Cockroach Run: a free jungle endless runner you can play in your browser
Cockroach Run is a free online endless runner set on ancient jungle temple bridges, playable instantly with no download and no account. Your cockroach hero runs forward automatically across three lanes in a pseudo-3D perspective: jump over logs and broken bridge gaps, slide under low branches, and change lanes to escape spiked barricades and rolling boulders while collecting coins. Each level is a distance target that starts easy and gets gradually harder, with 4 unlockable characters and 3 power-ups. It's one of the free jungle running games and temple runner games online you can play straight from a browser tab, no app store required.
How do you play Cockroach Run?
Tap Play and your roach starts running down a three-lane stone bridge toward a temple gate. Every obstacle tells you what to do by its shape: things on the ground you jump, things overhead you slide under, and anything that fills a whole lane you avoid by switching lanes. The first stretch of every run is a warm-up with no obstacles, and the first levels only use simple, widely spaced hazards, so you can learn the rules before the pace picks up.
Tap Play and wait for the 3-2-1 countdown.
Swipe left or right (or press ← →) to change lanes.
Swipe up (or press Space / ↑) to jump over logs, stone blocks and gaps in the bridge.
Swipe down (or press ↓) to slide under overhanging branches.
Collect coins, grab power-ups, and reach the level's distance to complete it.
Obstacles and how to beat them
Fallen log
Jump over it
Low stone block
Jump over it
Broken bridge gap
Jump across it — running into a gap means a fall
Overhanging branch
Slide under it
Spiked barricade
Too tall to jump — change lanes
Rolling boulder
Rolls toward you faster than the track — change lanes early
Quick facts
Price
Free, always — coins are only earned by playing
Install
None — runs in the browser (HTML5 Canvas)
Genre
Endless runner, arcade, pseudo-3D obstacle dodge
Levels
Distance targets starting at 500 m, growing each level
Stars per level
1 for finishing, 1 for the coin goal, 1 for finishing without a hit
Characters
Classic, Jungle (500 coins), Ninja (800), Pilot (1,200)
Power-ups
Coin Magnet, Shield, Rocket
Controls
Swipe on touch screens; arrow keys or WASD on desktop
Devices
Phone, tablet, desktop
Characters and power-ups
Classic Roach is free. Jungle Roach, Ninja Roach and Pilot Roach unlock with coins you collect while running, and each has real differences: Speed sets how quickly you switch lanes, Coin Magnet sets how long a magnet lasts, and Shield Duration sets how long a shield protects you. The three power-ups are the Coin Magnet, which pulls nearby coins to you; the Shield, which absorbs one crash; and the Rocket, which lifts you over every obstacle for a few seconds. You start with three of each, can pick more up on the track, and can restock them in the Shop.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cockroach Run free?
Yes. It's 100% free with no account, no purchase and no paywall.
Do I need to download anything?
No. It runs directly in the browser on phone, tablet or desktop.
Is Cockroach Run similar to Temple Run?
Cockroach Run is an original endless runner in the same jungle-temple running genre popularized by games like Temple Run. Its characters, art, obstacles and levels are its own, and it is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Temple Run or Imangi Studios. If you're comparing options, see our Temple Run alternatives guide.
How is it different from Cockroach Surfers?
Cockroach Surfers is set on subway tracks and you dodge trains. Cockroach Run is set on jungle temple bridges with logs, gaps, branches, spiked barricades and rolling boulders.
How do stars work?
Complete a level for one star, collect the level's coin goal for a second, and finish without taking a hit for the third. A shield blocking a crash counts as a hit.
Does it get harder?
Yes. Each run opens with an obstacle-free warm-up, then speed and obstacle variety increase gradually with distance, and each new level starts a little tougher than the last. Obstacles are spaced so there is always a reachable safe move.
Is my progress saved?
Yes, on your own device: coins, unlocked characters, your level, power-up stock and settings are stored in your browser's local storage. Nothing is sent to a server, and clearing your browser data resets it.
Sources
Endless runner — Wikipedia, background on the running-game genre.
Canvas API — MDN Web Docs, the rendering technology Cockroach Run is built with.
COCKROACH RUN