6 Best Auto-Runner Games, Ranked

Highlights

• Mobile endless runners are a great way to unwind after intense gaming sessions – easy, accessible, and free to play.
• Indie games like Super Meat Boy Forever bring innovation to the genre with auto-runner elements and engaging storylines.
• Bit.Trip Runner3 offers a unique, immersive experience with customizable characters, challenging levels, and retro worlds.

Auto-runner games are what many players turn to at the end of a long, session of playing other, more heavy-loaded, games. They are exactly what every gamer needs in order to shake off all the pent-up adrenaline from their more demanding gaming sessions and are basically a positive outlet – as far as gaming goes.

They’ve especially gained more traction over the years because of their integration into the realm of mobile gaming. They’re readily accessible, easy to acquire, and a majority of them are free to play. Plus, a bunch of them are endless, so the fun just keeps on rolling. Because they are predominantly present on mobile, it’s a bit tricky finding PC/ alternative platform auto-runners that match up to the mobile ones in terms of quality and accessibility. Still, the ones that are out there are pretty top-tier and are definitely good substitutes.

6 Bubsy: Paws on Fire!

Metacritic Score: 63

Bubsy: Paws on Fire is a platform video game that was first released in 2019 on PlayStation 4 and Windows. It was developed by Choice Provisions and was published by UFO Interactive Games as the sixth installment of the Bubsy series.

The game features multiple different playable characters that have their own sets of powers and attributes. The player has to navigate the character of their choice through three distinct worlds, each consisting of nine levels. The rewards come in the form of victory tokens that are required to eventually get access to the final boss.

5 Super Meat Boy Forever

Metacritic Score: 66

Indie games never miss the mark when it comes to, well, any type of game, and Super Meat Boy Forever is the perfect example of that. It’s an indie platform game that was developed and released by Team Meat for all platforms. It’s a sequel to the classic Super Meat Boy and is known for its auto-runner elements that weren’t available in the previous versions.

The game, as cute and goofy as it looks, features a surprisingly genuine storyline that unfolds with the game progression. It continues the story of Super Meat Boy with the main characters’ daughter, Nugget, being kidnapped by Dr Fetus, just like in the first installment. The player has to navigate Meat Boy and Bandage Girl through a set of randomly generated impromptu levels with a bunch of random obstacles through jumping, dodging, and punching. The end goal of the game is to, of course, save Nugget.

4 Bit.Trip Runner3

Metacritic Score: 73

• Released: 2018-05-22
• Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, macOS
• Developers: Choice Provisions

Runner3 is, naturally, the third installment of the rhythm platform Bit.Trip auto-runner series. It was developed and released by Choice Provisions in 2018 and is the second auto-runner game on this list that isn’t available on Android and iOS (the first being Bubsy: Paws on Fire!). As iconic as its predecessor installments are, Runner3 is in a league of its own. It takes all the goodness from them, adds a few of its own colors, and turns it into a highly immersive, almost 3-D, experience. So, while it looks like a casual auto-runner game with fairly generic elements at first glance, it’s excellent once players get the hang of it.

The main character of the game and the series goes by the name of CommanderVideo, and is one of the various playable characters of the game. Players have to dash through different levels and maneuver the character around various obstacles. The experience and rewards come in the form of gold bars and collectibles known as “Mode-Ups”. Runner3’s main setting takes place in three different worlds, all divided into 9 levels, ending with a boss fight. The player has to clear all three worlds, along with an additional three “Retro” ones. The main character can also interact with NPCs and go on side quests to unlock other playable characters.

3 Canabalt

Metacritic Score: 77

• Released: 2009-08-31
• Platforms: PSP, Android, iOS, Windows
• Developers: Semi Secret Software

Canabalt is one of the original auto-runner games that sparked the initial excitement and interest in the genre. It was developed and released in 2009 by indie designer Adam Saltsman and was originally a game released solely for Windows. It was later transferred to other platforms, including iOS, PSP, and Android. The thing about Canabalt is, one look at it will make players find it unassuming and straightforward – after all, the only control one gets is jumping, and that too with only one button. However, it’s precisely this simplicity that ultimately proves to be incredibly addictive.

Throughout the game, Canabalt stays exactly as it initially appears. Player has to control a man in a suit parkouring on top of an endless stream of buildings with only one jump button. Despite being a platform auto-runner, it is an endless game with a map that is automatically generated. The difficulty of the game, along with the character’s speed, increases the longer the player survives.

2 Race the Sun

Metacritic Score: 79

• Released: 2013-08-19
• Platforms: PS4, Android, Windows
• Developers: Flippfly

Race the Sun is a minimalistic masterpiece that was developed and released by the indie studio Flippfly back in 2013. Initially exclusive to PC, it eventually made its way to other platforms, albeit much later on. The game is known for its clear-cut, easy-to-grasp mechanics and uncomplicated, satisfying graphics, making it an absolute treat to play.

The setting of the game literally revolves around the sun. Players have to navigate a solar-powered spacecraft through different randomly generated obstacles and be mindful of the sun’s position. The more the spacecraft is out of the sun’s vicinity, the slower it will become, eventually leading to a crash. Additionally, the players can collect different rewards and power-ups throughout their run in order to get better scores and more durability.

1 Fotonica

Metacritic Score: 87

• Released: 2011-01-17
• Platforms: Android, Windows, iOS
• Developers: Santa Ragione

Fotonica is another indie gem on this list that truly deserves to be in the first spot given its unique setting and gameplay. Developed and released by Santa Ragione on PC in 2011, it stands out as the sole auto-runner with a first-person perspective, featuring a highly distinctive, mesh-like, vector-style art. Even with its simplistic 2D-esque graphics, it captures the essence of ‘fast-paced environments and movements’ almost seamlessly.

The objective of the game is the same as every other auto-runner – survive for as long as possible and do so while maintaining high scores. The game takes place across 8 different levels, all with their own unique sets of obstacles and traits. Players can also compete with other players using the split-screen mode.