Subway Speed

Subway Speed builds off of the established formula of the endless runner genre and partners it with a bright and appealing urban art style. While this isn't a game brimming with new innovations, it gets more right than it does wrong, and that makes it one of the most solid entries in this popular game genre. And once you dig beneath the surface of the game, you'll discover a few neat tweaks on the genre that turn it into something unique, if eminently familiar.

The debts owed to popular game Temple Runner are obvious from the moment you open the app. The game takes place in an over the back perspective that asks you to guide your character past a number of increasingly challenging obstacles. Your character runs automatically, and gameplay mostly breaks down to swiping them between the three available lanes and jumping over obstacles that can't otherwise be avoided. But the difference between an adequate player and a great one comes down to those who can not just avoid obstacles but also collect as many of the coins on the screen as possible. They're often positioned in the most dangerous paths of the level, forcing you to weigh the safety of clear lanes against the reward of collecting more coins.

These coins aren't just cosmetic either. And while the levels are endless and randomly designed, these coins add a system of progression to the experience. The courses are littered with collectible power ups as well, and these can be upgraded outside of the levels permanently through the expenditure of coins. This may seem like a minor addition, but these upgrades can make a big difference in trying to survive, and there's something addictive about the process of upgrading your powers in an attempt to improve your odds of beating your high score. The variety on offer here is also one of the principle ways that Subway Speed distinguishes itself from the competition. All of the power ups here are cute and well designed, but the real standout is the jetpack and the hover board which add a whole new strategy to ow you play. Coins can also be used to buy new characters and cosmetic accessories, but Subway Speed is refreshingly low pressure in their approach to in app purchases.

Subway Speed is a game with a lot of personality. While the subway tunnels can become repetitive eventually, the variety of options, the distinct looks of the lead characters and the chipper and colorful art direction goes a long way towards lending this game its own identity. While it doesn't do a lot in terms of gameplay to separate it from Temple Run and numerous other competitors, it follows in the footsteps of its predecessor well enough that you likely won't notice.