Dinosaur Run is a grayscale, pixelated, arcade-style, endless runner similar to Google's Dinosaur Game that designers created for internet outage play. This version of the game offers more details than the original game. Although it also has a cute, wandering T-Rex running through a desert, the dinosaur has more physical features. There are also tall mountain peaks and more complex clouds and other natural elements. Non-keyboard players will also love that Dinosaur Run offers mouse and mobile interface options in addition to keyboard play.
The player's only goals are to keep their T-Rex running and jumping over obstacles for as long as possible and earn points based on the distance the dinosaur travels. Obstacles include various types of spiked cacti in the T-Rex's path growing standalone and in groups. Even if the player directs the T-Rex to jump over a cactus, it can still die if the dinosaur lands with its back and tail too close to the spikes. Additionally, the game randomly activates acceleration and slow-down of the run, which can make it difficult for the player to gauge when they should direct the T-Rex to jump.
If the T-Rex dies for any reason in Dinosaur Run, the run ends, and the player must start over from the beginning to try to beat their last best score. The game displays the player's best score next to a trophy icon on the main screen.
