K-9 Runner

About the game

K-9 Runner is a free side-scrolling chase game. Rex runs automatically; you control only two things — jumping and ducking. Traffic cones, fire hydrants, crates and bins sit on the pavement and must be jumped. Shop banners and tree branches hang at head height and must be ducked under. Bones float along the way: some above the ground obstacles, some under the banners.

Unlike most runners, every level has an ending. A chase meter at the top of the screen shows how far ahead the thief is. Rex is faster than the thief, so as long as he keeps running cleanly the gap closes. When it reaches the right-hand end — CATCH — the thief is caught and the chase is won. If the gap grows all the way to the left — ESCAPE — the thief gets away.

There are 12 chases in four ranks, from a gentle run through the park to The Great Escape, where the street scrolls past about two-thirds faster than in the first chase.

How to play

• Jump: tap the left half of the game, or press Space or ↑. Jump over cones, hydrants, crates and bins.
• Duck: press the right half of the game, or hold ↓. Rex crouches low enough to slip under banners and branches. A quick tap ducks for about half a second; holding keeps him down.
• Fast drop: ducking while in the air pulls Rex straight back to the ground — handy when a branch follows right after a crate.
• Bones: run into a bone to collect it. Each one closes the gap to the thief a little.

Crashes, the chase meter and stars

Hitting an obstacle makes Rex stumble for a moment. He slows down, the thief pulls further ahead, and Rex blinks while he recovers — he cannot crash again during that time. Too many crashes in a row and the thief escapes.

• 3 stars: catch the thief without a single crash.
• 2 stars: catch the thief with one or two crashes.
• 1 star: catch the thief with three or more crashes.

Each caught thief unlocks the next chase, and your stars are saved in your browser. There are 36 stars in total.

The twelve chases

Every chase always uses the same sequence of obstacles, so you can learn a chase and improve on it. Each one has been tested to make sure it can be finished without a single crash.

Tips from the dog handler

• Watch the shape, not the colour. Anything standing on the ground is a jump; anything hanging between two poles is a duck.
• Jump a little early at high speed. On the Top Dog chases, obstacles arrive faster than you expect. Start the jump when the obstacle is about a dog's length away.
• Don't chase every bone. A bone is worth far less than avoiding a crash. Only go for bones that sit on your natural path.
• Use the fast drop. If you are still in the air when a banner is coming, duck to land immediately and slide underneath.
• Hold duck on phones. Keeping your thumb on the right half is more reliable than quick taps when branches come in pairs.

Frequently asked questions