Neenah Cruise: Drive the Real Streets of Neenah, Wisconsin
I grew up around here, and a good share of what I write on this blog happens within a few miles of downtown Neenah. I also like to build little browser games in my spare time. This time I finally tried something I have wanted to do for a while: I took the actual map of Neenah (every real street) and turned the whole town into a place you can drive around.
It is called Neenah Cruise, it is free, and it lives right here on my site.
The whole town, from the real map
Every street you see is the genuine article. The road network comes straight from the real map of Neenah, so the corners, the dead ends, and the way downtown connects to the rest of town are all where they ought to be. If you know Neenah, you will recognize it. You can roll out to the Kimberly Point Lighthouse, swing past Shattuck Park and City Hall, cross the river, and watch sailboats out on Lake Winnebago. Your pup rides shotgun the whole way.
Three ways to drive
Delivery Driver is the one with a goal. Pick up a fare and get them to the next Neenah landmark before the clock runs out, then chain another, and another. Take the corners with a little drift and you earn a bonus.
Free Cruise has no clock and no pressure. It is just you and the streets, going nowhere in particular, enjoying the town.
Drive with a Friend lets two of you share the same Neenah at the same time. One person hosts and gets a short code, the other types it in, and you will see each other’s cars moving live on the map. It is a gentle, goofy thing to do with a kid at the kitchen table or a friend across the country.
Afternoon rolls into a lamplit night
The time of day in the game follows Neenah’s real sunset, so an evening drive actually gets dark right about when our evenings do. As dusk comes on, the streetlights flick on one by one, every car switches on its headlights, and the sailboats come in off the lake to tie up for the night. That is my favorite time to just drop it into Free Cruise and roll around.
It plays on your phone or your computer, there are no ads, and there is nothing to install unless you want to add it to your home screen. There is even an auto-drive option that handles the gas, so a younger driver only has to steer. Mostly, though, it is just a nice way to take a lap around town.
Grab your pup and go for a drive.
