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Canabalt is a one-button endless runner designed by Adam Saltsman for the Experimental Gameplay Project in 2009. The 2D side-scrolling video game was originally written as a Adobe Flash, then ported to iOS, Android, PlayStation Portable, Ouya, and HTML5. An authorized version for the Commodore 64 was released on cartridge. Canabalt has been credited with popularizing the endless runner subgenre.
Unlike most with predesigned stages and which can be played to completion, the landscape of Canabalt is procedurally generated and endless. The objective of the game is to achieve the highest score, measured in meters per run. Some versions of the game have online leaderboards, allowing players to compete for ranking.
In 2011, Canabalt was ported to the Commodore 64 home computer by Paul Koller. This official conversion became available as a ROM cartridge in January 2012. In March 2012, Canabalt was included in the Humble Bundle for Android 2.
In 2024, Friday Night Funkin' programmer Cameron "ninjamuffin99" Taylor was given the game's original ActionScript source code, which he used to port Canabalt to HTML5 using the HaxeFlixel game engine, a version of Saltsman's Flixel game engine utilizing the Haxe programming language and OpenFL. Cameron has stated that Flixel being an "ancestor" to HaxeFlixel helped with the porting process, and that the HTML5 port is "actually very close to what Adam wrote nearly 15 years ago". Cameron also released the port's source code with Saltsman's permission, and the game was officially updated to the HTML5 version on Newgrounds and the official Canabalt website, with high score boards using Newgrounds' API.
Bonnie Eisenman of 148Apps scored the iOS version 4 out of 5, writing " Canabalt is a gem that daringly mixes simple gameplay with an incredibly complex world, proving that minimalism doesn't have to equal minimal entertainment. If you're looking for a simple, quick-play game, this is one to buy." TouchGen Torbjorn Kamblad also scored it 4 out of 5, arguing that the iOS version improved on the original Flash version; "Tighter controls, and a better overview of your surroundings make the portable version a classic." TouchArcade Eli Hodapp scored it 5 out of 5, comparing the game to Doodle Jump; "I've probably sunk more combined hours in to Doodle Jump than any other game on my iPhone, and Canabalt has the exact same appeal. The pixel art graphics are great, the soundtrack is phenomenal, and ... it's hard to find anything not to like about the game."
IGN Levi Buchanan scored the game 8 out of 10; " Canabalt is a wonderful twitch game that strikes the right balance between skill and luck ... There is something really compelling in here – a real desire to play again and again...and again." Pocket Gamer Keith Andrew scored it 7 out of 10, calling it "a fun little ditty, beautifully presented, but one where success is as much down to luck as it is any skill. That's no doubt all the developers intended, but the sheer addictiveness of play suggests any follow-up that adds a more structure could give it a serious run for its money." Slide to Play Andrew Podolsky scored it 3 out of 4, praising the game, but criticizing the $2.99 price; "The nearly-flawless execution of one simple idea makes the lack of a story or any other depth inconsequential, but we ... think this game would be better priced at a dollar, especially since the original Flash game is still free to play as well."
Pocket Gamer Peter Willington scored the PSP version 7 out of 10. He criticized the lack of online leaderboards, but concluded that " Canabalt for PSP deserves a place on your memory stick. It has a hidden depth that the hardcore will appreciate immensely, and it's built in such a way that more casual gamers can dip into it quickly between games of more substance."
The game was listed among the best of 2009 by numerous video game websites, including Rock, Paper, Shotgun and Eurogamer.
In May 2011, Lewis Denby of PC Gamer placed it at #13 in his list of "20 free PC games you must play." In November 2012, Canabalt was included in the permanent collection of video games at the Museum of Modern Art.
The source code of Canabalt was released by Saltsman in 2010. The engine specific code was released under an MIT License and the game code under a proprietary license. One year later, Saltsman concluded that commercially, this had proved a non-harmful step.
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