Temple Run 2

Temple Run 2 built on the success of the first game with an improved track full of turns, mine-cart descents, and collapsing platforms that added visual drama as well as new reflexes the player has to master on the run — besides dodging chasms, there's now also leaning through fast descents and split-second direction changes on the winding paths of the crumbling temple.

With the sequel, Imangi Studios responded to how quickly the first game had popularized the endless runner genre worldwide, and tried to push the format further both technically and in content — the graphics are more detailed, the animations smoother, and the mission and unlockable-character system gave players more long-term goals than simply chasing the highest score in the first game. The controls stayed as accessible as before, swipes across the screen, just with more situations you need to react to quickly.

The game is among the titles that dominated app store charts for years after release, and it still receives regular updates with new tracks and seasonal events tied to holidays or other games. That makes it one of the longest continuously active endless runners ever, even though the basic principle has stayed almost unchanged from the very start.

Why play it: A good choice for fans of the first game who want more elaborate tracks and more long-term content without having to learn a whole new set of rules.