Building a Temple Run-Style Game in Unity: My Journey So Far

Nikunj Ranjan — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:11:14 +0000

Introduction

Ever since I got into game development, I’ve been fascinated by endless runner games like Temple Run and Subway Surfers. Their fast-paced gameplay, simple yet challenging mechanics, and addictive design made me want to create something similar myself.

So, I decided to build my own Temple Run-style game in Unity! 🚀

This is my first time working on an endless runner project, and while it’s still a work in progress, I’ve learned a lot about player movement, obstacle generation, and gameplay mechanics. In this post, I’ll share my journey so far—what I’ve built, the challenges I’ve faced, and what’s next!

Setting Up the Project

To start, I set up a basic Unity project and created the foundation for an endless runner. Here’s how I approached it:

1. Player Movement

The first thing I implemented was the player’s movement system. Since the game is an auto-runner, I needed the character to:
✅ Move forward automatically
✅ Allow left and right dodging
✅ Jump over obstacles

I used Unity’s CharacterController to handle movement smoothly:

void Update() {
    Vector3 move = transform.forward * speed * Time.deltaTime;
    controller.Move(move);
}

I also added swipe inputs for mobile and keyboard inputs for PC to make the movement intuitive.

2. Generating the Endless Track
An endless runner needs an infinite track, so I created a tile-spawning system where:
✅ New road sections generate ahead of the player
✅ Old sections get destroyed to save memory

Each track tile is a prefab, and I use a simple object pooling technique to reuse them instead of constantly instantiating new ones.

void SpawnTile() {
    GameObject newTile = Instantiate(tilePrefab, nextSpawnPosition, Quaternion.identity);
    nextSpawnPosition += new Vector3(0, 0, tileLength);
}

Adding Challenges: Obstacles & Hazards

1. Spawning Obstacles
To keep the game engaging, I added obstacles like falling rocks, barriers, and pits. These spawn at random intervals, forcing the player to react quickly.

2. Implementing a Missile System (🚀 WIP)
One of the coolest features I’m working on is a missile system that attacks the player every 30 seconds. Here’s how it will work:
✅ A warning symbol appears on the ground before impact
✅ A missile spawns and follows a 45-degree trajectory
✅ The player must dodge before impact

This system is still under development, but I’m excited to see how it improves the gameplay.

Challenges & What I Learned

While developing this game, I faced a few challenges:
🚧 Ensuring smooth terrain transitions – Fixed this using object pooling
🚧 Making movement feel responsive – Tuned the input sensitivity
🚧 Balancing difficulty – Adjusted obstacle spawn rates dynamically

One big takeaway is that playtesting is key. Small tweaks in movement speed or obstacle placement make a huge difference in game feel!

What’s Next?

This game is still a work in progress, and I have a lot more to add! Here’s what’s next on my list:
✅ Complete the missile system
✅ Enhance visuals & add effects
✅ Improve UI & score system
✅ Add power-ups (speed boosts, shields, etc.)

Final Thoughts

Building a Temple Run-style game has been an amazing learning experience. Even though it’s not complete yet, I’ve learned so much about endless runner mechanics, object pooling, and gameplay balancing.

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Have you ever built an endless runner? Got any tips or feedback? Drop a comment below! 😊

🚀 Follow my journey for more game dev updates!

DEV Community: Nikunj Ranjan

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