Table of Contents
Vehicle Selection Tips
Vehicle choice is the first and most consequential decision before any level. Each vehicle has distinct mass, speed ceiling, fragility, and handling — wrong choice for a level type costs significant score.
Ranger
All-Around- — Start here. The Ranger's balanced stats forgive setup errors that would wreck a specialist vehicle.
- — Works in every level type. If you're unsure what to pick, default to Ranger.
- — Its moderate mass keeps it stable enough to steer mid-air after ramps.
Wedge
Speed- — The Wedge's low profile minimizes air resistance — peak speed on straightaways.
- — Fragile body means it fragments earlier. In Racing and Time Trials this is irrelevant; in Physics Puzzles you may need to reach a destination intact.
- — Use Wedge when the level rewards distance or top speed over obstacle interaction.
Heavy Trucks
Mass- — High mass transfers more momentum to objects on impact — useful in Physics Puzzle levels where you need to knock something over.
- — Slower top speed but harder to stop. Plan longer braking distances in Racing mode.
- — The elevated center of gravity makes rollovers more likely on sharp turns.
General Rule
If a level's objective requires surviving to a destination, pick a durable vehicle. If it requires hitting something hard, pick a heavy one. If it requires speed, pick a light one. When the objective is unclear, Ranger is always correct. Check the Vehicle Database for detailed stats on every vehicle.
Launch Power & Angle
The green Power Bar and launch angle are the only pre-run variables you control. Getting them right before the physics engine takes over is the highest-leverage skill in the game.
Power Bar: full power is not always right
A 100% Power Bar gives maximum initial velocity but reduces your ability to steer through complex obstacle layouts. For open Racing tracks, full power is correct. For Physics Puzzle levels with tight corridors or specific targets, 60–75% power often produces better results because you maintain steering authority longer.
Angle affects air time and landing zone
A higher launch angle sends you further but lower horizontal speed at landing, reducing post-landing slide distance. A lower angle keeps you ground-level longer — better for consecutive hits on flat terrain but worse if there is a ramp early in the level.
Read the level layout before setting up
Scroll the camera around the level before committing to a launch angle. Identify where the high-value objects are and plan a path that keeps you in motion through them. One 10-second planning pass before launch saves minutes of retrying.
The Power Bar sweet spot for most levels
Based on community high-score runs, 80–90% Power Bar is the most common setup for general levels — enough speed to generate momentum chains, enough control to steer early hits. Reserve full power specifically for straight-line speed objectives.
Scoring Strategies
The scoring system rewards sustained momentum and consecutive hits. Understanding how multiplier chains build — and break — is the key to topping leaderboards.
Keep momentum between hits
A multiplier chain only builds if you remain in motion. Design your approach so you roll or slide through multiple objects in sequence rather than stopping dead on the first hit. Even slow movement counts — you just need the physics engine to still classify you as "moving."
Aim for secondary collisions
The highest-value hits are often not the primary obstacle but the debris it creates. A car that hits a stack of barrels and sends them flying into a wall scores three times over: the initial hit, the barrel scatter, and the wall impact. This is called chaining secondaries.
Use ramps to extend distance
Air time between hits still counts as "in motion" for multiplier purposes. A ramp that launches you over a wide area where you can land and slide into more objects often outscores a ground-level direct path.
Time Trial mode: optimize your line, not your speed
In Time Trials, cutting a corner badly and losing 2 seconds recovering costs more than taking the slightly longer clean line. Consistent lap times come from smooth technique, not maximum acceleration.
Racing mode: study the track first
Use Chill Mode on the same map to drive it without the pressure. Identify the 2-3 corners where you consistently lose time, then focus practice there. Racing scores come from eliminating mistakes, not finding extra speed.
Score Components
Base hit score
Per object contact
Multiplier chain
Consecutive hits x1.5–x4
Speed bonus
Impact velocity modifier
Time bonus
Faster = higher (Time Trials)
Completion bonus
Flat add for objective
Leaderboard delta
Personal best improvement
Character Pose Tips
Your character's starting pose affects how the ragdoll interacts with the vehicle and environment at launch. The Euphoria animation system is procedural — it calculates reactions from physics, not animations.
Seated pose is the safest default
The default seated position keeps the ragdoll low in the vehicle and reduces the chance of early ejection on rough terrain. For most level types, start seated.
Standing pose accelerates early ejection
A standing character ejects from the vehicle sooner because the higher center of gravity tips over barriers more easily. Use this deliberately when you need the ragdoll to interact with obstacles the vehicle cannot reach.
Unusual poses interact with vehicles differently
Some poses change where the character's body makes contact with the vehicle interior. This shifts weight distribution at launch — advanced players use this to slightly alter the launch angle without changing the Power Bar setup.
Mobile bug note: some poses can cause auto-eject
On the original mobile Turbo Dismount, certain poses triggered automatic dismount. While TD2 on PC has better handling of edge-case poses, if you experience unexpected early ejection, switch pose and test again.
Level-Specific Tips
General strategies by level objective type. Specific level walkthroughs are covered in the Level Guide database.
Racing Levels
- Memorize the first three corners before attempting a scored run. The opening sequence determines if the rest of the lap is recoverable.
- Handbrake (Space/A) is more useful for late-entry tight hairpins than for general braking.
- Drafting behind AI traffic briefly reduces air resistance — use it on long straights.
Physics Puzzle Levels
- If the objective involves knocking over a specific object, aim slightly past it so the vehicle body or a fragment hits it on the way through.
- When a puzzle seems impossible, try a different vehicle — sometimes the required mass or profile is specific.
- Secondary fragment scattering often solves the puzzle when the primary impact does not. Let the physics resolve fully before restarting.
Police Chase Levels
- NPC traffic works against you and the police equally. Use dense traffic zones to slow pursuers.
- Tight turns are your advantage — police AI has difficulty with rapid direction changes.
- The edge of the map is a trap. Stay toward the center where escape routes remain open.
Obstacle Course Levels
- Watch a full replay of a failed run before retrying. Workshop obstacle courses often have one specific trick or sequence that only becomes visible in replay.
- Momentum conservation through gaps is critical — enter obstacles at the correct angle rather than maximum speed.
Workshop Tips
Whether you're a player looking for community content or a creator building levels, these Workshop practices will save time.
Subscribe before you create
Before building your own level, subscribe to 10-15 well-rated Workshop items in different categories. Playing finished community work teaches you what the toolset can do — and what design choices players respond to.
Use the official game modes as templates
Every base-game level was built with the same tools you have access to. Load them in the editor and reverse-engineer how the developer structured objectives, obstacle placement, and checkpoint logic.
Test physics extensively before publishing
TD2's physics simulation is sensitive to object placement. A level that works in 8/10 test runs but glitches the other 2 will get negative community feedback. Test with multiple vehicle types and run counts.
Tag your content accurately
The Workshop search is tag-driven. Correct tags (Racing, Physics Puzzle, Beginner, etc.) put your content in front of the right players. Mistagged levels get low playtime and poor ratings regardless of quality.
Workshop Power Users
TD2's Workshop tools are identical to Secret Exit's internal development tools. This means a sufficiently skilled community creator can, in principle, build content that is indistinguishable in scope from official DLC. Known Workshop collections worth subscribing to: Codeman's Turbo Dismount Levels, The Road of Terror Collection, and City Map Collection by Cemny Judasz. Explore more featured creations on our Workshop hub.
Advanced Techniques
Techniques used by top leaderboard players. These require deliberate practice — do not expect them to work immediately.
Controlled under-power launches
A full Power Bar is not always optimal. For tight Physics Puzzle levels, launching at 60-70% power gives you more control over where you stop and interact with objects. Precision beats raw speed in close-quarters situations.
Using destroyed vehicle fragments
When your vehicle fragments, each piece is an independent physics body. An experienced player can angle their vehicle at impact so fragments scatter into high-value targets — effectively using the debris as projectiles. This takes practice to execute deliberately.
Slow Motion timing
The slow motion toggle (Tab / LB) is most valuable during complex multi-object collisions. Activating it just before a critical impact gives you a clearer view of what went wrong and helps build intuition for future runs.
Camera angle selection in replays
Switching to the cinematic camera in replay mode often reveals physics interactions that the chase or cockpit camera obscures. Use it specifically to analyze crashes where you cannot identify the failure point.
Police Chase: use traffic against pursuers
In Police Chase mode, NPC traffic is not just an obstacle for you — police vehicles are affected by it too. Cutting across heavy traffic zones forces police into the same chaotic interactions, creating gaps you can exploit.