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Endless runner orinfinite runner is asubgenre ofplatform game in which the player character runs for an infinite amount of time while avoiding obstacles. The player's objective is to reach ahigh score by surviving for as long as possible.[1] The method by which thegame level or environment appears to continuously spawn before the player is an example ofprocedural generation. The genre exploded on mobile platforms following the success ofTemple Run,Canabalt, andDoodle Jump[2] being other popular examples.[3] Its popularity is attributed to its simple gameplay that works well ontouchscreen devices.[4]
Endless runners can beside-scrolling, as in the genre's early titles, top-down, or 3D, but the player is placed in a neverending level in which the character automatically moves forward. The player's only form of control is to have the character dodge obstacles, either by moving out of the way or using a specific button.[5] Some form of points, currency, or other rewards are gained over time by maneuvering in the level or simply staying alive longer. The game progressively increases in difficulty as time goes on. The player has agame over if they are hindered enough by the obstacles that they are "caught" by whatever is chasing them and die.[1]
The genre has its origins in thevertically scrolling video games of the 1970s, primarily racing games. The player always moves forward, avoiding obstacles and other vehicles. Taito'sSpeed Race, released in 1974, was the first. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the same concept was used inskiing games.
Vehicle-oriented platform games, likeJump Bug (1981) andMoon Patrol (1982), added both jumping and shooting as ways to deal with obstacles in continually scrolling levels. The home gameB.C.'s Quest for Tires (1983) uses the forced-scrolling and jumping gameplay ofMoon Patrol.
The idea of being chased relentlessly by an indestructible obstacle, monster, or boss to enforce forward progression was greatly influenced by the boulder scene from the 1981 filmRaiders of the Lost Ark. This theme appeared in games likeDraconian (1984) in which the player must avoid obstacles while being pursued by an invincible giant dragon. This would become a recurring theme of endless running gameplay.
Atomic Runner Chelnov (1988), while also a shooter, has many of the hallmarks of a modern runner with forced scrolling and long jumping onto platforms to avoid hazards.
The 1990 Amiga and TV show gameHugo has sequences of 3D endless running.
SkiFree (1991) by Chris Pirih and released inMicrosoft Entertainment Pack 3 was inspired by the 1980 Atari 2600 cartridgeSkiing.[6] The player skis down an endless slope with procedurally generated obstacles, pursued by large indestructibleyetis. Score is based on distance traveled.[7]
Battletoads (1991) has several forced scrolling areas where the player is required to avoid hazards and obstacles.[8] InGenji Tsuushin Agedama (1991) the player is constantly running in a forced scrolled environment. The pinball machineDoctor Who (1992) includes a video mode with forced running and avoiding obstacles.
SFCave (1996) is a Windows 3.1 game that involves flying through an endless cave without hitting the walls.
The 3D platform gameCrash Bandicoot (1996) focuses on forward movement within corridors primarily in third person perspective, including obstacles and hazards that prevent backward motion, very similar to the modernTemple Run clone. It also includes levels where Crash must constantly stay ahead of a large boulder or pursuing dinosaur.
The emergence of thetouchscreen on smart phones and tablets paved the way for the type of simplistic game controls which gave birth to the modern genre.
Doodle Jump (April 2009), a vertical scroller, was one of the first mobile titles to be endless, with game only ending when falling to the bottom of the screen or hitting an obstacle. It was to pave the way for even more popular titles.[9]
The prototypical endless runner, building onDoodle Jump's success, wasCanabalt (Though a common misconception is that Canabalt was the first modern endless runner butOvenbreak was added to the App Store in June of 2009 but Canabalt was added to the creators website on August 2009),[10] anindie game developed by Adam Saltsman in which the player flees from a city being destroyed by giant robots that is procedurally generated and infinite.Cannabalt used distance gained as the main scoring system. These were both common elements of subsequent runners. The 2D scroller limited movement to leaping and dodging obstacles simply by touching the screen, overcoming control limitation of touchscreen devices.[11]Adult Swim Games soon asked Saltsman for permission to adaptCanabalt's design into their own title, and releasedRobot Unicorn Attack (2010). It became aninternet meme due to Adult Swim's larger audience and its quirky themes.
Within just months, theApp Store was full of 2D endless runnerclones. Some of the more popular 2D mobile titles includedTiny Wings (February 2011),Jetpack Joyride (September 2011),Punch Quest (2012) andFlappy Bird (2013).Running with Friends (2013) is notable in its effort to integrate withFacebook to support social multiplayer running.
Endless runners became known for theaddictiveness of their gameplay. This also led to them beingmonetized using theFree to Play model. Monetization tactics used in endless runners included virtual currencies (usingIn app purchases on mobile and support for:[12]
Hugo featured 3D endless running already in 1990.
Bit.Trip Runner (2010) addedrhythm game elements and was also one of the first in the genre to be rendered in2.5D.[4]
Another of the earliest 3D titles in the genre wasTemple Run (August, 2011), introducing anover-the-shoulder viewpoint.[4]Temple Run was followed by numerous clones and 3D innovations. Among the more popular third person 3D titles wereSubway Surfers andAgent Dash (2012).Subway Surfers went on to become the most popular game[13]of the 2010s, the first game to reach 1 billion downloads and with a total of 2.7 billion downloads achieved revenues of over $80 million through monetization.[14]
During the 2010s, numerous large franchises adapted their gameplay into endless runner mobilespin-offs. These included reboots of classic video games as endless runners including the notable titles:Pitfall! (2012),Rayman Jungle Run (2012),Rayman Fiesta Run,Sonic Dash[2] andPac-Man Dash! (2013),Crossy Road (2014),Lara Croft: Relic Run[15] andPac-Man 256 (2015).[16] Original titles were often lost in the sea of generic titles, rare exceptions wereRace The Sun (2013) andAlto's Adventure (2015) which received positive reviews.[17]
Google'sDinosaur Game (2014) was released at the height of the endless running craze with developers in September 2018 revealling that it had been played approximately 270 million times monthly.[18]Microsoft was later to do the same withSurf (2020).
Post 2010s the format has been criticised for being uninspired, particularly the adapted franchises, and a genre lacking ongoing innovation.[19][20]
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