Temple Run
GameBy Imangi Studios · Released Aug 4, 2011
Temple Run is an "endless running" video game developed by the Raleigh-based Imangi Studios. The player takes on the role of an explorer who, having stolen an idol from a temple, is chased by "demonic monkeys". The game is available on iOS and Android systems.
Connections
Each row is a game or company named alongside Temple Run, each column a document, oldest first. A mark means that document names it. Select a row to see those documents.
About the game
- Released
- Aug 4, 2011
- Developer
- Imangi Studios
- Genres
- Platform, Arcade
- Platforms
- Android, iOS
- Links
- Wikipedia
Game data from IGDB.com
Key figures from the reports
Prioritize player experience over purely data-driven decisions, as demonstrated by a 7% lift in retention for Temple Run after implementing visual cues that reduced player anxiety, despite initial internal skepticism.
GameMakers, 2024 · Liveops Lessons from Temple Run & Bejeweled Blitz ft. Eve Chang, p. 18
Temple Run 2 has maintained long-term relevance, achieving 12 million downloads in May 2023, a figure nearing its all-time peaks of 13 million in December 2015 and September 2018.
Udonis, 2023 · Temple Run 2: Analyzing Its Record-Breaking Success
iDreamSky, a major Chinese publisher with 260 million registered users and 60 million monthly active users, specializes in localizing Western mobile hits like Temple Run 2 and Fruit Ninja for the Chinese market.
PocketGamer.biz, 2013 · Dealing with 10 app stores is harder than dealing with 400 app stores, says iDreamcast's Jeff Lyndon, p. 1
Documents about Temple Run
Why is Google policing how the world's top mobile games monetise? | Week in Mobile Games podcast E72
Google and Epic Games have proposed a tiered fee structure for the Play Store that distinguishes between cosmetic items, taxed at 9%, and gameplay-advantage items, taxed at 20%.
- Google and Epic Games have proposed a tiered Play Store fee structure that charges 9% for cosmetic items and 20% for items providing gameplay advantages.
- An analysis of the top 50 mobile games shows that every title currently employs monetization mechanics, such as loot boxes or boosters, that would trigger the higher 20% fee.
- Direct-to-consumer revenue streams are gaining traction, evidenced by Playtika reporting 20% growth in this sector during the third quarter through strategic entertainment brand partnerships.
Liveops Lessons from Temple Run & Bejeweled Blitz ft. Eve Chang
The mobile gaming industry requires a strategic shift from aggressive monetization toward player-centric design to ensure long-term success.
- Prioritize player experience over purely data-driven decisions, as demonstrated by a 7% lift in retention for Temple Run after implementing visual cues that reduced player anxiety, despite initial internal skepticism.
- Successful LiveOps requires balancing quantitative data with qualitative player feedback, such as utilizing a dedicated 'Super Fan Club' of 80–100 NDA-bound players to validate features before a full rollout.
- Monetization should be naturally integrated into game design rather than forced; players are more likely to spend repeatedly when they feel they are receiving value rather than being 'squeezed' for revenue.
Unlocking Player Engagement: LiveOps Lessons Learned from Temple Run & Bejeweled Blitz
Effective LiveOps strategies are essential for the long-term success and sustainability of mobile games.
- LiveOps success requires aligning game objectives with player engagement to ensure new content consistently drives user retention.
- Effective LiveOps strategy relies on identifying market gaps and deeply understanding player desires to deliver uniquely compelling experiences.
- Data-driven testing is critical for validating the performance of new features and content before full-scale implementation.
Temple Run: Idle Explorers - Running Franchise Goes Idle
Temple Run: Idle Explorers represents a strategic pivot for Imangi Studios, transitioning the iconic endless runner franchise into the idle clicker genre.
- Imangi Studios, in collaboration with Bigfoot, has pivoted the Temple Run franchise into the idle game genre with the release of Temple Run: Idle Explorers.
- The game utilizes core idle mechanics where players unlock buildings on dig sites to generate income, which continues to accrue even when the app is closed.
- Progression is driven by a task-based system that guides players through map levels, requiring the collection of resources like scrolls and character tokens to upgrade units.
Temple Run 2: Analyzing Its Record-Breaking Success
Temple Run 2 remains a significant force in the mobile arcade genre, demonstrating remarkable longevity more than a decade after its release.
- Temple Run 2 has maintained long-term relevance, achieving 12 million downloads in May 2023, a figure nearing its all-time peaks of 13 million in December 2015 and September 2018.
- The game utilizes a hybrid monetization model that combines in-app purchases with a mix of rewarded video ads and non-opt-in interstitial ads to maximize revenue from both paying and non-paying users.
- Imangi employs a robust progression system featuring unlockable characters, daily/weekly challenges, and diverse maps to drive player retention and long-term engagement.
iOS Gaming Leaders: December 2015
The mobile gaming market experienced significant growth in December 2015, characterized by a surge in both installation volume and consumer spending on Apple’s App Store.
- In December 2015, worldwide iOS gaming downloads grew 20% month-over-month to approximately 614 million, while total gaming revenue reached nearly $1 billion, an 18% increase from November.
- Clash of Clans reclaimed the top-grossing spot on iOS from Game of War in both U.S. and worldwide markets during December 2015.
- Piano Tiles 2 was the most downloaded game globally and in the U.S. for December 2015, maintaining the No. 1 position in all iPhone categories for the six days leading up to Christmas.
Biz Daily: Why iDreamSky invested $10M into Rumble
The Chinese mobile publisher iDreamSky has expanded its global footprint through a 10 million dollar investment in the United States-based developer Rumble Entertainment.
- iDreamSky has invested $10 million for a majority stake in U.S.-based developer Rumble Entertainment to expand its global footprint beyond the Chinese Android market.
- The investment grants iDreamSky exclusive rights to publish Rumble’s titles within China, securing a pipeline of high-fidelity Western content for a market that demands premium graphical quality.
- Rumble Entertainment, which has previously raised over $30 million in seed and Series A funding, required the $10 million infusion to provide the marketing liquidity necessary to scale its current soft-launch projects.
How iDreamsky made Fruit Ninja and Temple Run successful in China
The Chinese mobile gaming market presents unique challenges and opportunities that require a specialized approach to localization, monetization, and intellectual property protection.
- Ignoring the Chinese market does not prevent piracy; popular games are typically pirated on major sites within one hour of release, with clones appearing within three months and trademarks often hijacked by third parties.
- Chinese players in second and third-tier cities often provide higher lifetime value and retention than those in first-tier cities, as they have fewer entertainment alternatives and less exposure to rapidly changing international trends.
- Data costs are a significant barrier in China, where a 5GB data plan can cost 15% of a citizen's monthly income, necessitating small game sizes and low bandwidth consumption to ensure high conversion rates.
Dealing with 10 app stores is harder than dealing with 400 app stores, says iDreamcast's Jeff Lyndon
The Chinese mobile gaming market presents unique challenges for Western developers, primarily regarding localization and distribution.
- iDreamSky, a major Chinese publisher with 260 million registered users and 60 million monthly active users, specializes in localizing Western mobile hits like Temple Run 2 and Fruit Ninja for the Chinese market.
- Successful localization in China requires significant adjustments to monetization strategy and UI/UX, such as placing store buttons in prominent locations rather than tucked away, to accommodate a user base that may be new to gaming.
- The Chinese mobile market is shifting away from Western titles toward Korean and Japanese games, which offer comparable quality but higher cultural resonance with local players.