7 Most Downloaded Endless Runner Games for Android for Kids

Few genres have survived on mobile as long as the endless runner. The formula has barely changed in a decade: your character runs on their own, you swipe to dodge, jump and slide, and the run ends the moment your reflexes blink. What keeps children coming back is the chase for a better score and one more run. The seven games below are the most downloaded runners on Google Play, each checked on its official listing first.

A word on ages first: ratings differ, so parents should check the content rating on each listing before installing anything for a younger child. Two facts are verified: Subway Surfers is rated Everyone 10+ on Google Play, and Talking Tom Gold Run is certified under the COPPA Safe Harbor programme and described as perfect for kids and families.

Image: SYBO Games / Google Play

All seven are free to download, with optional in-app purchases. Two can also be played offline, which matters on car rides and flights, as noted below.

1. Subway Surfers

Subway Surfers is the most downloaded endless runner in history, with more than one billion installs on Google Play, a 4.6-star rating from over 41 million reviews, and an Editors' Choice badge. Jake, Tricky and Fresh sprint through the subway dodging trains and grabbing coins, while World Tour updates move the action to a new city every few weeks. The listing rates it Everyone 10+.

Why it is worth downloading: the safest first runner, since every other child plays it.

Download Subway Surfers on Google Play

2. Temple Run 2

Temple Run 2 is the sequel that turned a hit into a genre. You flee the Demon Monkey through jungles, cliffs and volcanoes, swiping to turn, jumping, sliding and riding mine carts, with shields, coin magnets and speed boosts to collect. The listing calls it a free offline game, with a 4.1-star rating from nearly 9.8 million reviews, and heroes like Guy Dangerous and Scarlett Fox to unlock.

Why it is worth downloading: the best runner for travelling, since the listing promises offline play.

Download Temple Run 2 on Google Play

3. Temple Run

The original Temple Run is still going strong, and its listing makes a proud claim: more than 500 million players have joined the treasure hunt since the game redefined mobile gaming. You steal a cursed idol and escape the Demon Monkeys through ancient temples, and like its sequel the listing says no WiFi is needed. It carries a 4.2-star rating from over 5.1 million reviews.

Why it is worth downloading: simpler and calmer than the sequel, a good first runner for younger children.

Download Temple Run on Google Play

4. Sonic Dash

Sonic Dash puts the fastest hedgehog in gaming into a three-lane runner, and it shows in the numbers: a 4.7-star rating from more than 6.5 million reviews, the highest score on this list. You race through Green Hill, Beach and Sky Sanctuary Zones, collecting rings and battling bosses like Dr. Eggman and Zazz. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow and Amy are unlockable, and purchases are never required to progress.

Why it is worth downloading: boss battles and familiar zones give it more variety than a plain chase.

Download Sonic Dash on Google Play

5. Jetpack Joyride

Jetpack Joyride is the silliest game on this list, and children love it for exactly that reason. Barry Steakfries straps on a bullet-powered jetpack, dodges lasers, zappers and guided missiles, rides giant mechanical dragons, and collects coins while scientists chase him through the lab. The listing says over 750 million players have downloaded it, with a 4.4-star rating from 4.7 million reviews. It is free from Halfbrick, with simple one-touch controls.

Why it is worth downloading: one finger is all it takes to play.

Download Jetpack Joyride on Google Play

6. Talking Tom Gold Run

Talking Tom Gold Run is the most clearly family-made runner on this list. Tom and friends chase the Rakoonz through Venice Canals, Winter Wonderland and China Dragon World, collecting stolen gold, unlocking Angela, Ginger, Ben, Hank and Becca, and hopping on skateboards. The listing calls it perfect for kids and families, notes PRIVO COPPA Safe Harbor certification, and shows a 4.4-star rating from over 6.4 million reviews.

Why it is worth downloading: the one most obviously built with children in mind, from its gentle humour to its privacy certification.

Download Talking Tom Gold Run on Google Play

7. Alto's Odyssey

Alto's Odyssey is the quiet one, and that is its charm. You sandboard across an endless desert with Alto and his friends, soaring over dunes, grinding vines, bouncing on hot air balloons and escaping lemurs, to a gentle soundtrack. The listing highlights a Zen Mode with no scores, no coins and no power-ups, alongside 180 goals, six unlockable characters and a photo mode. It is free, rated 4.5 stars from over 287,000 reviews.

Why it is worth downloading: the best runner for a child who wants something beautiful and relaxing rather than frantic.

Download Alto's Odyssey on Google Play

A Quick Note for Parents

Two habits make these games safer. First, turn on purchase approval in the Play Store before handing the phone over, because every game above sells optional extras. Second, check the content rating together with your child, and talk about ads: free runners show advertising, and a child should know an ad is not part of the game.

Source: Google Play — Subway Surfers, Temple Run 2, Temple Run, Sonic Dash, Jetpack Joyride, Talking Tom Gold Run and Alto's Odyssey listings — https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kiloo.subwaysurf