Leg It!

You do not run in Leg It!. You step. Hold anywhere and your back leg lifts and swings forward; the longer you hold, the longer the stride. Let go and it plants. Get the rhythm right and Dave lollops down the high street at a decent clip. Hold too long and he does the splits, pitches forward and kisses the pavement. Tap too fast and he minces along while the horde behind closes the gap.

And there is a horde. It shambles after you the whole way, a little faster the further you get, and if it catches you that is the end. More come at you from the front: lurching out of shop doorways, dragging themselves along the pavement to grab an ankle, sprinting up from behind once you are far enough in, and the odd brute who will swat you into next week. Weapons lie on the pavement, and you pick them up by treading on them: a frying pan that goes BONG, a cricket bat, a golf club that sends heads flying, a fire extinguisher, a nail gun, a shotgun with four shells, a chainsaw. Tap WEAPON with your other thumb to swing or fire at whatever is nearest, ahead or behind. Shove them if you have nothing.

The pavement fights you too. Step on a crack and your streak multiplier is gone. Puddles, dog poop, banana skins and abandoned skateboards take your foot out from under you, and you get a split second of slow motion to catch yourself with another step. Open manholes and roadworks swallow you whole. Side streets have cars in them, which is bad news for you and very good news if you can lead the horde into one. Fall over and you can get back up, if they are far enough behind you.

Day turns to dusk and the streetlights come on as you go. Brains carry over between runs and unlock a postie, Granny Mags and her handbag, a hipster with very long legs, a man in a hot dog costume and an astronaut, plus perks like Lucky Socks and Head Start. Gore can be switched off.