The top five snow stages in Richard Burns Rally

We’ve already ranked our favourite asphalt and gravel stages in 2004’s epic rally simulator Richard Burns Rally, so now it’s time to finish off our series with a switch to the white stuff.

Snow is the least popular surface in RBR (and the accompanying Rallysimfans mod) and there are fewer slush-filled stages available as a result. However, there are still a few cracking frosty tests to try and we’ve collated our favourites below.

Remember to let us know which snow stages are your favourites in RBR in the comments below!

5. Koirakivi

Koirakivi was originally created by Esko Kytomaki and TangoTeam, and converted for RSF use by PeterB in January this year, and it’s a hidden gem.

Aesthetically, although Koirakivi isn’t the best-looking snow stage in RBR (it was made using the simplified track-building tool Bob’s Track Builder) it’s probably one of the fastest. Based on a real-world 1000 Lakes Rally stage, Koirakivi features a series of incredibly quick turns interspersed with tricky technical sequences.

What makes these even more terrifying is the fact that the stage is quite narrow in places, so setting a quick time is a finely-poised balance between risk and reward.

4. Savopohja 

Added to RSF in 2024, Savopohja has quickly become a favourite in RBR. Created by Henri Pellinen, Savopohja is a fictional test set in Finland and it has a superb layout.

It’s mostly wide and forgiving, featuring clearly defined snow banks on each side of the road. This makes it the ideal stage to help build your snow-driving confidence.

And if some of its corners feel familiar that’s because they are: Savopohja is an amalgam of famous gravel Finnish tests Ouninpohja and Savo (hence the name ‘Savopohja’), with a smattering of Päijälä, which featured on 2024’s Rally Finland, too.

3. Legazpi-Gabiria Winter

Gabiria-Legazpi and its reversed version, Legazpi-Gabiria, are probably best known for being excellent asphalt stages in RBR, so what are ythey doing on a list of the best snow stages?

Ranking as our favourite asphalt stage, and probably the best-looking stage overall in RBR, Gabiria-Legazpi has undergone an extensive overhaul by its original author JLStages and now resembles a classic Monte Carlo Rally-style road, featuring patches of snow, asphalt and black ice.

It’s not a pure snow stage, then, but it still qualifies in my opinion. Plus, it’s far too good not to include.

Based on a real-world 2004 stage set in the Basque region of Spain, Legazpi-Gabiria Winter retains the original’s characterful roads, full of huge cuts and atmospheric looks. But this time it has a suitably chilly atmosphere, with snow-tipped trees and several environmental options to choose from all enhanced with reworked, realistic-looking particles. 

Check out the ‘Evening’ setting for maximum winter feels, and just imagine you’re spectating at the Col de Turini with a flare in your hand.

This stage was only added to RSF in the last few days, and it’s already a firm favourite with the RBR community.

2. Torsby 2018

Designed by RALLY Guru, Torsby 2018 is a replica of the famous real-world stage that has been central to Rally Sweden’s success over the years.

Created as part of a trilogy that includes the shorter Torsby Shakedown and Torsby Sprint stages, Torsby 2018 is a 9.5 km long test through the Värmland countryside, with plenty of challenging corners to hold your attention.

It’s one of the best-looking snow stages in RBR, and even features Torsby’s famous stadium section, replete with heavy plant adornments, but the section before is a bit of a pain thanks to the unpredictable nature of its cuts.

However, the rest of the stage is gloriously quick and cambered, with a few blind crests enhancing its thrilling character further.

1. Vargassence

Boot up Vargassence (based on the real-world Vargåsen stage) in RBR and you’ll be struck immediately by how well author Martinez has captured the essence of Rally Sweden.

The road, sky and vegetation textures look so well put together that you’d be forgiven for thinking you were watching a live WRC onboard when it was released in 2021. Soon after, a mirrored and reversed version of the stage followed (Vargaseence MR), providing even more variety.

Despite being a relatively long stage at 14.9 km, Vargassence is never boring thanks to a slew of long straights, high-speed corners and blind sections obscured by frosty vegetation. 

It has set a new benchmark for wintry RBR stages and we can only hope more authors follow its design lead in future.

Honourable mentions

As stated previously, snow stages are less common in RBR than gravel or asphalt, but there are still a few worthy of your time. The game’s default Finnish stages are all snow-based, for example, and still pass muster today.

Erken, Ahvenus, Peklo Snow, and Palvaanjärvi Sprint are also favourites among sections of the RBR community, with more winter stages expected to appear in future RSF updates.

Which snow stages would you include in your top five? Let us know in the comments below.