Apple releases their top application downloads of every month. In December 2011 Temple Run landed a spot on the list which spurred a new phenomenon to iPhone and iPad users.
The game takes place at an ancient temple that is visited by explorers. An archaeologist, Guy Adventure, encounters demonic monkeys inside the temple and is forced to run out, causing a chase.
On the chase, Guy encounters a series of obstacles (trees, branches, bridges, gaps, etc.) where his survival is in the hands of the player. The controls are simple- the user slides his or her finger across the screen in the direction Guy will run and tilt the screen towards the path Guy will be running on.
The essential goal of Temple run is to survive and run as long as you can.
