Temple Run 2 is a running, jumping and dodging game where you race to escape a deadly beast. You collect coins and dodge obstacles by tilting and turn corners by swiping left or right. With continual updates that add new maps, characters, and cosmetics, and a straightforward, easy-to-understand gameplay loop, it's a massively popular game with broad appeal.

You play an Indiana-Jones-style archaeologist who steals an artefact from an ancient temple and must escape with the treasure from the beast that chases you away. You run across strange floating islands, fly down zip-lines, ride mine-carts through abandoned passageways, and flow through murky waterways as you escape. If you hit an obstacle, you get caught and have to start again from the beginning.

While the routes you run along are split into three lanes, like in Subway Surfers, instead of swiping to switch between the lanes to avoid obstacles, you tilt your device to move to the left or right lanes and collect coins, and swipe when there's a corner you need to turn. Obstacles cover all three lanes, and you either jump over them by swiping up or slide under them by swiping down. The different areas, like the mine-carts and the waterways, keep these core mechanics but have unique obstacles.

As you run, you collect coins, gems and treasure chests which contain items used to unlock new characters. Coins and gems are used to upgrade power-ups scattered through the stages, and also each character's unique skill that's activated during a run for a temporary boost once you get enough coins. The game is regularly updated with new events that tie into cultural events from across the globe, like Christmas or the Day of the Dead, with new maps to play on and characters and cosmetics to unlock.

The result is a unique endless-runner game with a premise and controls that are simple and easy to grasp, giving it a wide appeal as you continually try and better your score.

• Temple Run (2011) iOS, Android.
• Temple Run 2 (2013) Amazon Fire, iOS, Android.