Game guide
Gate Runner Games: How to Pick the Right Gate Every Time
Key takeaways
- ×2 beats +n whenever your count is bigger than n; ÷2 is worse than −n whenever your count is bigger than 2n.
- On the best route through 30 levels, ×2 won 17 of 17 pairs and ÷2 lost 7 of 7.
- Looking only at the next gate collected 78% of the best possible total and three stars in 18 of 30 levels.
- Hearts leading to a gate are bait: read the numbers first.
In a number gate runner, a ×2 gate beats a +n gate whenever your count is bigger than n, and a ÷2 gate is worse than a −n gate whenever your count is bigger than twice n. Past the first few gates that is almost always true, so take every ×2 and dodge every ÷2. On the best route through all 30 levels of our Run for Love, ×2 won 17 out of 17 times and ÷2 lost 7 out of 7.
What is a gate runner game?
A gate runner is a running game where the main choice is which gate to pass through. Your runner moves forward on its own, you only steer left and right, and the road keeps offering pairs of gates with a number on each: +5 or +8, ×2 or +11, −4 or ÷2. Some games count soldiers or a crowd, ours counts hearts, but the arithmetic is the same.
In Run for Love the rules are:
- Hearts add 1 love each, and only in your own lane.
- Broken hearts take away 1 or 2.
- Gates come in pairs and change your love: plus, minus, times two or divided by two. Running through the exact middle counts as the right gate.
- Walls block two of the three lanes and take away several love if you hit one. From level 16 some walls slide from side to side.
- Love never drops below zero. Your love at the finish decides the stars, and three stars need 85% of the best possible result.
The gate math in one table
Everything comes down to comparing what each gate does to the count you have right now. The rule of thumb works the same in every game of this type.
| Gate pair | Take the first one when | Example with a count of 40 |
|---|---|---|
| ×2 or +n | count is bigger than n | ×2 gives 80, +11 gives 51 |
| ×3 or +n | count is bigger than n ÷ 2 | ×3 gives 120, +20 gives 60 |
| ÷2 or −n | count is smaller than 2 × n | ÷2 gives 20, −6 gives 34 |
| +a or +b | a is bigger | +8 beats +5 |
| −a or −b | a is smaller | −4 beats −7 |
| +a or −b | always | +3 beats −3 |
A ÷2 gate only wins when your count is tiny. With 10 love, ÷2 leaves 5 and −6 leaves 4. With 40 love, −6 is far better.
What 144 gate pairs showed us
We wrote Run for Love, so we could plan the best possible route through each of its 30 levels and look at every gate pair on the way. There are 144 pairs in total:
| Pair | How many | Result on the best route |
|---|---|---|
| Plus and plus | 87 | Bigger plus, every time |
| Plus and minus | 23 | Plus, every time |
| ×2 and plus | 17 | ×2 won 17 of 17 |
| Minus and minus | 10 | Smaller minus, every time |
| ÷2 and minus | 7 | ÷2 lost 7 of 7 |
The ×2 gates appear from level 11 on, and by then a good run carries 37 to 148 love, while the plus gates next to them offer +6 to +20. Doubling 46 love gives 92; the +11 next to it would have given 57. The ÷2 gates appear from level 16 on and lose for the same reason: halving 52 love costs 26, the −6 beside it costs 6.
The gates are rarely where a level is won or lost, though. We also compared four ways of playing all 30 levels:
A player who looks only at the next thing on the road, takes the better gate and the nearest hearts, collected 78% of the best possible total and reached three stars in 18 of the 30 levels. Planning one or two steps further is what separates three stars from two.
7 gate runner tips
1. Take every ×2 after the first few gates
Once your count is in double digits, doubling beats any plus gate the game is likely to offer. In our levels it never lost.
2. Avoid every ÷2
Halving looks no worse than a small minus, but it scales with your count. The bigger your run, the more it costs.
3. Hearts before a gate are bait
Many gate pairs in Run for Love have a short row of hearts leading toward one side, and it is not always the better side. Read the gate numbers first, then decide whether three extra hearts are worth ending up at the wrong gate.
4. Steer early, not at the gate
Your runner slides sideways at a fixed speed. If you only start moving when the gate is close, you may not reach the far lane in time. Decide as soon as the numbers are readable.
5. Walls cost more than hearts give
A wall takes away several love at once, more on later levels. Losing two hearts to stay in a safe lane is almost always the better trade.
6. Plan for multiplication
Because ×2 doubles whatever you carry, the hearts you collect before it count twice. On levels with a ×2 gate ahead, it pays to collect early hearts even at a small risk.
7. Replay the levels where you lost the most
The “look at the next thing only” player did worst on levels 25 (34% of the best), 19 (42%), 29 (46%) and 12 (55%). Those levels hide their best route behind a choice that looks worse at first. If you are stuck on two stars, try the other side of the first gate.
Try the math yourself: play Run for Love. Thirty short levels, about half a minute each, in your browser.
Controls
- Phone and tablet: drag left and right anywhere on the screen.
- Computer: the arrow keys or A and D. P pauses, R restarts the level and M mutes.
Prefer a runner with lanes and obstacles instead of numbers? Temple Explorer Adventure is an endless runner on the same site.
Frequently asked questions
Is ×2 always better than a plus gate?
Only when your count is bigger than the number on the plus gate. With 40 and a choice of ×2 or +11, ×2 gives 80 and +11 gives 51. With 5, +11 is better.
When is a ÷2 gate better than a minus gate?
Only when your count is less than twice the minus number. With 10, ÷2 leaves 5 and −6 leaves 4. With 40, −6 leaves 34 and ÷2 only 20.
What is a gate runner game?
A running game where you steer left and right and choose between pairs of gates that add, subtract, multiply or divide your count. Run for Love counts hearts; other games count soldiers or a crowd.
How do I get three stars in Run for Love?
Finish with at least 85% of the best possible love for the level. Take every ×2, avoid every ÷2 and walls, and decide early which gate you want.
Can I play Run for Love on a phone?
Yes. Drag left and right anywhere on the screen. On a computer use the arrow keys or A and D.