Subway Surfers

There's no lack of endless runners in the app marketplaces, but Subway Surfers distinguishes itself from the rest of the pack with its 3D design and crisp graphics inspired by urban street art. You're placed in the role of a character on the run from the cops. This means guiding your character through an endless series of subway tunnels across multiple international environments. Mechanically, the gameplay is similar to other endless runners like Temple Run. Your character constantly runs forward without the need for input on the part of the player, but rather than relying on the tilt sensors in your phone, the character can be moved left and right with simple swipes. navigating your character through tunnels becomes an increasingly hectic affair of dodging obstacles and sliding back and forth between the three available lanes. Controls are generally very smooth, and it's rare to find a moment where a death arises as the result of bad level design or unresponsive controls. Alone, the rhythm of navigating the tunnels while hopping over hurdles and dodging trains is solid but repetitive, but a number of additions extend the game's life. Subway Surfers has been around for years, and the design team regularly provides updates that add in new characters and levels. A number of power-ups are available over the course of each level. These include a magnet that snatches up coins from the level, running shoes that increase your speed for a limited amount of time, and a jetpack that launches you above the floor of the tunnels, essentially making you immune to the level's threats. Balancing your power-ups becomes an exercise in strategy, and the value of each is both intuitive and unique. Each power-up can be upgraded through the use of coins. Each level is littered generously with this in-game currency, and acquisition is about more than just hitting a new high score. Coins can be invested at the game's store to purchase upgrades to existing power-ups, increasing their effectiveness or longevity. Simply playing the game allows you to continue upgrading your tools at a steady clip. This feedback loop is a great incentive to continue playing, as you always feel like you're one step away from a new high score. Additionally extended the game's life is the presence of daily challenges and missions. Daily challenges expire every day, while missions are tied to specific gameplay milestones. All of them task you with a similar variety of objectives that range from collecting a certain amount of power-ups to hitting distance targets. Completing these award you with more coins. Coins can also be used to unlock new characters, outfits, and levels. Regardless of how you want to play, you're likely to find options that match your specific needs. Coins can also be bought with real currency, but no gameplay features or aesthetic choices are locked out for players who aren't looking to spend real money.