Endless runners like Subway Surfers

Temple Run 2, Minion Rush and Sonic Dash are the classic games like Subway Surfers. All are free on phones. Roam adds runners with a twist: a giant boulder, a horse on a pale road, or Bigfoot on your tail.

Why Subway Surfers lasts

Subway Surfers is an endless runner by SYBO and Kiloo, released in 2012. You swipe to dodge trains and the inspector, collect coins and unlock boards. It is one of the most downloaded mobile games ever.

It works because one run takes a minute, the controls are four swipes, and there is always a score to beat.

Five classic runners

All five are free on iPhone and Android, with ads or optional purchases. They differ in the chaser, the setting and how hard they get after the first minute.

Temple Run 2. Imangi Studios' 2013 runner. Escape a monster through cliffs, mines and temples.
Minion Rush. Gameloft's Despicable Me runner. Minions, gadgets and lots of bananas.
Sonic Dash. SEGA's Sonic runner with loops, rings and boss fights.
Jetpack Joyride. Halfbrick's side-scroller. Hold to fly, let go to fall, dodge lasers.
Talking Tom Gold Run. Outfit7's runner: chase the robber who took Tom's gold.

Tips for longer Subway Surfers runs

Run on the trains. The train roofs have fewer obstacles than the tracks below.
Save the hoverboard. A hoverboard takes one crash for you. Use it when the run is already going well.
Grab the power-ups. The jetpack, super sneakers, coin magnet and score multiplier all make a run longer or richer.
Do the missions. Mission sets raise your score multiplier, which matters more than any single run.

Runners on Roam with a twist

Roam is a free iPhone app. These keep the one-minute runs and swap the setting.

Giant Boulder Escape. Run. The boulder will not stop.
WAYFARE. A horseback runner. One horse, one sword, the Pale Road.
Flag Dash. A runner and a flag quiz in one. Run fast and know your flags.
Bikes vs Bigfoot. A first-person bike chase. Pedal fast, Bigfoot is right behind you.
Punch the Drop. A rhythm runner. Run the boardwalk and hit every beat.