Review: Grim Joggers (iOS)

Endless runners are scattered all over every iOS device. From Canabalt to Robot Unicorn Attack to Monster Dash, this newish genre comes in many shapes and sizes. This excessiveness also makes it hard to bring something new and fresh. Grim Joggers is a brand new runner for your iOS device and takes something familiar, endless runners, and adds something new: a group of runners, which happen to be a group of joggers in an "extreme jogging club."

This tweak may not sound like much, but it is enough to make me choose Grim Joggers over other endless runners. Imagine playing a runner in the style of Super Meat Boy's end-level barrage of failed meats; it may be a bit much at first, but I quickly got used to the multiplication of runners. The extra worry that comes from controlling multiple characters adds a layer of strategy non-existent in other runners. A double jump could save joggers in the back and kill joggers in the front, while a short jump may kill joggers in the back and save joggers in the front. This seemingly simple addition makes Grim Joggers more than just another endless runner.

Grim Joggers is a must-buy for any fan of endless runners. The game is currently running an early bird, half off sale for the low, low price of a dollar. What do you get for that crisp dollar? Game Center integration (achievements and leaderboards), three different areas of play (a fourth is coming soon), and murderous polar bears. I also really love the hidden Nike symbols scattered throughout the Jungle Workout area, which may or may not be pure coincidence. And, I found a mischievous joy from watching the guy in back miss a jump, or letting half my team fall to their death just to hear them scream. I know; I need help.