About Desert Dash
Desert Dash is a one-button endless runner. Your little toy fennec fox races across a sunny desert that never ends. Jump over the cacti, duck under the birds, and keep going as the pace picks up and the sky turns from bright day to a pink dusk. How far can you run?
Also called: dinosaur game, dino run, endless runner.
How to play Desert Dash
- Tap the board, or press Space or the Up arrow, to start running. The fox takes off with a jump.
- Tap or press again to jump. Hold the button down for a higher, longer jump; let go early for a short hop.
- Swipe down, or press and hold the Down arrow, to duck. Ducking in mid-air makes the fox dive straight back down.
- Jump over cacti, alone or in clumps. Birds fly at two heights: jump the low ones and duck under the high ones.
- Your score is the distance you run. Every 100 points gets a little celebration.
- Press P or the pause button to pause. The game pauses by itself when you switch tabs.
Rules
- The run ends the moment the fox touches a cactus or a bird. Hit areas are trimmed a little inside the drawings, so a graze is forgiven.
- A jump always starts with the same push. Holding the button softens gravity on the way up for a moment, which makes the jump about half as high again.
- Ducking right after you tap cancels the jump, so a swipe down on a touch screen works even though your finger tapped first.
- The desert speeds up steadily as you run, up to a top speed.
- Obstacles are placed at random, but always fairly: every one can be cleared at the speed you will be going when you reach it, and there is always room to land before the next one.
- Birds only start to appear after 300 points, and the biggest clumps of cacti after 500.
- Medals: bronze at 300 points, silver at 700, gold at 1,500. Your best score is saved in your browser.
Desert Dash tips and strategy
- Jump late. Wait until the cactus is close. Jumping too early is the most common way to land right on top of one.
- Use short taps for single cacti and a held jump for wide clumps and low birds.
- For a high bird, just duck and stay down until it has passed.
- Coming down too slowly? Duck in mid-air to dive and be ready for the next jump sooner.
- As the speed climbs, start your jumps a little earlier than you think.
- Keep your eyes a little ahead of the fox, not on it.
Desert Dash questions
How do I play Desert Dash on my phone?
Tap anywhere on the board to jump, and keep your finger down for a higher jump. Swipe down to duck. The page won't scroll or zoom while you play.
How do I jump higher?
Hold the button (or keep your finger on the screen) as you jump. The longer you hold, up to a short limit, the higher and longer the jump. Let go straight away for a small hop.
Is every run possible?
Yes. Each obstacle is checked when it is placed: it must be clearable with a full jump at the speed you will be running when you get there, and the gap after it leaves time to land and jump again.
Why does the sky change colour?
The desert slowly goes from day to golden hour to dusk and back again as your score climbs, so you can tell a long run at a glance. It is purely for looks and doesn't change the game.
Is Desert Dash free to play?
Yes. Desert Dash on Kultured Arcade is completely free: no download, no account and nothing to buy. It runs in any modern browser on a phone, tablet or computer.
Do I need to download Desert Dash?
No. It opens instantly in your browser and saves your progress on your device, so there is nothing to install and no sign-up.