Temple Run in action for mobile.
Categories

Temple Run crosses a billion downloads. But will it become a global gaming brand?

Imangi Studios says that its Temple Run franchise has been downloaded more than 1 billion times on mobile devices. Since it hit the market in August, 2011, the game has had a steady presence in the market with multiple versions that keep gamers coming back.

Built by just three people, the game has defied the odds, standing out among 1.2 million active apps in the App Store for years at a time when most games last for nanoseconds. But it’s an intriguing question about whether the adventure game will become an enduring global brand, or suffer an eventual decline like predecessor mobile brands like Angry Birds.

Unlock premium content and VIP community perks with GB M A X! Join now to enjoy our free and premium perks. 

Join now →

Sign in to your account.

Written by

Dean Takahashi

Dean Takahashi is editorial director for GamesBeat. He has been a tech journalist since 1988, and he has covered games as a beat since 1996. He was lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat from 2008 to April 2025. Prior to that, he wrote for the San Jose Mercury News, the Red Herring, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and the Dallas Times-Herald. He is the author of two books, "Opening the Xbox" and "The Xbox 360 Uncloaked." He organizes the annual GamesBeat Next, GamesBeat Summit and GamesBeat Insider Series: Hollywood and Games conferences and is a frequent speaker at gaming and tech events. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.