An original idea and confident execution is all you need to make a praiseworthy iPhone game. Harder than it sounds, of course, but Little Runner dispels any notions of hard work by making it look effortless. It’s the kind of game that really brings home what’s great about the App Store and Apple’s model for developers.
You play a small pencil-sketched character - or rather, you play the world that the character inhabits. Moving automatically from left to right, it’s your job to ensure that the path is clear for the Little Runner to make his way to the end.
This largely consists of sliding the sectioned platform into alignment on the right side of the screen, so that there are no overlapping edges and Little Runner can happily trot towards the end.
Obstacles like rocks and fires block the way, and these need to be pounded and swiped respectively in order to clear the path. As the levels progress, they scroll past more quickly, while the sectioned platform pieces require more manoeuvering to align correctly.
The presentation is stark but effective, with line-drawn levels, obstacles and characters and only occasional splashes of colour. Combined with the surreal hip hop soundtrack, the overall effect is sophisticated and deliberate, as opposed to half-finished.
It’s a challenging title for as long as it commands your attention, but despite Little Runner’s originality, fun and top-notch presentation there simply isn’t enough here to sustain anything that might lead to addiction.
At 59p, however, it’s more than worth its price. Little Runner is more of a promising insight into Red Rocket Games’s idea pool than it is a title that will make the developer’s name.
Consider this the perfect gaming warm up: a little jog if you like, in preparation for the main event.
Little Runner
Little Runner looks and sounds brilliant and plays with platforming rules to great effect, even if it's little more than a fleeting fancy
