Games Like Subway Surfers to Play in Your Browser
Updated
Games like Subway Surfers are endless runners: your character runs forward on its own, you change lane, jump and slide past obstacles, and the run ends when you crash. Subway Surfers is a 2012 mobile game by Kiloo and SYBO Games. The games below are original titles by independent studios, with city streets, rails and a few chasers.
How Subway Surfers plays
In Subway Surfers you play a young graffiti artist who runs along railway tracks, chased by an inspector and his dog. The tracks run side by side, so you swipe left or right to change track, swipe up to jump and swipe down to roll under a barrier.
Coins fill the path, and power-ups such as jetpacks and hoverboards help you run further. There is no finish line: the run ends when you crash and get caught, and your score is how far you got.
So the game is mostly lane choice and timing. This table shows where the games below ask for the same.
| What you do in Subway Surfers | Games that ask the same |
|---|---|
| Change lane to dodge obstacles | Pixel City Runner 3D, Endless Run, Swipe Runner Quest |
| Run through city streets and tunnels | Cowboy Runners Dash, Arcade Thief Runner, Rooftop Runner |
| Run from something at your back | Running From A Hungry Tiger, Deadly Hunters Run |
| Collect coins as you go | Cowboy Runners Dash, Endless Run, Mountain Run |
Closest to Subway Surfers
These keep the city, the lanes and the coins.
- Cowboy Runners Dash reads closest to Subway Surfers. You dash through subway tunnels and busy city streets, dodge trains, vault barriers, collect coins and upgrade power-ups. Its description lists touch or keyboard controls.
- Arcade Thief Runner casts you as a thief on the run. Dash through colorful city streets, jump over obstacles, dodge security and grab loot. Speed and difficulty rise as you go, and new characters and power-ups are there to earn.
- Pixel City Runner 3D is set in a blocky pixel town. Swipe left or right to dodge the roadblocks and run as far as you can.
- Endless Run is a 3D runner with a digital jungle look. Collect coins and magnets, jump high or slide down, and steer clear of the blocks. Swipe left, right and up on a touch screen, or use the arrow keys and Space.
Runners with something chasing you
In Subway Surfers an inspector and his dog never stop chasing you. These keep a chaser in the picture.
- Running From A Hungry Tiger is a 3D runner along an endless railway. Dodge obstacles, drink the magic potion to boost your speed, and do not slow down, or the tiger catches you.
- Deadly Hunters Run has you run away from a hungry lion as a little hunter. Dodge obstacles, jump over chasms on a rope and pick up strawberries. Arrow keys or W, A, S, D move you.
- No One Survives 1 Minute is an endless survival runner where you dodge barriers and keep your distance from a dragon. Collect stars and chests to raise your score. A practice mode opens after three defeats.
More endless runners with a twist
These change what you run on, but you still dodge and collect.
- Skate Duo Runner puts two synchronized partners on skateboards in a city. Glide past obstacles, grind neon-lit rails and land mid-air flips. Use the left and right arrows to rotate.
- Roof Rush 3D is an urban runner where a pole-vaulting master crosses a city skyline. Collect pieces to grow your pole and slide across parallel rails, and stay centered or you lose your balance. Saws and obstacles shrink the pole.
- Mountain Run sends you down an endless snowy mountain, dodging trees and rocks and collecting coins. The seasons change as you go, and power-ups such as magnets raise your score. Use A and D or the arrow keys, and Space to jump.
- Rooftop Runner has you run across rooftops without falling. Jump gaps between buildings, avoid obstacles and collect coins. Tap or press Space to jump, and swipe or use the arrow keys to move sideways.
- Swipe Runner Quest is a coin collecting run. Swipe to move, dodge obstacles and pick up every coin on the way to the final gate. It has levels, and it lists the arrow keys for a keyboard.
If you like lanes and swipes with an adventure theme, games like Temple Run has more runners. More runners are on the running games page.
Tips for lane runners
- Look ahead of your character. By the time an obstacle reaches you, it is too late to pick a lane.
- Pick your lane early and move once. Two nervous swipes in a row are an easy way to clip the next obstacle.
- Treat coins as a bonus. A coin in front of a barrier is not worth the run.
- Learn which move clears which obstacle. In Endless Run you swipe up to jump, and in Mountain Run you press Space.
- Expect the pace to rise. Arcade Thief Runner raises its speed and difficulty as you go, so a long run gets harder near the end, not easier.
Games like Subway Surfers FAQ
Can I play games like Subway Surfers on a computer?
Yes. Deadly Hunters Run takes the arrow keys or W, A, S, D, Endless Run takes the arrow keys and Space, and Mountain Run takes A and D or the arrow keys, with Space to jump. The site works in the browser of a phone, a tablet and a computer, and Pixel City Runner 3D, Endless Run and Mountain Run list swipe or touch controls. See keyboard controls for browser games for the usual keys.
What is an endless runner?
It is a game where your character runs forward on its own for as long as you survive, and all you do is steer, jump and slide. The course is built as you go, and the score is usually the distance you covered.
Are these games free?
Yes. They play free in the browser, with no install and no registration.
Can I play with one hand?
Pixel City Runner 3D plays with left and right swipes and Endless Run with swipes, so one thumb can cover both. One-hand phone games has more games like that.
Pick a lane early, watch the next obstacle instead of your character, and every run gets a little longer.
