Deal | This new free to play truck sim on Steam takes you off-road in the Australian wilderness

A prologue for a truck sim set in the Australian outback landed on Steam earlier this month, and it’s free to keep. Truck World: Australia - First Haul is a standalone prologue to the upcoming full game, and it is already showing off some ideas that go beyond the usual cargo-and-drive formula. You can step out of the cab, manually secure cargo, and navigate rough weather across Central Australia - all in a tight early access-style experience.

The game puts you behind the wheel of a full-sized Australian truck with a range of manual tasks: you lower the trailer legs, hook and unhook the cargo, lock everything in with straps, and more, by getting out of the cab and interacting directly with the rig. The driving itself covers rural highways, dirt roads, and long-haul routes that stretch through rain, fog, and sandstorms. Day-night transitions are active, and the weather can shift mid-drive, forcing players to adjust on the fly.

Released on June 3, 2025, the demo was never a paid product. It was built as a free slice of gameplay to gather feedback before the full game launches. Developer feedback on Steam indicates that they’re already planning updates - especially around steering wheel support, tuning, and polish - based on community input.

Truck World: Australia is definitely not perfect. Reviews mention rough optimization, janky physics, and lackluster force feedback if you’re using a steering wheel. That said, it’s been received well overall, sitting at "Mostly Positive" on Steam. Some users are comparing its ambition to early builds of Euro Truck Simulator, but with a more hands-on, immersive twist.

You don’t need a beefy setup to run it, but 16GB of RAM and at least a GTX 660 or R9 270 are recommended. Wheel and controller support are built-in, though that aspect is still being refined. There's no multiplayer, no convoy modes - just a solo haul through a dusty stretch of Central Australia.

If you’re curious about where indie truck sims are headed - and you’ve got a soft spot for the Aussie setting - First Haul might be worth checking out. It’s short, interactive, and absolutely free.

Check out the gameplay footage below, and click here to wishlist the full upcoming game:

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