Runner guide
Endless Runner Game Tips From 23 Test Runs
Key takeaways
- 11 of 23 test runs ended in the first gap, at about 55 metres.
- With no input, 5 runs ended between 54.7 and 83.2 metres (average 60.8).
- Pressing Space about once a second reached 60.3 to 439.9 metres (average 151 across 8 runs); click and Up arrow runs averaged 63.3 and 62.2.
- The 439.9 metre run collected 210 coins.
The first endless runner game tip is to learn the first jump: in 23 test runs of Goldstride, 11 ended in the first gap at about 55 metres, and the runs that pressed Space about once a second went farthest, up to 439.9 metres. We started the game in a test browser, tried five kinds of input and read the Final Score screen after every run.
How the game works
Goldstride is a side-scrolling runner. A small knight runs through a mountain valley on its own, so the only control is the jump: Space on a keyboard, a tap on a touch screen. Gaps open in the ground and stone blocks of different heights rise in the way. Arcs of gold coins trace the path of a jump. Two counters at the top right show your coins and your distance in metres, and the Final Score screen lists both when the knight falls.
23 runs, five kinds of input
We ran the game 23 times. Five runs had no input at all. Six clicked the mouse about every 0.9 seconds, four pressed the Up arrow about every 0.6 seconds, four pressed Space about every 0.9 seconds and four pressed Space about every 0.6 seconds. We read the distance on the Final Score screen after each run.
| Input | Runs | Shortest | Longest | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No input | 5 | 54.7 | 83.2 | 60.8 |
| Mouse click, about every 0.9 s | 6 | 55.6 | 78.1 | 63.3 |
| Up arrow, about every 0.6 s | 4 | 54.8 | 82.8 | 62.2 |
| Space, about every 0.9 s | 4 | 78.5 | 228.5 | 134.8 |
| Space, about every 0.6 s | 4 | 60.3 | 439.9 | 167.6 |
Small samples from one test browser; the jump timing was a fixed rhythm, not aimed at the gaps.
The first gap is at 55 metres
The layout was the same in every run. 11 of the 23 runs ended at 54.7 to 56.1 metres, which is the first gap. Four more ended at 78.1 to 78.5 metres and three at 82.8 to 83.9 metres, so the next gaps came soon after. Every run with no input stopped at the first gap or the third, between 54.7 and 83.2 metres.
Space was the jump that worked
The 8 Space runs averaged 151 metres and reached 60.3 to 439.9 metres. Mouse clicks and the Up arrow averaged 63.3 and 62.2 metres, no better than doing nothing. We saw the knight leave the ground when we pressed Space, and when we tapped a phone-sized screen. We cannot say what the Up arrow and the mouse do beyond what these runs show.
Coins follow the jumps
The longest run, 439.9 metres, collected 210 coins. A run that stopped at 60.3 metres collected 28 and one that stopped at 55.5 metres collected 48 coins, because the arcs and rows of coins line the ground as well as the air.
4 tips that follow from the numbers
- Learn the first jump. 11 of 23 runs ended at about 55 metres.
- Use Space, or tap on a touch screen. The 8 Space runs went more than twice as far on average as every other input.
- Do not wait. Without input the knight stopped between 54.7 and 83.2 metres every time.
- Follow the coin arcs. They show where a jump lands and the best run collected 210 coins.
Where to try it
Try it yourself in Goldstride. For more quick arcade runs, Rampcrest is about dirt bike stunts and Plungetower is about dropping a ball down a tower.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the first gap in Goldstride?
About 55 metres from the start. 11 of our 23 runs ended there, and the layout was the same in every run.
What happens if you do not press anything?
Five hands-off runs ended at 54.7, 54.9, 55.5, 55.7 and 83.2 metres, an average of 60.8 metres.
Which key should you use to jump?
Space. 8 runs with Space pressed about once a second or every 0.6 seconds averaged 151 metres, against 63 for mouse clicks and 62 for the Up arrow.
How far can you get?
Our longest run reached 439.9 metres and collected 210 coins; the shortest Space run stopped at 60.3 metres.
What does the Final Score screen show?
Your coins and your distance in metres, with Replay and Main buttons.
Does Goldstride work on a phone?
Yes, in landscape. In a phone-sized test a tap on the screen made the knight jump; held upright, the game asks you to turn the phone.