A revolution in gaming was a mere hop, skip and jump away…
The latest entry in our classics series popularized an entire genre of games, where you only needed a single digit to play.
Canabalt in 2009.
What was Canabalt?
An endless runner set in a monochrome dystopia. It featured a man fleeing from an unknown threat amid a world filled with explosions and crumbling buildings. By tapping the screen, you sent him hurtling into the air, helping him leap between buildings until his inevitable demise. Inspired by the concept of “Super Mario but with one button”, creator Adam Saltsman initially introduced the game on PC as part of the Experimental Gameplay Project, but it soared to fame as a breakout hit on the iPhone.
Why was it a classic?
It offered something familiar – a scrolling platform game – but did so in a manner that aligned with the limitations of the iPhone and the time constraints users had for gaming on such a device. It was immediate: anyone could grasp the idea of one-thumb controls. But the game was tough to master. You needed quick reactions to navigate scenery that blazed past and keep going for those previous extra seconds that would boost your high score. The game’s apocalyptic aesthetics and tense soundtrack added layers of atmosphere, elevating Canabalt above contemporaries that also had simple gameplay but paired it with rudimentary presentation.
Canabalt on a modern iPhone.
Where is it now?
Despite selling only a few thousand copies on mobile, Canabalt gained popularity among game designers. They riffed off the basic template, creating their own takes on endless runners – although few matched the speed and purity of Canabalt itself.
In 2012, Canabalt had the honor of being inducted into MoMA’s video game collection. And the game itself evolved, adding new modes that offered slight twists on the original gameplay. The most recent update was a 64-bit fix over six years ago, and the game has never been fully optimized for modern devices. However, it still plays well. If you’d like to experience an exhilarating and influential piece of mobile gaming history, it’s well worth checking out.
Visit the Canabalt website or get Canabalt ($2.99/£2.99) from the App Store.