This project started about 5 years ago and only had one release. I created this new FINAL version as a way to close this project. A new APK for Android and EXE for Windows are provided. There are no changes to the core gameplay, just:

• Fix some scaling issues;
• Remove ads (Android version);
• Reduce free gift timer (~5 minutes);
• Endless mode now costs 500 gems (it was 999).

The new APK removes all ads and does not require any special permissions. The game is also easier to progress and unlock the endless mode. The old Play Store page is not available (read below), you need to sideload the APK (easy if downloaded from the device).

Why was the Grid Run abandoned/"finished"?

The Grid Run was developed with GameMaker: Studio 1.4 after I bought the Humble GameMaker Rebundle in 2017. The 1.4 version was already in its last legs, being replaced with version 2. In 2018, the final version GameMaker: Studio 1.4.9999 (blog) was released.

In 2019 the Grid Run was removed from the Play Store (by Google, it used ads without a Privacy Policy :S). Since then, new target API and 64-bit requirements have prevented me from re-releasing a new version on the Play Store. And because GameMaker: Studio 1.4 does not support these new requirements (and never will) the Grid Run will never return to the Play Store.

I'm not porting the Grid Run to GameMaker Studio 2 (now called just "GameMaker").

Having the chance to build this project reminded me that I had actually played around with an old version of GameMaker back in the early 2000s. It was freeware back then and I clearly remember some of the features that are still present on version 1.4 (these old versions of GameMaker are archived on the Internet Archive: Game Maker v5.0 (Mark Overmars). The Grid Run will forever remain the only project that I made using GameMaker. It was fun exploring it again all these years later.

Will the Grid Run ever return?

The Grid Run was never a successful game by any metric. But I do believe that the core gameplay is sound and could be made into a fun casual game. Maybe someday I'll remake it using a different engine.

Goodbye for now. Thanks.