Temple Run 2 Tips and Powerups

Unlock characters quicker and beat your friends' scores

Temple Run 2 contains the same addictive gameplay as the original with a few neat additions thrown in to keep it fresh. The first big difference you will notice are the enhanced visuals that give a much better 3D feel to the game, and as you sprint away from the temple, you will be taken into entirely new environments, like a mine shaft, which present their own challenges.

Temple Run 2 running on an iPhone
 

Temple Run 2 Tips and Tricks

Like the original, Temple Run 2 is an endless runner game in which your character, an explorer, flees from an ancient shrine after obtaining an artifact. The sequel does away with the trio of monkeys that pursued the hero in the first game in favor of a single, huge monkey that is just as bent on revenge.

Along with a different antagonist and a new setting, Temple Run 2 introduces some different obstacles that require you to pay even more attention to stay alive. Here are some tips for making the most of your time in Temple Run 2.

Stay Alive!

Your primary goal is to stay alive, so while collecting coins is great, sometimes it can be fatal. When you've run far enough that the game becomes really difficult, stop concentrating as much on collecting coins and go for distance.

Collect Green Gems

Green gems are the one exception to the previous tip. These special items can do things like resurrecting your character upon death, so they're worth a little risk.

Look Ahead

Keep your eyes on what's coming next. At first, it's easy to navigate the game, but as you progress, obstacles come quicker, so stay one step ahead by keeping an eye on what obstacle is coming after the one you are currently navigating.

Master Turning While Jumping or Sliding

You can turn while jumping or sliding. You should get good at this tactic because some special power-ups are close to intersections, so a jump-and-turn maneuver can save your life.

Beware Intersections

The mine cart requires you to tilt left and right to choose your path at intersections and duck under obstacles. The most dangerous part is tilting one way to pick up coins and then having to move the opposite direction when you approach a possible dead end. It's a good idea to stop collecting coins once you see an intersection coming up.

Make Good Use of Coin Value

When choosing abilities, start with Coin Value. The more coins you collect, the quicker you can unlock new abilities and characters, so it can be good to get to level 3 in Coin Value before buying other abilities.

Collect Powerups

Don't forget about special powerups. Each character has a special skill they can use, and once you unlock them, you can switch powerups between characters. The first is a shield, but additional ones include a coin bonus, a boost, and a score bonus.

Complete Objectives

Pay attention to objectives, which will give your character a goal and help you level up. With more levels come better multipliers, which ultimately lead to better scores.

Temple Run 2 Characters

You start Temple Run 2 with two characters: Guy Dangerous and Scarlett Fox. You can unlock additional characters in the upgrades menu. One key difference between the original and Temple Run 2 is that characters get a special powerup which makes unlocking them more important. Once you open up an ability, you can use it with any character, so you aren't locked into using Guy Dangerous if you want to use the Shield.

The following runners are available as soon as you download Temple Run 2. Additional characters are available for purchase using either in-game or real-world currency. Seasonal characters like Santa Claus are also available at different times of year.

  • Guy Dangerous
  • Scarlett Fox
  • Barry Bones
  • Karma Lee
  • King Fafnir
  • Queen Astrid
  • Maria Selva
  • Zack Wonder
  • Rahi Raaja
  • Nidhi Nirmal
  • Francisco Montoya
  • Montana Smith
  • Cleopatra
  • Imhotep
  • Bruce Lee
  • Usain Bolt

Temple Run 2 Powerups

Powerups are available once you unlock them either by reaching a certain level or purchasing a character. You can also activate them by picking up tokens during your runs.

  • Shield (available at start): protects you from obstacles.
  • Boost (Level 2): increases your speed and automatically makes turns and avoids traps.
  • Coin Bonus (Level 4): starts the run with 50 coins.
  • Coin Magnet (Level 6): pulls coins in from farther away.
  • Score Bonus (Level 8): starts the run with 500 points.
  • Gem Bonus (Level 13): starts your run with one green gem.
  • Bolt (buy Usain Bolt): combines the effects of Boost and Coin Magnet.

Temple Run 2 Abilities

Abilities are boosts that all characters can use. Some of them make powerups last longer or work more efficiently, while others affect your basic skills at running and collecting coins. Here are the abilities in Temple Run 2.

You can level up each Ability five times by spending coins.

  • Coin Value: activates double-and triple-coin pickups after you've run a certain distance.
  • Shield Duration: makes the Shield powerup last longer.
  • Coin Magnet: increases the length of time that the Coin Magnet powerup stays active.
  • Boost Distance: Increases the distance you cover when the Boost powerup is active.
  • Pickup Spawn: Makes pickups appear more frequently.
  • Power Meter: Makes your Power Meter fill more quickly, allowing you to use powerups more often.
  • Save Me: Reduces the cost (in gems) of using Save Me to pick up a run where it ended.
  • Head Start: Decreases the cost (in coins) of a Head Start, which automatically advances you a certain distance at the start of a run.
  • Score Multiplier: Increases your score multiplier at the end of a run.
  • Bolt Distance: Increases how long (in meters) the Bolt ability will carry you.
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