Waste your Time: Runman

I have always been a fan of unique, entertaining independent games. They can offer the fun of the big-time games without putting a huge dent in your wallet. I especially like when I come across a game that is fantastic and does NOT put any dent in my wallet. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Runman: Race Around the World.

Runman was created by two guys named Tom Sennett and Matt Thorson. These two have combined their talents to make one damn fine game I daresay. The games concept is this: There is a race, Runman enters, everybody else drops out and he wins by default, Runman is not happy with this and decides to run anyway. Runman then proceeds to run really, really fast across the world. The world consists of 35+ levels spread across 6 zany worlds.

If you want to know how this game plays, think Sonic the Hedgehog without a blue rodent. The goal in each level is to guide the speedy Runman to the end of the stage as quick as possible while gaining points for killing enemies. You can use your boost to defeat enemies as well as use it to bounce off walls to speed through the level. Strategy comes into play where you need to avoid boosting past sleeping enemies that explode or into a wall that will reverse your direction. At the end of the level you get a bronze, silver, or gold medal based on your performance.

While the gameplay is exciting and addicting, it is the graphical design and music that make this game a real charmer. The crude visuals add a great deal of personality to the game while still offering colorful eye candy to the player. I can just watch that little Runman run on and on while he says sweet catch phrases like “Oh snap” and “Rock on”

The music in the game is also an incredibly unique blend of classic folk, blues, and jazz from artists like duke Ellington and Blind Blake. The music somehow fits the mood of the game perfectly when combined with child-like sound effects throughout the game.

Runman is probably one of the more enjoyable games I have played in a while. It can be a quick diversion or a full-on quest to get the highest score in each level. It is how sonic the hedgehog used to be, but with a totally different feel. You can’t help but smile when you see Runman bouncing all over the level to cheers from some omnipotent audience.

Download this game. In fact, since you probably are not as cheap as me, donate money to these guys for making such a great game. You can download it for free, but it is nice to support somebody who gave you such great entertainment. I guarantee you will enjoy this game and you can even find the game’s soundtrack in the folder if you want to add it to your library. Anyway you slice it, Runman is a good time at high speeds.