Canabalt

An endless runner with a minimalist and clean presentation, Canabalt is a great example of how less can sometimes be more. As addictive as it is simple, Canabalt’s gameplay invites players to master its basics, rewarding them with an unparalleled feeling of achievement once they finally grasp the most advanced elements of this deceptively simple game.

That said, skill isn’t always involved in Canabalt runs: only the luckiest players can hope to achieve a perfect run. This randomness can be great for a few quick rounds, but can it actually frustrate some players? Let’s find out!

Running Forever

Some games pride themselves on their complex gameplay mechanics, or how feature-rich and thorough their UIs are. Canabalt is not one of those games: with a gameplay that involves a single button and no on-screen info whatsoever, this is as pure a gaming experience as it gets.

At its core, Canabalt is an endless runner. Players familiar with Temple Run might get an idea of how these games work, the only difference being Canabalt’s 2D view. Instead of running away from the camera, the game looks more like a retro 2D platformer than anything else.

The only input that players must be concerned with is jumping, which is done with the single tap of a button. The player’s character runs and accelerates automatically, as it speeds up jumping from building to building. The objective is to get as far as you can, avoiding pitfalls and random bombs.

Again and Again

While the core concept of Canabalt might sound too simple to warrant a repeated playthrough, one could argue that this simplicity is what makes the game so fun to replay. There’s an undeniable appeal in just how easy it is to understand Canabalt’s gameplay, something that invites the player to try to beat their own scores over and over again.

If there’s one thing that can get somewhat repetitive that would be Canabalt’s minimalist approach at visuals. You’ll be stuck looking at simple 2D backgrounds on each run, with little to no variation to be found. While the developer’s commitment to minimalism is admirable, it’s clear that this can get on some players’ nerves, especially since it feels like there’s no progress to be made, no matter how far you get.

Jumping Responsibly

Of course, a game like Canabalt would be nothing without some solid controls – and that’s an area where the game excels. Jumping feels amazingly responsive: it never feels cheap whenever you fall into a pitfall. However, there’s something that has to be addressed when it comes to how fair Canabalt’s gameplay is, and that’s the procedural generation of its levels.

Every level in Canabalt is created on the go – you never know what you might get each time you start a run. While this can keep things interesting for far longer, it also means that some runs are easier than others, with some of them feeling like they were doomed from the start.

What this means is that, no matter how good you get at the game, sometimes everything’s decided by how lucky you get with the procedurally generated levels.

Pros:

• Addictive gameplay loop
• Responsive controls
• Cool visual design

Cons:

• Chaotic levels means everything’s decided by luck
• Minimalist levels can get repetitive quickly