A gush of air sweeps past you as you run endlessly down the track. You can hear your heart pounding like a hammer in your chest, yet your feet refuse to give in. You experience a rush, a thrill running down your spine. Sounds familiar? That’s exactly what you feel while playing endless runner games. The adrenaline rush is so surreal that you start to imagine your feet match the runner’s speed in the game. And, there’s no end to running. Endless runner games have already challenged the premier position of hyper casual games in the market, courtesy of their engaging elements. Today, this genre is selling like hotcakes. The growing popularity of runner games like Subway Surfers can attest to that. Presently, Subway Surfers accounts for over 16.51 million combined downloads across Google Play and Apple App Stores.
But’s what’s the rush about endless runner games? We need to understand this gaming genre in precise detail to answer that.
What is an Endless Runner Game?
If you look at the list of best mobile games trending on the Internet in 2021, you will see Subway Surfers occupying the top spot. This game falls under the category of endless runner games that has managed to keep players from 10 to 60 years hooked to their mobile screen.
Runner games are action-packed and filled with varying obstacles to challenge the mobility of the runner. These games follow linear design, with no end, pauses or breaks. The singular continuous level comprises paths, streets, subways, rail tracks, and others for the runner to run, with varying obstacles appearing faster and faster. The game gradually speeds up as the number of obstacles increases entailing the runner to run even faster. Accompanying sound effects and immersive graphics give a real adrenaline feel to players. The game controls are basic to facilitate players of all ages. But acing endless runner games is no piece of cake. Any amount of cat-like reflexes and laser-like focus is not enough to save the runner on the track. Sooner or later, players succumb to the gaming intensity and crash land against the obstacles, bringing the game to an end.
By that time, players are already immersed neck-deep into the game. Switching to another game no longer remains an option. Hence, they return to the start line and commence their never-ending race for life.
The last line accentuates the engrossing factor about endless runner games. But, how they manage to stay at the top of the trending list remains a big question. It’s time to get some answers; here’s a list of reasons to elucidate that –
#1. Humans are Born Runners
Let’s give you a simple exercise – try running endlessly for hours in an open field. It’s great for your health, but the excitement that you feel is completely different. The burnt feeling, heart-pounding, and lungs gasping for air is so human; humans evolved to be runners, as proved by studies. Needless to say, speed excites us, and we look for ways to experience that, if not in real life, then virtually! Endless runner games award you the same exhilarated feeling in a virtual space. You can continue running your character down an endless, never-ending track for hours and feel the adrenaline rushing through your veins. Supported by high-end graphics and sound effects, the runner games can literally transform players into the immersive world of runners. You can feel your feet matching your character’s steps and yearning to break free and run. Does that feeling sound familiar to you?
#2. Changing Preferences of Gamers
Infinite runner games owe their rising popularity to another factor – the changing preferences of new-age gamers. It has been noted that three-course meal-sized games have lost their flavor already. Gamer palates have transformed dramatically over the years, with snackable, bit-sized games filling up their brief hunger pangs for games between work hours and traveling. On ONMO, runner games and others last not more than three minutes. Players can easily resume running after a momentary pause. As mentioned earlier, there are no levels to qualify, no stages to complete, and no opponents to beat. The linear level keeps moving alongside the racing runner.
#3. Freedom of Playing
A few games do not allow players to proceed further without completing the challenging current level. A few others have such intricate levels to qualify that drains all the players’ interest. Thankfully, endless runner games have no such intricacies. The straightforward linear design allows gamers to play at their own free will. There’s no commitment needed to finishing certain levels or completing certain missions. The game continues as long as the runner continues to race down the track. More importantly, players can easily enjoy brief 3-minute sessions of gaming in-between work hours and happily return to where they had earlier stopped without losing points.
#4. Simple Gaming Rules
Gamers turn to mobile games to enjoy a few minutes to hours of blissful freedom, free from rules. But, if developers start to assign complicated rules and instructions to games, players will disappear in no second. However, many games have rules and intricate gaming mechanisms to follow. That leaves a bad taste in players’ mouths. Thankfully, endless runner games have simple mechanisms and practically no stringent rules to follow. These games are designed to give players endless fun minus any rule hindrance.
So, be it a gymnasium or an endless runner game – you can destress your work-life in either way.
#5. The Thrill of the Chase
Only a handful few enjoy the thrill of the chase or getting chased. But, the adrenaline rush that follows from running fast and furiously away from a hunter excites all. Humans are not predators, true! Yet, the thrill of hunting runs deep in our veins. Or getting hunted down by something or someone triggering the fight or flight response brings beads of sweat on our pulsated forehead. No wonder such genres of films attract more viewers than other popular ones. The fun is doubled when we get the same thrill in our game. Like Run & Gun: Banditos offer the thrill of the chase to players.
#6. A Chance to Earn Soft Cash
Well! Endless runner games are not showering hard cash on you. But, the excitement of unlocking new characters, fresh avatars, and exciting player attributes, and collecting coins worth a shot. Each successful run earns the players soft cash with which they can unlock all of the features mentioned above. Sounds cool, isn’t it? What’s more – if you log into mobile cloud-based gaming platforms like ONMO and play games for free. That too, without downloading the game.
So, what are you waiting for – start running endlessly!
Conclusion
Endless runner games have some exciting and engaging factors that make other games run for their money. The endless hours of fun and a chance to make money while playing without bothering about downloads on platforms like ONMO puts endless runner games on the never-ending trending wheel. All that addictive adrenaline feel is only possible when racing a car or running a race. Runner games give players a taste of both. The factors mentioned above also contribute to making this genre trend in the top gaming list.
