Run or Die
- December 11, 2014
- Team Flow
Get on Steam"Run or Die" is an endless runner game where you control a stick figure and avoid obstacles in a procedurally generated world. The game features various environments, including cities and deserts, and the objective is to run as far as possible while collecting coins and power-ups. You can unlock new characters, power-ups, and abilities as you progress through the game, providing additional replayability.
Mac OS
PC
Phone
Windows
Android
Linux
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- The game features beautiful pixel art and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- It offers a variety of gameplay modes, including endless mode and daily challenges, which add replay value and keep the gameplay fresh.
- The controls are smooth and responsive, making the game enjoyable and challenging without feeling unfair.
- The level design can be frustrating, with some sections relying on blind jumps and poorly designed chunks that lead to unfair deaths.
- There are technical issues, such as lag and poor optimization, which detract from the overall experience.
- The game can become repetitive over time, as the random generation of levels may lead to similar patterns and gameplay experiences.
- graphics19 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players criticizing the use of outdated pixel art as a lazy choice that detracts from the overall experience, while others praise the beautiful 16-bit graphics and stylish art style that enhance the gameplay. Many appreciate the aesthetic coherence between character portraits and minimalist sprites, although some note that the simplicity can lead to confusion in gameplay. Overall, the visuals are seen as either a charming retro homage or a disappointing execution, depending on the player's perspective.
“The challenges are fun and challenging, endless mode is great if you want to flex your skill, daily run is also great for skill flexing, graphics are beautiful and well done, music is very chill and has good vibes.”
“Not only is the gameplay fair and balanced, the art style and pixel graphics are honestly top-notch.”
“If you like platformers then this is definitely worth the $5, and the reasons being that the art style is phenomenal, the music is amazing and does not get repetitive or annoying, the characters have emotions, and the idea for the characters and powers all comes together very nicely.”
“A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
“Visually, this is a ham-fisted mess, a dog's breakfast of bad visuals, and this kind of laziness and poor quality should never be foisted on gamers.”
“There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
- music19 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as chill, catchy, and non-repetitive, enhancing the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. While some users noted a limited number of tracks, they found the quality of the music to be high, contributing positively to the game's aesthetic and emotional engagement. Overall, the soundtrack complements the beautiful pixel art and engaging mechanics, making it a standout feature for many players.
“The challenges are fun and challenging, endless mode is great if you want to flex your skill, daily run is also great for skill flexing, graphics are beautiful and well done, music is very chill and has good vibes.”
“If you like platformers then this is definitely worth the $5, and the reasons being that the art style is phenomenal, the music is amazing and does not get repetitive or annoying, the characters have emotions, and the idea for the characters and powers all comes together very nicely.”
“Even if you fail spectacularly in-game, the music combined with the aesthetics will keep you running!”
“The music is boring though...”
“It's like a less-musical, slower Bit.Trip Runner.”
“Only one song plays on the menu and when running (from my experience), and it can get repetitive after a while.”
- gameplay13 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mixed bag, with some users criticizing it as a poor endless runner with subpar graphics, while others praise its engaging mechanics, beautiful pixel art, and balanced design. The game features a variety of skills that change at checkpoints, adding complexity and replayability, alongside tight controls and a captivating soundtrack. Overall, it offers a fun and challenging experience, particularly for those who enjoy skill-based gameplay.
“An endless runner with good music, lovely pixel art, interesting and consistent mechanics, and no microtransactions.”
“Gameplay is challenging and fun (definitely play with a controller, it's really enjoyable).”
“In some ways, this is a lovely trifecta of everything you should never do with a game... it's pixelated (looks bad), it's a mobile app (not even close to a real PC game), and it's an endless runner (terrible gameplay concept).”
“It manages to stay simple but at the same time has a complex gameplay, which you'll have to relearn every time you pass a checkpoint (safety area), where your skills will change, so even if you only have like 5 different skills, you have a bunch of different combinations.”
“Decent random generator of levels, which keeps your interest even after a few hours of gameplay.”
- story4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is described as vague and underdeveloped, leaving players with a sense of missed potential despite an intriguing context. While the narrative encourages imagination and perseverance, it ultimately fails to deliver a compelling or cohesive storyline. However, the game's visuals, music, and gameplay mechanics are praised, suggesting that the story may take a backseat to other elements.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“Pros: a vague yet simple story open for imagination, beautiful 16-bit graphics and anime artwork, pretty great music, tight controls, fun abilities, and addicting gameplay.”
“The context shown in the game somehow looks very interesting, as if there was a cool storyline behind it... but then you find nothing.”
“Hardly a success story; even the people who own this mobile app weren't interested in it.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of "Run or Die" has been criticized as a cash grab, with users noting it feels like a low-effort mobile app rather than a genuine PC game. In contrast, some players appreciate the absence of microtransactions in other endless runners that offer quality gameplay and aesthetics.
“Run or Die is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as if it were a real PC game (it's not). It's a cash grab from greedy mobile developers. This mobile app is yet another of several hundred, if not thousands, of garbage low-effort endless runners plaguing Steam.”
“An endless runner with good music, lovely pixel art, interesting and consistent mechanics, and no microtransactions?”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find that the game's chunk system initially enhances replayability by creating unique runs, though some chunks lack quality design. The endless mode offers a challenging yet fair experience, and daily challenges provide opportunities for competition, further boosting replay value.
“While the chunks do add replay value as they make runs feel unique (at least for the first few hours), the chunks themselves aren't always well designed.”
“Endless mode is tough but fair, and the daily challenges could add a lot of replay value and competition between friends.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its captivating graphics and exceptional soundtrack, creating an immersive experience that can induce a trance-like state, making time feel irrelevant.
“I'm not necessarily in for endless runners, or at least usually... however, the atmosphere of the game - brought to life with both the graphics and the simple, yet amazing soundtrack - is just overwhelming.”
“The atmosphere puts you in a state of trance which makes the time go by.”
“I'm not necessarily in for endless runners, or at least usually... however the atmosphere of the game - brought to life with both the graphics and the simple, yet amazing soundtrack - is just overwhelming.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to performance issues that detract from the overall experience.
