My Little Pony Rainbow Runners Game Is Exactly What I Needed This Friday

Having a crappy Friday? My Little Pony Rainbow Runners may be just the shot of friendship-filled happiness needed to get you through.

Over the years video games have become a great source of happiness to many who find refuge in them. They can be a way to zone out, have fun and socialize with friends. But not all games are created equal, nor are the reasons we play them. For me, this week has been, well, shitty and it all seemed to have built to a frustrated head this morning as I dragged myself out of bed. While normally I derive an extreme amount of pleasure from strategic battling games like Clash Royale, on days like this, there’s no way in hell I’m prepared for the frustrations these games can elicit. That’s why, when I saw My Little Pony Rainbow Runners featured on the App Store, something deep inside said this game might be just the fix I needed to reset my day. And I wasn’t disappointed.

As soon as you open My Little Pony Rainbow Runners , you are instantly transported into the dreamy pink and purple bliss of Ponyland. After a short cutscene, which describes the challenge to restore color to a grey world under the spell of the villain Discord , players are taken to their initial mission. In each level, players select one of six playable ponies (only two are unlocked in the beginning) to make their run through the world. The game plays a lot like Super Mario Run, with classic runner/platformer elements. Players must run and jump to grab pony power along the way and the more power they gather, the faster they run or higher they jump, but be careful to avoid obstacles or falling in ravines by jumping over them. Some obstacles will merely slow you down, but others will take one of your three precious lives.

There are places along the way where power-ups are planted that allow your pony to activate her special ability for a limited amount of time. For example, Fluttershy’s special ability is flying, while Twilight Sparkle can blast any obstacles in her path. If a player succeeds in making it to the end of a run, the little pony will pass through a vortex and restore color to the space. Meanwhile, all the pony power accumulated throughout the run can be used to upgrade a pony’s special ability. These upgrade will make special abilities last longer or become more powerful.

While there are no unique mechanics in the gameplay, the positive messages of friendship and joy that are voiced even when you are failing miserably, combined with the cotton-candy graphics are sure to put anyone in a better mood. The game is a free download, so there are a few ads, but I don’t recall any of them being obtrusive. The main monetization comes in unlocking extra ponies. Players can unlock the four additional ponies for $1.99 each or $4.99 for the entire set. Any purchase made will remove all ads within the game.

While most will probably be satisfied to play with the two ponies available for free, there are certain levels that can only be completed by specific ponies. If you feel the need to beat every level of the game, then a purchase will be necessary at some point. Also, once you’ve completed a level you can’t replay it, so the game has a somewhat short life without a purchase.

While this game is clearly geared toward a younger audience than myself, the positive energy and Super Mario Run -type mechanics made it a way to turn my Friday around. The game is available to download for free on the Google Play and Apple App Store today. If you need a little positivity yourself this Friday, be sure to check it out.