Casual Endless Games

Overview

In these games there isn't really an end, and it's basically just survival. They're non stop action, but fine tuned for the casual gamer for each pick up and play for a few minutes in your day. The category definer is Papi Jump, but there are many similar games with the same kind of gameplay. It seems may have copied Papi, and have garnered success without showing what a rip-off they are. Also some play vertically, and some play horizontally. Find out the best.

Essential Apps

• Free

  Sky Burger

  by NimbleBit

  Sky Burger was tough to classify, but it wasn't tough deciding it was an essential game. Collect burger ingredients to build the burger ordered. Amazingly addictive, and so great to just play over, and over. One of the simplest and easisest for pick up and play, but yet it gets extremely tough too. Also included are online high scores, career stats, and even levels including Sky Burger CEO. So simple, yet so deluxe and challenging with the amount of polish only Nimblebit could provide. An essential game on any iPhone, and just the smallest percentage behind doodle jump.

• $0.99

  Run!

  by Arthur Ham

  Run! as the name suggests requires you to run. Progress as far as you can facing all kinds of things in your path. There are zombies, brick walls, walrus, sharks, missiles, wizards, and asteroids just to name some. 100% random, and 100% fun in this quirky action game. One stand out feature that would be a great addition to nearly every other game is quick play mode. Just jump into the hectic action immediately rather than playing the same beginning boredom over and over. The controls use the iPhone capabilities wonderfully with swipe up or down to jump or duck, and tap attack or on the enemy itself depending on what it is. OpenFeint scores and achievements to boot. Easily the best horizontal based endless game. Essential, and just behind the stiff competition of Doodle Jump and Sky Burger.

Notable Apps

• $0.99

  Bird Strike - GOLD EDITION

  by PikPok

  Bird Strike gives you Papi Jump, then adds the rocket power up in Doodle Jump giving you non stop action. You constantly rocket upwards in nine different locations. The best aspect is that there is a top pint to reach. Then the game switches, and you accelerate towards earth smashing everything in your way. OpenFeint is included which adds ton more replayability with online high scores for each of the nine levels. The best continuously upward experience on the iPhone, beating the popular Doodle Jump. A survival mode would make this game essential.

• Free

  Wheeler's Treasure

  by Two Lives Left

  Possibly a platformer, but truly an endless casual game at heart. Progress as far as you can in survival mode, and then the same thing in the challenges with no level structure. An extremely unique game where you roll through a pirate themed environment and drawing a direction for your character to jump forward in an attempt to stay in the wheel. One of the best endless casual games with a lot of polish and variability. The game is nice and challenging with cannon balls blasted at you and bombs thrown toward you that blow up part of your wheel. OpenFeint is included as well. A top notch endless game with a wonderful pirate theme. The flicking to jump mechanic isn't perfectly smooth, and it's extremely challenging compared to the essential games.

• $0.99

  AirBear

  by Origin8

  A really deluxe vertical endless game. Has levels, and the ability to bounce up, and glide down. iPhone specific where you draw your platforms, or sticky trampolines. Varied gameplay with objectives, and even having an end. You jump to a certain point to complete a level. Also included are endless bound, and endless downward along with the levels. Also there is the ability to collect bamboo rings, and puzzle pieces. Plus a cute stuffed Panda. OpenFeint too. If you're ready to step up from the basic Doodle Jump, AirBear is the one to get.

• $0.99

  Flaboo!

  by Fluttermind

  A more challenging and engaging version of Doodle Jump. A great race against the clock type gameplay with unlokcable power-ups rather than randomly generated. A recent update added highs cores making this game even better. Now you can tap to jump, collect keys for power-ups, and reach timed checkpoints. Great fun with a fat chick.

• $0.99

  Doodle Jump

  by Lima Sky

  A doodle copy of Papi Jump with occasional enemies. Guide the doodler upwards as it bounces automatically. Tilt your iPhone for it to land on platforms, and collect multiple items including rocket pack, spinner hat, and spring shoes. A super popular app, that shouldn't be. It has been surpassed in quality by quite a few games. Really owes it's success by exactly copying Papi Jump. The online high scores are relatively simplistic compared to OpenFeint enable games. You'll never come close with the top scores in the millions requiring over three hours of continuous play. No achievements either. Do yourself a favor, and buy a great upward endless game (see above), and not just the one everyone else has. After 14 updates the game has added bonus items, and different paint jobs, but still has the same boring gameplay mechanic.

• $2.99

  Canabalt

  by Semi Secret Software, LLC

  Simple idea, just run as far as you can jumping from building to building. Has an 8 bit type theme, but the visuals are so finely detailed and more deluxe than that. Can play this game over and over, just tapping to jump. One of the best features is that the building layout you jump across is always different. A top notch casual game that really is only topped by the variability of Run!

• Free

  Hippo High Dive

  by Imangi Studios, LLC

  Guide a hippo diving from extreme heights through flaming hoops into a tiny pool. There is an end to each dive, so not technically endless, but each completed dive unlocks a higher dive so it's endless in that regard. A finely polished doodle type game from Imangi Studios. It looks like a flip book as the hippo is flying through flaming hoops. A very fun, and simple game that is the perfect antithesis to Doodle Jump.

• $1.99

  Cliffed XL

  by IUGO Mobile Entertainment Inc.

  A downward racer where you move back and forth to find the hole in a plaform, and drop downwards. It's from IUGO, and has their typical polish as well as 15 unlockable characters. On top of that there is online multiplayer too which may be the best part of an already great game. Definite stand out in the category. There's no variability in the gameplay like most of the games listed above.

• $1.99

  Parachute Panic HD

  by FDG Entertainment

  Endless in the sense that parachuters keep coming. Parachute panic is an enjoyable doodle type game game where you help parachuters land on boats at the bottom. Included are random obstacles including storms, helicopters, and alien ships. Tap to deploy the parachute, and then guide it to safety by drawing the direction of wind you need. Quick casual pick up and play at its finest that is been balanced by a couple updates. Another really great game in the category. The games go by relatively quickly, and after a few times through you've seen everything keeping it just behind the top casual games.

• Free

  Moon Drop

  by NimbleBit

  Help moon pods land on the moon. Tap on the screen for the moon pods to deploy after burners moving away from your touch. You need to slow the pods down, and try to make them land in the center for a higher score. Another great casual endless games from Nimblebit, but does lack a little of the replayability of Sky Burger.

Decent Apps

• $0.99

  SpringFling

  by GTProductions

  Similar to Doodle Jump, but you compress the spring to jump up platforms rather than the character constantly jumping. Also five different areas to jump in. The game is more difficult with fewer platforms, but not as enjoyable. good, but simply not good enough to be in the first two tiers.

• $1.99

  Rope Raider

  by 10tons Ltd

  Maybe the best swinging casual game (minus Hook Champ which is level based, and in Untraditional Platformers). Similar mechanic to Rope n Fly 2, but with slightly better graphics. Still doesn't compare to the other games listed above because like the rest it's too simple in comparison.

• $0.99

  OvenBreak INNERSPACE

  by Devsisters

  Feeling Run! or Canabalt with a christmas theme? Then try OvenBreak, because who else is known for running like the gingerbread man. Really well done, and not just a Christmas game, it can run on it's own. Doesn't have the variability or quite as much polish as Run! or Canabalt.

• $0.99

  Up There

  by Veiled Games

  Direct a balloon upwards as far as you can. Find the gaps in the platform, and tilt the idevice to move the balloon, with really nice polish, and one of the originals of the category. Has been passed by the competition as the months have passed by.

• $0.99

  Mr.AahH!!

  by PONOS

  Swing from platform to platform trying to land on the bullseye of each one. A simple 2D swinging game with only the platforms changing height. Too basic to be ranked any higher.

• $0.99

  Little Runner

  by Red Rocket Games, Inc.

  Doodle type endless run game horizontally that doesn't have the flair of Run! or Canabalt. Does feature a doodle jump tie in.

• $0.99

  Swingaling

  by Pocket Monkey Games

  A fun swinging game with the added bonus of enemies to deal with. Right near the top of swinging games, but that isn't saying much. No variability so every game plays the same. Needs to do more to compete with the big dogs in this category.

• $0.99

  Rope'n'Fly 2

  by Robert Szeleney

  Sequel to the swinging action of the first where you play as a spider-man knock off. You shoot ropes to different buildings, and swing using the accelerometer. It has the same mechanic every game with basic graphics that keep it from the top two tiers.

• Free

  Cube Runner

  by Andy Qua

  An original iPhone game. Extremely simple boxy graphics, just guide your ship between, and around boxes. Plus a level creator online, and be sure to check out the paid sequel. Can't beat free though. Paid and free basic to what else you can get in the category.

• $0.99

  Starball - WARNING: Insanely Addictive

  by QuantumSquid Interactive

  Roll your green ball around the screen and collect stars. Each star collected introduces red balls that kill you if they hit your green ball. That is it. Some power-ups are included, three difficulties, and OpenFeint for online scores. Much too basic to compete in this category and it really isn't even that addictive.

Other Apps