Temple Run 2

An endless runner with turns, which is a larger design difference than it sounds. Most runners give you lanes and a straight line; this one gives you corners that must be taken at the right moment, so there is a fourth category of input to get wrong and it is the one that ends most runs. The turns also change how the rest of the game reads. Obstacles immediately after a corner are invisible until you have taken it, which means a blind section follows every turn and the correct approach is to swipe and then immediately read rather than to plan ahead. Mine carts, ziplines and slides break up the running with sections that have their own rules, which keeps a long run from settling into one rhythm. Coins fund upgrades and characters, and powerups give short windows of safety rather than real advantages. Runs last a minute or two, restarting is a press, and the speed rises steadily. It plays with swipes and tilt on a phone or four keys on a desktop, needs a moderately capable machine for a smooth frame rate, and remains one of the best-made games in a very crowded format.