“The Shy Runner” is a 2D side-scrolling platformer about the daily struggle of self-improvement, and about the irresistible temptation of food. You play a shy protagonist who decides to start running by the Han River to lose weight.
Embarrassment, fatigue and tempting snacks along the way turn a simple jog into a hilarious and heartfelt adventure. Humorous, relatable, and slightly emotional — in that order, most days.
How it plays
A fast-paced 2D runner where you avoid obstacles and enemies while collecting food to raise your score. Run as far as you can without being hit three times.
- Tap or press to jump over obstacles.
- Avoid contact with other runners and cyclists.
- Collect food to gain score and temporary boosts.
- Three hits and the run is over.
The whole game is that one balance: a fitness goal on one side, and food on the other.
Where it happens
Along the Han River in Seoul, known for its paths and for its convenience-store ramen. The background moves from morning to sunset to night, which is how the game shows time passing and how determined you have been.
The mood is a calm but lively urban park: 2D cartoon style, soft pastel colours, light humour, and a background that keeps moving — joggers, bridges, the skyline.
Who is in it
You are shy and self-conscious, and you have decided to run anyway. Clumsy, but determined, and the animation says so: sweating, panting, blushing whenever you pass somebody.
The cyclist rides fast and arrives from in front or behind, and knocks you back on contact. The fast runner appears suddenly and changes lanes before you can read them. The slow runner moves steadily and simply blocks the path, which is its own kind of problem.
What you pick up
- Water bottle — 10 points.
- Han River ramen — 50 points.
- Fried chicken — 100 points, and it slows you down.
- Tteokbokki — 75 points.
Three stages
Morning Breeze is calm scenery, blue sky, few obstacles. Sunset Rush brings more people and a faster pace. Night Glow puts lights on the river — romantic, and the hardest of the three.
Benches, convenience stores, bridges, the skyline, food stalls. Everything you would actually pass, and most of it edible.