I’m hunched over growling ‘my precious’ at the thought of it
Creature Commandos gets a season 2 as James Gunn bestows us all with a monstrous holiday gift
Sonic 3 writers have their say on whether Robotnik is really dead and begin the Jim Carrey Oscar campaign: “The fact that the Oscars almost exclusively only focus on drama is a little silly”
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’s directors reveal the surprising influences behind their new “gnome noir” movie – including a Hitchcock classic
After being labeled a Dark Souls copy, Black Myth: Wukong is now getting its own imitators on the Nintendo store
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5
Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”