Hoverboard Hank – Temple Surfers Endless Run

Hoverboard Hank (the store page lists its full title as “Hoverboard Hank – Temple Surfers Endless Run,” although I’m not exactly sure why except perhaps to draw comparisons to games like Temple Run and Subway Surfers) is a mobile endless running game.

The premise is simple. A boy (Hank) is on the street when a vicious dog begins to chase him. He hops onto a hoverboard and flees through the streets.

As with most endless runners, you’ll have numerous obstacles to worry about. Cars crossing your path, cars driving toward you, hazards on the road… these will either slow you down or end the game, so you want to do your best to evade them. You also run the risk of running out of fuel, so you’ll want to grab the battery-like items in your path, which refuel the hoverboard. A few power-ups are also scattered through the streets.

Your score increases the further you go, and the game records your high score.

Unfortunately, Hoverboard Hank uses gyroscope controls only. You tilt the device left or right to turn, and forward to speed up. If there is another control scheme, it isn’t made obvious. The ability to use touch controls rather than the gyroscope would be a welcome improvement.

Along with things trying to kill you and occasional power-ups, the streets are also filled with coins. Coins are the in-game currency. You can use them to buy new hoverboards. These range from mere aesthetic changes to hoverboards with practical benefits, such as a coin multiplier. Of course, the better the hoverboard, the more coins it costs.

You can also buy a range of clothing and accessories for the main character: hats, glasses, headphones, backpacks, hoodies, jeans, and shoes. This is good for players who like to customize their character, although his appearance can’t be altered. The coin system provides additional replay value aside from trying to increase your high score, along with a sense of progression.

If you don’t want to take the time to earn coins through regular gameplay, which will require patience and repeated attempts to get enough, coins are also rewarded to you if you watch sponsor videos or sign up for promotional offers. Ads also play in between gameplay attempts. Hoewver, Hoverboard Hank does not have traditional microtransactions.

Despite its reliance on gyroscope controls, Hoverboard Hank is a decent way to spend some time if you enjoy endless runners.

Full disclosure: I was compensated for this post, however the thoughts and opinions given here are my own.