Pulse Runner
About Pulse Runner
Pulse Runner is a one-button rhythm platformer in glowing neon. A little cube races to the right on its own and all you do is jump: tap to hop, hold to keep jumping, over spikes, onto blocks, across pits and up staircases, while the whole screen pulses to the music. Touch a single spike or run into the side of a block and the cube shatters and the level restarts from 0%, so every run is a test of memory and timing. Yellow pads fling you high into the air, and glowing orbs give you one more jump in mid-air if you tap while you pass through them. Five levels (Neon Start, Block Party, Bounce House, Pit Stop and Overdrive) get longer and faster as you go, and each one has been beaten by a search program in testing, so there is always a way through, even when it does not feel like it. Your best percentage and attempt count are saved for every level. When a level gets too tough, switch to practice mode, which drops a checkpoint every fifth of the way so you can learn the tricky parts; finish in normal mode to earn all three stars. Pulse Runner plays free in your browser with a single key, a mouse click or a tap on any phone or tablet.
How to play
Tap, click or press Space (or the up arrow) to jump. Hold the button to jump again as soon as you land. Avoid spikes and do not run into the sides of blocks. You can land on top of them. Yellow pads launch you automatically; tap while passing through a yellow orb to jump again in the air. Reach 100% to finish the level. Practice mode adds checkpoints.
Questions
Why does the cube die when it touches a block?īŧ
You can land on top of blocks, but running into their side or hitting them from below is a crash. Jump earlier so you come down on top.
What do the yellow things do?īŧ
Yellow pads on the ground throw you high into the air on their own. Yellow orbs in the air give you an extra jump if you tap while touching them.
Is every level possible?īŧ
Yes. Each level has been finished by a computer search that tries jumping and not jumping at every moment, and its winning run is replayed in the tests.
What is practice mode?īŧ
Practice mode saves a checkpoint every 20% so you respawn there instead of at the start. Finishing in practice earns one star; a normal run earns three.
