Diesel Brothers: Truck Building Simulator

Diesel Brothers: Truck Building Simulator is a simulation game that allows players to experience the thrilling life of Heavy D and Diesel Dave from the Discovery Channel’s TV series. Players can search for busted four-wheelers, transform them into legendary diesel trucks, and customize them with a variety of parts, decals, and paint jobs. The game features multiplayer support, allowing up to four friends to cooperate in rebuilding, painting, and selling their trucks. With highly detailed models and a realistic environment achieved with Unreal Engine 4, players can immerse themselves in the world of truck building and customization.

Diesel Brothers: Truck Building Simulator: A Comprehensive Review of Ambition and Execution in Niche Simulation

Introduction

In the crowded landscape of simulation games, Diesel Brothers: Truck Building Simulator (2019) stands out as a bold attempt to merge the allure of automotive customization with the legacy of Discovery Channel’s reality TV series. Developed by Polish studio Code Horizon and published by PlayWay S.A., the game promised a gritty, hands-on experience in transforming rusted wrecks into diesel-powered behemoths. While its ambition to cater to gearheads and TV fans was commendable, the final product became a case study in the challenges of balancing licensed content with engaging gameplay. This review argues that while the game captures the spirit of its source material, technical shortcomings and a lack of post-launch support undermine its potential as a genre standout.

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Development History & Context

Studio Vision and Industry Landscape
Code Horizon, known for Gold Rush: The Game (2017), leveraged its expertise in licensed TV adaptations to create Diesel Brothers. Partnering with Discovery Channel, the studio aimed to capitalize on the popularity of the Diesel Brothers series, which celebrated oversized trucks and blue-collar craftsmanship. Released in May 2019, the game entered a market hungry for immersive simulators but faced stiff competition from polished titles like Car Mechanic Simulator 2018.

Technological Constraints and Ambitions
Built on Unreal Engine 4, the game prioritized photorealistic vehicle models and modular customization. However, the engine’s capabilities were undercut by the studio’s limited resources. Features like real-time part welding and dynamic physics were scrapped due to technical limitations, leaving the gameplay loop more constrained than initially advertised. Despite this, the inclusion of modding tools and multiplayer hinted at a forward-thinking design, inviting players to expand the experience beyond its base content.

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Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Licensed Identity Over Original Story
Diesel Brothers doesn’t deliver a traditional narrative but instead transplants the TV series’ personas—Heavy D, Diesel Dave, and their crew—into a gameplay framework. Voiceovers from the cast provide auditory flavor, but the lack of character development or scripted scenarios reduces them to glorified guides. Thematically, the game champions the “diesel lifestyle,” emphasizing mechanical ingenuity and creative expression through customization.

Themes of Transformation and Community
At its core, the game is about rebirth: turning discarded wrecks into functional artworks. This theme resonates in the scavenging mechanics and the social media-inspired photo-sharing tool, which lets players showcase their builds. However, the absence of narrative stakes—such as business rivalries or financial crises—leaves the progression feeling hollow, relying purely on the intrinsic satisfaction of creation.

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Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Core Loop: From Junkyard to Showroom
The gameplay revolves around three pillars:
1. Scavenging: Raid junkyards for cheap parts or salvageable frames.
2. Customization: Dismantle vehicles and rebuild them with hundreds of parts, from engines to decals.
3. Economy: Sell trucks for profit or gift them to expand your reputation.

While the loop is conceptually sound, execution falters. Scavenging lacks depth, with junkyards offering little variety, and the economic system feels undercooked, with few consequences for poor financial decisions.

Innovations and Flaws
– Multiplayer & Modding: Cooperative garage-building and Steam Workshop support are highlights, allowing players to share custom parts and liveries.
– RPG Elements: Character-specific skills (e.g., better bargaining or faster repairs) add nuance but are hamstrung by limited impact on gameplay.
– Technical Issues: Players reported persistent bugs, including broken save files and collision glitches, with patches slowing to a halt post-launch.

UI and Accessibility
The first-person interface immerses players in the garage but suffers from clunky controls. Menu navigation is unintuitive, and tooltips often fail to explain complex systems like the layered decal editor.

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World-Building, Art & Sound

Visual Fidelity vs. Consistency
Unreal Engine 4 delivers stunningly detailed truck models and dynamic lighting, but environmental assets—like barren scrapyards and sterile garages—lack polish. The art direction leans on realism but feels uneven, with high-quality textures juxtaposed against flat, lifeless backdrops.

Sound Design: A Missed Opportunity
The roar of diesel engines and the clatter of tools provide authentic workshop ambiance, but the soundtrack is minimal. Voice lines from the TV cast are repetitive, and the absence of a dynamic audio system (e.g., engine sounds reflecting modifications) feels like a lost opportunity.

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Reception & Legacy

Launch Reception
The game garnered a mixed Steam score of 61/100 (1,326 reviews), praised for its customization depth but criticized for bugs and shallow gameplay. Players lamented the lack of driving challenges, a stark contrast to competitors like SnowRunner.

Legacy and Industry Impact
While Diesel Brothers failed to revolutionize the genre, its modding tools fostered a small but dedicated community. However, Code Horizon’s abandonment of post-launch updates tarnished its reputation, echoing criticisms of PlayWay’s broader “simulator factory” approach. Its legacy lies in proving the risks of licensing-driven design over player-centric innovation.

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Conclusion

Diesel Brothers: Truck Building Simulator is a paradoxical experience—a game rich in potential yet hobbled by its execution. Its detailed customization and modding support will delight diesel enthusiasts and creative tinkerers, while its technical flaws and repetitive gameplay deter broader audiences. In the pantheon of simulation games, it remains a niche curiosity, a testament to the challenges of translating TV spectacle into interactive engagement. For those willing to overlook its imperfections, it offers a fleeting, noisy joyride; for others, it’s a reminder that even the mightiest diesel engine can sputter without proper tuning.

Final Verdict: A flawed but occasionally rewarding simulator best suited for fans of the TV series or die-hard automotive tinkerers. Approach with tempered expectations.