Amy Sedaris Doesn’t Drive, but She Made a Level for an Apple Arcade Racing Game. We Spoke With Her About Why

There is a good chance you've heard of Amy Sedaris and probably an equally good chance that you know of Apple. Known best as the makers of the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and countless other devices, they're also in the streaming and gaming services with hits like Ted Lasso on Apple TV+ and a library of over 200 games housed under Apple Arcade.

While Amy Sedaris is plenty busy being a triple-threat—writer, actor, and comedian—she's teaming up with the developers behind WHAT THE CAR?, a game on Apple Arcade where you control a shape-shifting car through delightfully fun levels.

It might not seem like a conventional match, but there is a commonality: the folks who make the game don't own cars, and Amy Sedaris can't drive—as is the case for many New Yorkers. The result is a new level in WHAT THE CAR? that is available now and playable on the Mac, iPhone, iPad, and even Apple TV.

Parade had the chance to speak with Amy Sedaris about the level and the process of working with Triband (the developers behind the game), and we're also unpacking Apple Arcade—plus some deals on the service.

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How Did Amy Sedaris Wind Up Working on An Apple Arcade Game?

On the collaboration itself, Sedaris was quick to share that the developers approached her and that she quickly informed them that she doesn't play games and that she doesn't drive, but that, in fact, was what they were looking for. It fits with the overall loose and zany approach that the game encourages.

Sedaris had a unique sounding board of her godkids to see if the partnership was worth it. "You know, should I do this? And they were both like, yeah that's a lot of fun. Do it, do it. It's all about me being the best godmother in the world and other kids being jealous that my godkids have the best godmother."

After that vote of confidence, Sedaris met with the two folks behind the game and was asked to provide a list. These, in turn, become the elements featured in full force in the new "Amy Sedaris Dream Level," but given that the game is about creativity in designing your route, you can also take any of them.

"I just gave them a random list of things about me, like from rickrack to googly eyes to cheese balls, and they listened to me," explained Sedaris. "What I really like about the game is that there aren't really complicated instructions to play it." You can just fire it up on your Mac or iPad, and just dive right into it.

On her favorite element from the list, "I like the rabbit being the car and I have a rabbit in real life. So it was kind of fun to not have a traditional car and that I have the bunny mobile," explained Sedaris. That is one of the main functions of WHAT THE CAR?—most racing games put you behind the wheel and move with four wheels, but here you take the form of an object with legs or even wings.

Beyond her love of bunnies, the "Amy Sedaris' Dream Level" takes inspiration from all aspects of her life, including cheeseballs and bunny ears. It even pulled some elements from her show—At Home with Amy Sedaris—among other things. Like with other levels in WHAT THE CAR?, you—the player—can dive right into the new Amy-themed level, which features all these elements, or make your own using a bevy of elements, including these new ones.

So if you're brand new to WHAT THE CAR?, Apple Arcade, or even gaming as a whole, it's a great one to start with as you can go through these epic levels that showcase all the aspects of the game or jump into a choose your adventure sort of route.

Summing it up, Sedaris shared that "it was fun to do something I wouldn't normally. For me, it opened a different world of game playing. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and they did a great job. It looks good, and it's fun to play."

And while she isn’t a gamer and didn’t have a formal tip, she suggested that in the game, you’ll want to “just drive recklessly, and [it] will make you laugh harder.” She continued, “When I play those games with my godkids, the first thing I do is aim for the water—it just makes me laugh out loud to be reckless.” Ultimately, a game like WHAT THE CAR?, should put a smile on your face, right?

So how do you play WHAT THE CAR?, well you need an Apple Arcade subscription which also gives you access to over 200 other titles. It even includes iPhone classics like Fruit Ninja and Angry Birds; some are reimagined.

If you're brand new to the service, you can get a month for free; however, the actual cost is $4.99 monthly for up to six people (including yourself) to play. The best part is that it works across devices, so your saves will sync from iPhone to iPad to Mac to Apple TV, but the games are also available across all devices.

Unlike other services, there are no advertisements or in-app purchases, meaning you won’t be bombarded to spend more. A few of my favorites can also help relax after a long, busy day; I'd recommend checking out Cityscapes: Sim Builder, which brings back fond memories of SimCity, and Disney SpellStruck, a word game filled with Disney characters.

Buy an Apple Device, Score Three Months of Apple Arcade

Another attractive way to get started with Apple Arcade is by getting a new Apple device, as you'll score three months of Arcade for free. And with Prime Day on the horizon, there is a boatload of sales on Apple devices at Amazon right now. Here are two of our favorites:

9th Gen iPad, $249, was $329 at Amazon

You can't go wrong with the entry-level iPad, and it's an epic device for jumping into any Apple Arcade title. The 10.2-inch Retina displays pack a punch with vibrancy and offers expansive views for jumping into any world. It's powered by the Apple-made A13 Bionic chip, which is plenty to accomplish any conceivable tasks you'd want to do on an iPad. It's down to the lowest price, and you get three months of Apple Arcade.

M1 MacBook Air, $799, was $999 at Amazon

Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air with M1 flipped the laptop industry, as the entry-level Mac laptop can handle any task. Whether browsing the web, FaceTiming with friends, gaming, or photo or video editing, you can throw everything at the MacBook Air. Best of all, it doesn't feature a fan since the M1 chip runs cool, calm, and collected. It's $200 off at Amazon in Space Gray, Silver, or Gold.