Ever since FromSoftware released Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls in the early 2010’s, a new era of non-linear storytelling in video games began. In the following years, series like Blasphemous, Hollow Knight, and more have taken up the mantle, and gamers have flocked to the internet to make sense of the esoteric lore that these masterpieces keep hidden up their sleeves. Yet another set of popular games that feature somewhat confusing stories are the Euro Truck Simulator titles – but fear not! Today, we’re here to alleviate the bewilderment and break down the complete timeline and lore of Euro Truck Simulator and its sequel, Euro Truck Simulator 2. Fasten your seatbelts! 

The story of Euro Truck Simulator begins on a continent called “Europe”. “Europe” lies to the east of the United States across the Atlantic Ocean, and, believe it or not, is a region of the world with centuries of rich, dense history. Kings have lived and died, empires have risen and fallen, and various nations’ emissaries have sailed across the globe committing atrocities so that our protagonist could come into existence. It is a strange land whose residents subsist off of bread, sausage, and potatoes, where everyone has a funny accent, and nobody can stand anyone who lives within two miles of them (or, as they’d say in Europe, “3,218.69 meters.”) 

You play as a man whose job it is to drive a “truck” (also known as a “lorry” in Europe – they have silly terms for certain words over there.) A truck is a large and heavy motor vehicle primarily used for transporting goods across long distances. At the outset of both games, you are tasked with making a “delivery”, wherein you must transport goods to a specific location for a monetary reward (charmingly known as “Euros” within Europe’s borders). Your ultimate goal is to build your monetary wealth as well as your own trucking empire. 

As you progress through Euro Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2, you may notice that more and more people begin to serve under you. Don’t panic; these are “employees” that want to work for you, which makes it more achievable to reach your goal and defeat the ultimate final boss of the game: Capitalism. Capitalism is a fearsome foe that has been secretly watching you throughout both games, and defeating it is no easy task (some would call it impossible). Once you’ve accumulated enough wealth to take a flight to Ibiza and blow all of your hard-earned money on strippers and molly, you’ll know that the game is complete and you’ve finally put Capitalism in its place, for now – but the boss will continuously respawn throughout the Driver’s life. 

Hopefully, this explainer has been helpful in giving you a baseline understanding of Euro Truck Simulator’s elusive world and story, which can be overwhelming for new players. Now, get out there and truck your little hearts out, gamers!