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Temple Run
App logo
Developer(s)	Imangi Studios
Publisher(s)	Imangi Studios
Producer(s)	Keith Shepherd and Natalia Luckyanova
Designer(s)	Keith Shepherd and Natalia Luckyanova
Programmer(s)	Keith Shepherd and Natalia Luckyanova
Artist(s)	Kiril Tchangov
Composer(s)	None
Engine	Temple Run engine (iOS) Unity (Android)
Platform(s)	iOS, Android
Release	August 4, 2011 (iOS) March 27, 2012 (Android)
Genre(s)	Action
Mode(s)	Single-player

Temple Run is an "endless running" video game developed by the Raleigh-based Imangi Studios. The player takes on the role of an explorer attempting to steal an idol from a temple and being chased by "demonic monkeys". The game is available on iOS and Android systems.

Gameplay

Temple Run centers around a group of wandering explorers, where one of the characters, whom the player controls, steals an idol from an ancient temple. The player controls the characters moments after they have stolen the idol. Immediately upon acquiring the idol, the player is pursued by a group of malevolent demonic monkeys who chase the player out of the temple, thus initiating a "temple run."

The object of the game is to run as far as possible in a endless game world by avoiding randomly generated obstacles that require the player to either jump (slide finger forward), duck (slide finger backwards), or turn (slide finger to the right or left) in a precise manner. Tilting the device will cause the character to move from side to side, allowing them to collect coins as they run. These coins are primarily in the shape of yellow diamonds, but according to their point value, they can also be red or blue (a 2-point coin and a 3-point coin, respectively). In addition to the coins, players also encounter sporadic bonus items during their run. The longer a session gets, the faster the character runs and the more frequent the obstacles become, requiring quicker and quicker reflexes to stay alive. The game is measured in meters, starting from the temple.

When gaining coins, there is a bonus meter and a bonus gauge to complete. Each time the player obtains 100 coins, a section of the bonus gauge is completed and the bonus meter resets. When the player trips, the bonus meter and gauge resets. It takes 400 coins to complete the bonus gauge.

The controllable characters are:

• Guy Dangerous, "just your average explorer" (default explorer)
• Scarlett Fox, a "cunning" escape artist
• Barry Bones, a city cop "with an attitude"
• Karma Lee, a Far East explorer
• Montana Smith, the "second greatest" explorer ever
• Francisco Montoya, a conquistador
• Zack Wonder, a football star

The playable characters have the same abilities, and differ only in cosmetic appearance. Montoya, the women, and the rest of the men have different grunts and sounds. Montoya's grunts are slightly higher-pitched than the other men.

Powerups

The coins the player collects in the game can be spent in the game's "store." At the store, the player is able to purchase upgrades to the various bonuses found throughout the run, as well as perks, unlockable characters, and wallpapers. The bonuses, when fully upgraded, are

• Mega Coin (worth 150 coins)
• Coin Magnet (multiplies coin value by 3)
• Invisibility (lasts 30 seconds)
• Boost (for 750 meters)
• Some 2-point coins begin at 1000 meters
• Some 3-point coins begin at 2000 meters

Objectives

The object is to survive, while also getting the most points and coins possible. The longer a player survives, the more points they acquire. A player's score can only be used to unlock objectives. Their score is determined by their distance, plus five times the number of coins collected, plus 600 times the ordinal number of the total number of coins divisible by 100. These three values are then added and multiplied. The value of the multiplier is 10 more than the number of objectives unlocked. The formula is ${\displaystyle s=(m)(d+5c+t)}$; "s" being number of points; "m" number of objectives unlocked + 10; "d" being distance; "c" being number of coins; "t" being the coin multiplier of 600 times the whole number remaining of c/100.

Development

Husband-and-wife team Keith Shepherd and Natalia Luckyanova, along with artist Kiril Tchangov, created Temple Run. Originally, the game cost 99 cents, but was soon released as a freemium app, which quintupled revenue with in-game coin purchasing. Both Shepherd and Luckyanova developed the gameplay, while Tchangov created the graphics.

Release

Originally, the game was only available for the App Store, but it was later released on Google Play, the successor to Android Market. The game has been available on the App Store from August 2011, and since then, its popularity has soared, to the point that it has made Imangi Studios more popular than Zynga. Many imitators have made 'fake' games such as Temple Guns, Temple Jump, and Pyramid Run.

On January 12, 2012, Imangi Studios announced on the Temple Run Facebook page that the game would be released to the Android platform in February 2012, saying "We're so excited to announce this and appreciate all of our fans' support across both platforms!". The game was released for the Android platform on March 27, 2012, a month later than expected. After Temple Run was released on Android, it was downloaded 1 million times in under 3 days.

As Temple Run was originally released on a custom, flexible engine on the iOS platform, it had difficulties when ported to the Android, primarily because it utilized Unity game engine. The game frequently crashed on Android, leading to generally unfavourable reviews. The game still has issues on Android due to the Unity engine.

In the iTunes Store, it was included in the top 50 most-downloaded apps in December 2011, and eventually became the number one free iOS app. It has also reached the position of the top grossing iOS app. The game itself was formerly 99 cents, but Imangi Studios switched the game to a freemium app before December 2011, and instead rely on players purchasing in-game coins with legal tender. For the Android version, it was always freemium.

Spinoff

In June 2012, it was announced that Imangi Studios had teamed with Disney to promote the movie Brave via a game titled Temple Run: Brave. The game was released on June 14. Unlike the original game, Temple Run: Brave is 99 cents to purchase.

Temple Run: Brave is set in the forests and wilds of Scotland, with the default character, Merida. As in the original game, Temple Run: Brave's objective is to keep on running and avoiding the dangers along the way for the longest time, while being chased by a wild animal.

The new feature for Temple Run: Brave is archery. During one's run, an archery symbol will appear with some dots above it, acting as a signal that there will be bullseyes at which to shoot. The dots are the number of targets in this area. On the left and right hand sides, the player will then find archery targets; by touching the screen, an arrow will be shot accurately at the upcoming target. When the player finishes hitting all targets in the area, they will get a coin bonus, and have to wait for another area with archery targets.

In an update, Temple Run: Brave received in a new power-up, the Will-o'-the-Wisps, which appear in the game randomly. When one grabs it, the player is transported to a dark version of the game world, where glowing wisps appear in the player's path. The player has to grab as many as they can, while still navigating the turns and jumps.

After Temple Run: Brave's release on the App Store, the game topped the charts as the most-downloaded paid game.

Reception

Temple Run has generally been well received. Gamezebo gave it a 5-star rating, with Art Green calling it "an instant iPhone classic." PC Magazine said the first Android version was "crisp" clean and had "snappy" navigation. They also included it in their "Mobile Apps to keep Kids Happy" list.

However, Common Sense Media has criticized Temple Run's "consumerism," because the player can purchase in-game coins for item in the Store.

Sequel

References

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30. Tong, Sophia (2012-06-04). "Temple Run: Brave announced, coming to iOS and Android devices". Games Radar. Retrieved 08 June 2012. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
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37. "Temple Run". Common Sense Media. Retrieved June 24, 2012.

• 2011 video games
• 3D platform games
• Android games
• IOS games
• Unity engine games
• Video games developed in the United States