Endless runner games like Temple Run

Temple Run is an endless runner by Imangi Studios, released in 2011. You steal an idol and flee from demon monkeys, swiping to turn, jump and slide. It shaped a whole genre on phones, and these runners still deliver that chase.

What made Temple Run a hit

The monkeys are always right behind you, so a single mistake ends the run. Swipes map to your thumb perfectly: up to jump, down to slide, sideways to turn, tilt to collect coins. Temple Run 2 came in 2013 with new paths, mine carts and zip lines.

The best runners since then keep the chaser and the swipe controls, and change the setting.

Endless runners like Temple Run

Subway Surfers. SYBO's 2012 runner where a guard and his dog chase you along train tracks. A new city every season.
Sonic Dash. Hardlight and Sega's 2013 runner with Sonic, loops and boss fights against Eggman.
Minion Rush. Gameloft's 2013 runner with Despicable Me Minions, missions and costumes.
Talking Tom Gold Run. Outfit7's 2016 runner. Chase a robber who stole Tom's gold, then spend it on houses.
Temple Run 2. The sequel itself, if you only played the first. Bigger levels, more obstacles, same monkeys.
Alto's Adventure. Snowman's 2015 snowboard runner. Calmer, with backflips and a llama chase instead of monkeys.

What to change if you make your own

The chaser is the heart of a Temple Run style game. Swap the monkeys for a giant boulder, a wave, your teacher or your dog, and the run feels new. Then pick a setting with natural turns: a jungle, a mall, a castle wall. Add one power-up and you have a game.

Play it on Roam

Make your own chase runner with Roam

Describe who is chasing you and where you run, and Roam builds a playable endless runner on your iPhone.

Try: "endless runner through a jungle temple, a giant golden boulder chases me, swipe to turn and slide, coins on the walls, my friend is the idol thief"

Create it with Roam See Roam

Questions people ask

Who made Temple Run?

Imangi Studios, a small studio run by Keith Shepherd and Natalia Luckyanova, released it in 2011.

What is the best game like Temple Run?

Subway Surfers is the most played runner of its kind, with a chaser and the same swipe controls.

What chases you in Temple Run?

Demon monkeys, after you steal a cursed idol from a temple.