If you go back to the early days of smartphone gaming, endless runner games will likely be some of the first games you’ll come across. Even now, you’ll find many such games that have tweaked the concept just enough to stand out from the crowd. I’ve listed some of the best endless runner games for your iPhone and iPad.
Let’s check the entries now and have fun with some casual gaming!
- Temple Run 2
- Subway Surfers
- Crossy Road
- Super Mario Run
- Sonic Dash
- Rider
- Faily Brakes
- Into the Dead 2
- Jetpack Joyride
- Minion Rush
1. Temple Run 2 – Editor’s choice
The first Temple Run game was one of the earliest endless runner iOS games. With the sequel, they improved the graphics and refined the gameplay. The developers also added plenty of new content to keep the fans engaged.
To this day, Temple Run 2 remains one of the most popular casual games on iOS, and for a good reason. With the current version of the game, they’ve introduced a new runner, Isaac Aku, as well as a refreshed environment inspired by the jungles of Africa. This game is still immensely fun to play, and you’re not likely to get bored with it anytime soon.
As with any freemium game, the number of microtransactions in this game can be a deterrent.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $0.99)
2. Subway Surfers – Still a classic
Back in the heyday of endless runner iOS games, Subway Surfer and Temple Run had the edge over the competition. While they’ve been overshadowed of late with the sheer amount of games available in this genre, Subway Surfers is still one of the most enjoyable games you can play today.
To keep things fresh, the developers have added a World Tour, with environments based on different cities. These include the likes of Copenhagen, Rio, and Venice. The game’s aesthetics are quite vivid, and the gameplay is solid. Overall, you can’t go wrong with this game.
Unfortunately, recent patches have introduced a host of glitches in the game. Hopefully, these will be removed soon.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $0.99)
3. Crossy Road – Wholesome fun for the family
As far as family games go, Crossy Road has to be up there with the best. It’s also an amazing endless runner iOS game if you’re wondering. The pixel-based aesthetics and the hilarious premise of the game make for good fun.
The game’s simple enough. You’ll have to cross as many obstacles as possible to register the highest score you can. As you progress through the game, the obstacles get faster and more difficult to avoid. Essentially, the game provides a healthy mix of fun and challenge.
The game features an unhealthy number of ads in the free version, however.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $0.99)
4. Super Mario Run – A retro game with a new sheen
Super Mario Run brings back the vintage feel of playing Mario on the Nintendo 64. This time, the levels are endless. The best part? You can play the game with one hand.
All you’ll have to do is tap the screen at the correct time to execute jumps. Correct executions will also result in the characters performing stunts like midair flips. There are 24 different courses, and at the end of these courses, you get to rescue Princess Peach from the clutches of Bowser. There’s plenty of content on offer here for both veteran gamers and newcomers!
The game suffers from far too many microtransactions, however. It’s also quite glitchy at times.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $9.99)
5. Sonic Dash – Run and jump reached its peak
I bring you another amazing endless runner iOS game straight from the retro games list. Sonic The Hedgehog has been a classic gaming character, and you can now use his speed to run, dash, and jump over obstacles.
Moreover, Sonic has powers to help you break through hurdles and run at incredible speeds. It also features some of Sonic’s iconic nemeses, such as Dr. Eggman and Zazz.
Additionally, you can also play as Sonic’s friends, such as Tails and Knuckles. This endless running game will not only keep you on your toes but also keep you occupied for a significant amount of time, thanks to the amount of content on offer!
Unfortunately, the game tends to crash sometimes. Developers should take notice of this issue and address it as soon as possible.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $1.99)
6. Rider – A gorgeous minimalist game
Minimalism, neon signs, endless roads, and levels – this is the best way to encapsulate Rider in a few words.
The endless runner has a beautiful visual style that will reel you in almost instantly. Moreover, you can perform some insane stunts to complete over 100 challenges in-game. You can also choose from a selection of over 50 bikes. Each bike has a unique aesthetic and property.
In terms of content, you get 32 levels and daily rewards based on objectives. Basically, you won’t get bored with this game anytime soon.
Rider suffers from quite a few bugs, though. The developers are rolling out patches frequently to fix the known bugs.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $0.99)
7. Faily Brakes – Absolutely hilarious
Very few games will actually leave you in stitches with their gameplay. Faily Brakes is one of those games.
Imagine driving down a hill, and your brakes aren’t working. Sound scary, doesn’t it? This is the premise of Faily Brakes. Your car’s brakes don’t work, and you have to drive down an endless hill. In the process, you’ll have to avoid all the obstacles your way.
However, crashing and nearly missing obstacles form half the fun in this game. The ragdoll-based physics engine ensures that whenever you crash, the result is always funny. Your car is also equipped with shields and weapons so that you can destroy some hurdles along the way.
Faily Brakes incorporates far too many ads, however. While they don’t impede the gameplay, they’re quite annoying.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $1.99)
8. Into the Dead 2 – Non-stop shooter action
I never imagined a shooter game bundled with an endless runner gameplay mechanic. However, Into the Dead 2 incorporates this seamlessly.
Of course, you’re in a post-apocalyptic setting overrun by zombies. You’ll have to fight and shoot your way to safety. Additionally, you’ll have to kill the zombies in as many creative ways as possible. Thankfully, the game provides you with a range of weapons and customization modules to ensure that this remains interesting.
Into the Dead 2 also features quite an interesting storyline. Moreover, the story and its ending change based on your decisions in-game. Quite an interesting take on the endless runner genre, isn’t it?
The energy system in the game feels broken, unfortunately. It takes far too long to recharge your energy and get back into the game.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $0.99)
9. Jetpack Joyride – Endless content
Jetpack Joyride has been around for quite a while now. What’s truly surprising is that it’s remained relevant in the genre for so long. When you play the game, though, you’ll realize just why it’s one of the best iPhone running games to this day.
Firstly, the game’s casual aesthetics will catch you off guard. When you play the game, you’ll notice how intense it can get, especially with many enemies. Secondly, the sheer amount of content in this game will have you playing the game for hours on end.
You can unlock many jetpacks and skins to customize Barry Steakfries. Of course, the levels get more difficult the further you progress. This keeps the game challenging and stimulating.
However, the microtransactions in the game are not only cumbersome but also confusing. There seems to be no clear way to buy the game to remove the ads.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $0.99)
10. Minion Rush – Best for kids
If you want an endless runner iOS game that doesn’t implement zombie killing or violence in general, Minion Rush is the game you should be playing. More importantly, you can make your kids play this game.
It features adorable Minions from the Despicable Me movie series, and we all know that kids love Minions. There are multiple stories and missions from Gru, Vector, and Lucy to keep kids interested in the game. The mission structures vary, with different environments to keep the game engaging.
The only issue with this game, as with any other game with the freemium model, is ads. The ads pop up quite often, and the game glitches out by not rewarding the user after watching an ad. This doesn’t happen all too often, but it has been reported by the players.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $0.99)
The takeaway
Despite being quite an old genre, it’s pretty clear with these entries that the endless running game genre is quite popular. Most of these endless runner iOS games have tried to tweak and add their nuances to the base gameplay.
The good news is that they’ve succeeded in their efforts. Each of the games listed here comes with its personality and gameplay style to keep you engaged. Which is your favorite game? Share in the comments below!
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