Walkthrough
Subway Surfers is one of the most popular endless-running games, following on from the success of the likes of Temple Run. However, uniquely, the latest iteration of Subway Surfers transports players around the world with each update, taking on all-new locations, challenges and obstacles. Developed by Kiloo and Sybo Games, fans of Subway Surfers champion its polished graphics and slick presentation, as well as the fun and varied gameplay – something hard to come by in this genre.
This guide will focus on the latest edition of Subway Sufers, entitled Subway Surfers: World Tour Rome. Previously there have been Halloween, Holiday, New York and Rio editions of the game. In each one the gameplay stays much the same, with characters and locations being swapped out – so this guide will remain relevant for any version encountered. More information will be added as it is discovered and more learned about the game.
The premise behind Subway Surfers is that you play a teen spraying grafitti on the subway. You are interrupted by a character known as The Inspector. Deciding to flee rather than face your crimes, you must run through the subway, dodging obstacles including moving subway trains, to evade your pursuer.
Lanes
Like most endless running games, play takes place in what is known as a ‘lane’. There are in fact three of these, helpfully indicated by train tracks on each one. The game will throw various obstacles at you, including moving trains, signposts, dumpsters, tunnels, bridges, buildings – pretty much anything you could imagine to make your life a bit more difficult. Because there are only three lanes, you have a very straightforward role: pick a lane for the upcoming obstacles.
Now, you will often have to be looking at the horizon of the screen, trying to see what obstacles are coming up and working out how best to tackle them. As you stay alive for longer in each level, the obstacles will get harder. The game facilitates this by putting obstacles close together, and by requiring more complex moves to get past them. For example, you may have to dodge to the right then instantly back to the left to avoid something in your path.
Winning
Unlike conventional gaming, endless running games are just what they say: endless. This means you are getting great value (although the game is free!) as you could potentially play one level for an unlimited amount of time. Players can compete for scores and time, rather than the achievement of beating a particular level. Moreover, there are challenges to complete which require and characters to unlock which require a lot of dedication and many hours spent playing. These factors, plus the fun gameplay and frequent updates, combine to keep people coming back for more.
Obstacles
A good tip for beginners is merely to spend a lot of time on the game learning the patterns of obstacles. Everything is randomly generated, so no two runs will ever be the same, but you will often find multiple obstacles grouped together, certain sections repeating themselves, and various advanced maneouvers required frequently. Similarly, while the shiny easter eggs or mystery chests may look tantalizing, it is often not worth risking your run just for the sake of picking them up. Don’t be afraid to ignore coins and power-ups if you are on a good run just to stay in your current lane and not take any unnecessary risks.
Movements
Moving Left and Right
Movement is basic in Subway Surfers and takes place primarily through swiping the screen. Occasionally you will be required to tap, but not to avoid obstacles. The camera is centered behind your character, so you swipe left to move to the left and right to move to the right.
Jumping
As well as having to dodge between the lanes, Subway Surfers also features vertical gameplay. This means that you will have to jump over obstacles and onto new paths above your head. To do this, simply swipe up on your screen.
Rolling
The opposite of jumping. If you come across and obstacle that is too low for your character to fit under while running, then swipe downwards on the screen. This will cause them to roll under the object.
TIP: Bear in mind that there are some obstacles which give you a choice of jumping over or rolling under them. In these cases the game is trying to make you doubt yourself and change your mind at the last minute. You should make a decision on which path you are going to take and stick with it to avoid any nasty accidents in these situations!
Diagonal
The most advanced move in Subway Surfers is the diagonal jump. You cannot move diagonally while on the ground – only straight to the right or straight to the left. However, when you are in middair, after jumping, you are able to change lanes without having to touch the ground. To be clear, you should swipe up to jump, then, while in the air, swipe left or right to adjust your position before landing.
This is a crucial move in the game which you should endeavor to learn before really aiming for the more advanced challenges and unlockables.
TIP: The diagonal jump means it is always safest to stay on top of trains. This is because you can jump off it and adjust your positioning in mid-air. When you are on the ground, this simply isn’t possible.
COINS
Unlike most games nowadays, Coins form the only currency in Subway Surfers. That means that, refreshingly, there is no premium currency where the game keeps asking you for money. Instead, everything in the game can be purchased using the Coins that you collect on each run. While some items may be prohibitively expensive, effectively forcing you to use real money to buy them, this is far preferable to having a fenced-off premium currency like most free games do.
Spending Coins:
Using Coins you are able to purchase upgrades, power-ups and new characters. Also, you can skip any missions that you are finding too troublesome by shelling out some of your hard-collected coinage.