What genre does Mario Kart World belong to?

Mario Kart World is a kart racing game.

Like earlier Mario Kart titles, it places Mario characters in customizable go-karts and combines racing with items, drifting, shortcuts, and hazards. Its defining change is that races connect through a broad open-world environment rather than being isolated circuits alone.

The genre label can be confused with the wider racing-game category. Mario Kart World is not a realistic driving simulator: its tracks, characters, power-ups, and physics are designed around accessible arcade competition. The game also adds off-road driving, boat racing, rail grinding, and wall riding while retaining the series' familiar kart-racing foundation.

Nintendo released the game for Nintendo Switch 2 in 2025. It supports both single-player and multiplayer play, including races with as many as 24 competitors.