Subway Surfers

Subway Surfers is the kind of game that people open "just for one run" and then look up twenty minutes later wondering where the time went. You play as Jake, a spray-painting kid who has been caught by the grumpy inspector and his dog, and the whole game is one long, colourful escape along busy railway tracks.

The controls are as simple as they get. You swipe left or right to change lanes, swipe up to jump, and swipe down to roll under a barrier. That is all you need to learn, which is why a nine-year-old and a nine-to-five office worker can enjoy it equally. The challenge comes from speed. The longer you survive, the faster the trains rush past, and the gaps between obstacles shrink until your thumbs are working on pure reflex.

What keeps the game fresh is the way it changes. Every few weeks the developers move the story to a new city, so the backdrop might be Tokyo one month and Marrakesh the next, each with its own look, music and unlockable outfits. Along the way you collect coins, which you spend on hoverboards, jetpacks and new characters, and you can complete small missions that reward you with score boosters. Hoverboards deserve a special mention, because they save you from one crash and are often the difference between a decent run and a personal best.

A few habits make a real difference once you start playing seriously. Do not chase every coin if it puts you near a moving train, because staying alive matters more than a handful of extra coins. Learn to read the colour of the train ahead, since the ones with ramps can be climbed and give you a safe, coin-rich path overhead. Use your keys carefully too, because they are better saved for the end of a really strong run than spent early.

The game is free, but it does show ads and offers optional in-app purchases, so it is worth keeping an eye on spending if children are playing. It runs well on most modern phones, and the file size is modest compared with many 3D games.

If you enjoy fast, bright, endlessly replayable arcade runners, this is a safe first pick. Give it a few runs, aim to beat your own high score rather than a friend's, and enjoy how quickly the game turns a short break into a good habit.