A useful Backseat Rally co-driver says the direction and severity before the driver reaches the bend. Read the immediate arrow first, combine it with the visible label, and add the following direction only after the first call is clear. “Slight left, then right” is more actionable than a long description of the scenery.
Join the passenger role
Choose Play → Co-Drive when you want to navigate. Accept a driver’s invitation, or approach an eligible car and use the documented E — Co-drive prompt. Confirm you entered the intended car and that the route cues are visible before the driver moves to the start box.
The driver can also select Invite, Leave Seat Open, or AI Co-driver during vehicle setup. If you cannot take the seat, ask the driver which option was chosen. An AI-filled or restricted seat will not behave like an open invitation.
Read direction and severity together
The arrow tells you left or right. The label tells you how sharp the bend is. Current examples show SLIGHT for a gentle bend and HARD for a sharp one. Say both parts: “slight left,” “slight right,” or “hard left.”
The display can also preview another arrow beside the immediate cue. Call the main bend first, then say “then” and the following direction. Do not assign a severity to the next bend unless the display gives one. Keeping the order faithful prevents the driver from steering for the second cue too early.
Call early enough for an action
A HARD call is useful only before the braking point. Speak while the bend is still ahead, especially on snow, mud, a blind crest, or a sequence of hairpins. If the driver repeatedly says calls are late, move the whole call earlier rather than speaking faster at the same moment.
Avoid shouting every visible detail. Prioritize direction, severity, and immediate sequence. Mention a surface or hazard when it changes the driver’s preparation. Silence after a complete call gives the driver room to act and listen for the next one.
Use a short team vocabulary
Agree on the game’s current terms before starting. A simple protocol is: “slight left,” “hard right,” “then left,” and “repeat.” The driver can answer “heard” or stay silent by agreement. After a crash, use one recovery word only when asked: “reverse,” “checkpoint,” or “restart.”
Do not invent numbers or modifiers that neither player understands. A detailed rally-note system can be useful only after both people map it to the displayed cues. For a first session, faithful simple calls are safer than an impressive but ambiguous vocabulary.
Prepare audio and call settings
Open Settings → Driving → Co-driver calls and choose Simple or Full according to the current menu. Full may expose more information, while Simple reduces the amount the driver must process. Select the mode together and avoid switching mid-attempt.
Enable the communication method you plan to use. Current records mention a voice-volume warning when volume is zero. Raise the relevant setting and test one phrase before the countdown. The car radio has a separate center-console interaction and should not be confused with voice volume.
Help the driver through a hairpin
Give the HARD direction early. The driver should brake with S before turning, steer into the bend, and use Space briefly if the car needs help rotating. Your job is not to dictate every key press during the corner; it is to create enough preparation time.
After the apex, look ahead for the following cue. If the car is still sliding, wait before delivering a non-urgent explanation. A concise next direction is useful; criticism during recovery is not.
Improve calls over three runs
On run one, use only direction and severity. On run two, add the following direction where displayed. On run three, adjust timing for the corners where the driver still arrived unprepared. Keep car, stage, and settings stable so the team can feel the communication change.
Review one example after each finish. Ask whether the call was early, clear, and in the right order. Fix the most repeated problem first. A full transcript is unnecessary when one late HARD cue caused the main loss.
Common co-driver mistakes
Calling the following turn before the immediate one reverses the driver’s priorities. Speaking at the corner gives no braking time. Adding unsupported severity can make the driver overreact. Long explanations hide the key words. Changing terms between runs prevents a shared rhythm from forming.
If the displayed cue appears inconsistent or a new label is introduced, use its visible wording and practice outside a competitive race. The complete current call set and Simple/Full differences still need same-version in-game checking.