This Hess Toy Truck advergame on Facebook is actually ... fun?

But--but that means everything I've learned about advergames is a lie. That's not true. That's impossible! Ahem, anyone else remember getting a toy Hess truck every Christmas from gramps? At least this writer does, but that's not all that makes this brand new Facebook advergame a blast to play. Titled simply Hess Racer Game, the game throws players behind the wheel of digital versions of the 2011 Hess Toy Truck and Race Car.

And--get this--you don't click a single thing to play but the "Play Game" button to start. To guide either the Race Car or Toy Truck across a cityscape, mountain highway or an interstate, use either the "W" and "D" keys or the arrow keys on your keyboard. The goal of the game is to last as long as possible without hitting any cars or guard rails. The game allows you to take just a few hits.

Pressing the space bar activates turbo boost, which nets you more points but reduces your handling. Once your run is through, you can post your results to Facebook (with no confirmation). You'll earn coins from your races that you can spend on collectible, digital cards featuring throw backs to classic toy Hess vehicles from the last 47 years. Players can also challenge their Facebook friends to beat their high score for extra coins.

And once you reach around 30,000 points, boy is this game a challenge. Hess Car Racer, developed by Sticky Studios, is available for free on Facebook, iPhone and iPad right now. (An Android version is coming Dec. 2.) Sure, it's an advergame, but at least it's a fun one.

Click here to play Hess Car Racer on Facebook Now >

How do you feel about advergames on Facebook? Do you remember getting Hess trucks every Christmas as a kid? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.