# Populus Run — user reviews > 51 indexed App Store user reviews of Populus Run by FIFTYTWO, rated 4.60/5 from 4,387 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/populus-run/id1376509945/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/populus-run/id1376509945.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 3,441 · 4★ 490 · 3★ 245 · 2★ 89 · 1★ 122 ## What do users think of Populus Run? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 🎨 Lovely art style and music - 🕹️ Unique and fun gameplay concept - 👍 Addictive and challenging - 🕹️ Satisfying to collect characters **Cons** - 🐛 Inconsistent and unresponsive controls - 🔥 Performance issues and lag - 🤯 Extremely difficult and frustrating at times - 🤔 Random obstacle placement can lead to unavoidable deaths **Commonly reported bugs** - Permanent bugs that prevent progression - Losing progress and unlocks due to bugs - Inconsistent behavior of characters and obstacles **Most requested features** - More level variety and content updates - Improved control scheme and responsiveness - Ability to adjust control sensitivity - Option to play in portrait mode ## Newest reviews (16 of 51) ### 4/5 — Good Game, But Some Bugs That Ruin It *2023-05-13* Okay, so I love Populus Run, but there are some PERMANENT bugs that I want to share with you. For example, here’s one: Okay, so let’s just begin with the fact that this is one game bug. There is more, but this is one I am going to share with you. Okay, okay. I’m gonna get to it right now. So there was this game that was called Hotdog Party. It was normal for the first seconds, and the intro showed. Do I like the intros? Uh, yeah. But this one wasn’t normal. When running time started, the title didn’t go away. And it kept like this for the WHOLE GAME. I could barely see the people who I had control with who were running. I will admit that I finished the game, but it was still distracting, because the title was still there even AFTER THE GAME. I was steamed. This was the first time I had a bug, and that ruined Populus Run PERMANENTLY for me. There are some more, but THAT’LL take me like an hour to type. I hope Populus company can fix this, and make it playable again. Thanks! ### 3/5 — Fun game but hate the controls *2023-01-08, version 1.3* I would say play this game so much more if the controls weren’t so awkward. I wish they were smoother than pushing a button over and over again on either side. It would help if it was controlled more like a video game or Roblox. The current controls have a higher learning curve and adjustment. I’m already to the point of just deleting the app. But the concept is really fun. ### 4/5 — So awesome *2021-09-01, version 1.3* I love the music and the characters and level design and overall style of the game. The controls are just a little finicky though and it makes a game that requires precision more frustrating than it should be. That’s why it’s only 4 stars in my rating. If they could find a more intuitive control scheme for my iPad it might be perfect. ### 4/5 — LOVE LOVE LOVE *2021-08-31, version 1.3* This game is amazing and so cute! I love the music and I find myself dancing in my chair before I even start the game! Only thing I’d say is sometimes the level becomes too difficult to where you loose people regardless of how you are moving around objects which is frustrating. Also the controls are a little off…. but this game is new so I know there will be updates. Keep up the great work and thanks for a great game! ### 3/5 — Why update the app without adding new levels *2021-07-19, version 1.3* Yes the controls needed a tweak or two but this game has been out long enough to add new levels plus this game is on Apple Arcade if I’m am paying a monthly price for access what is the point of still having this game downloaded and taking up storage if when an update comes out there are no new levels added. I can download free apps that will have more levels then this ### 3/5 — Super fun but…. *2021-07-16, version 1.3* It’s so cool! Looks neat (and I even enjoy the corny singing and music)…BUT… it’s the hardest game in video game history to control. You get a large crowd of people only to be forced to sneak between a small space and lose them all. The left right controls are really sensitive too. I love this game but I won’t play it often because it’s hard to control. Can’t even pass level 5. ### 3/5 — Phone gets hot + major fps drops *2021-06-11, version 1.2* Fun game at first, but on second level after restarting a few times to get secret character, my phone started getting quite warm. As I continued the screen dimmed (probably to compensate for heat or battery drain) and I started seeing major lag spikes and frame rate dips. It go pretty unbearable after awhile. I have an iPhone 12, so performance dips isn’t something I’d expect… so maybe there’s a memory leak in their somewhere? Uninstalled for now, but I hope they fix because it’s pretty fun otherwise. ### 4/5 — Cute game but needs minor fixes *2021-03-25, version 1.2* Ugh I love this game. It’s wonderfully frustrating. There have been times where this game made me angry because certain moves just seemed inevitable, so there isn’t really a lot of freedom to move around in some of the levels. However, overall it’s such a cute game and I love the concept. The characters yelling at you to “hurry up” in the level selection screen was such a minor but very funny detail. My biggest problem with this game would be the lag. I find it a bit strange that a game that requires no Wifi (or in-app purchases to get rid of ads banners that conveniently block your view) would glitch and lag occasionally, but it hasn’t made me dislike the game. However, sometimes I’ll tap the left/right button to move the characters in said direction, but they’ll go in the literal opposite direction. I was wondering if I was the only one with this problem? Either way though, this game is super cute. Love it to bits. ### 4/5 — Performance Issues *2021-03-04, version 1.1* I love this game, I think it’s a blast to play. However, the game is poorly optimized and I can’t play more than a few levels without my phone getting very hot and starting to lag. I’m playing on an iPhone 12 Pro Max. I would also echo what others are saying: the controls are inconsistent and sometimes frustrating. ### 5/5 — Thought it would be generic..was pleasantly surprised *2021-03-02, version 1.1* I thought it would be a generic runner type game, like the ones that are normally free to play. This one pleasantly surprised me though! It really has its own unique twists and charm to it. I love the sound track for this game and the sound design in general as well! Would definitely recommend trying out :) ### 4/5 — Awesome amazing really really hard *2021-02-27, version 1.1* I love the aesthetic and the music and sound design is amazing, but I cannot get the hang of the controls. It feels like lots of times there’s not enough room for your whole group to get through gaps (I get that’s intentional). Also the bouncy camera movement makes it had to be precise with movement. I gave up after failing (what I assume is) the last section of level three a dozen times. That section needs at least one more checkpoint. ### 5/5 — Jackson J *2021-02-24, version 1.1* I really enjoy this game every day. Possibly one of the most fun games I have in my life. But I highly recommend adding a new update. Maybe we could get like more fast food but in a whole new environment. maybe the boss could be a Hot dog. Maybe the name of the boss would be: Hot dog IV The empress of hotdogs. Either way it’s just an idea. Overall I really enjoyed this game and I love it. Thx ### 4/5 — Doesn’t need a Hardcore mode *2021-02-23, version 1.1* This game is great. Beautiful design, amazing music and overall just lots of fun. You can tell a lot of thought went into the music and overall aesthetic. The game is also wonderfully frustrating. I’ve had donuts become stuck in my only path, jawbreakers fall directly and unavoidably over my pack of characters, chocolate pieces to the left of the path when there’s a curve also to the left making it impossible to move forward. No two runs are the same, so it’s just not possible to try and learn a pattern. You win by persevering. I do wish the characters moved in a more consistent way and that the controls were a bit more precise. The way obstacles spawn is quite random, so a bit more control would definitely help. ### 5/5 — Been waiting for this game... *2021-02-16, version 1.1* Since I’ve seen this game appear in arcade on AppleTV I’ve been waiting on this game to drop. Notification came through on my iPhone and I immediately started to play via AppleTV, camera movement with controls are pretty fun and make the game a whole lot better and interesting. The game was not what I expected but blew me away with the simple but yet fun active nature of the game. It seems like a game you would play by yourself or with a cool group of friends/family while having a hip convo or laxing. It’s a game to set the vibe right for sure. The music makes me want to listen through Apples AirPod Pro Max head set. This is the only game on my phone no other game needed. I prefer to play via AppleTV as it’s definitely better game play since camera pan is way more interesting and makes it more interactive and immersive. Thanks for creating this game. This beats out Minions, Subway Surfers, Temple run and any other game in this type of dodge objects strategy style game. Only issue would be not being able to adjust the AppleTV remote sensitivity for smooth controlling. Xbox controller would work better ### 5/5 — Great game small problem *2021-02-15, version 1.1* Overall I love it and it’s music. Loads of fun! The only problem is the setting never remember what you pick for controls. I like having the jump on the left and left/right on the right side. I have to do this each time I start the game. ### 5/5 — Just One Thing...🏃🏽‍♀️🥦🏃🏽🍓🍍🏃🏾‍♂️ *2021-02-12, version 1.1* I fell in love with this game on sight, and once I started playing, sure enough, it’s been a lot of fun. On two occasions though, the game kicked me out mid-play. Not sure why this is as my phone is compatible. There’s also lagging and I have an 11 Pro Max 356G. Doesn’t really make sense. The game does use some battery power and my phone can get a bit warm after long-time play, but still? I’m hoping that this is a bug that can be corrected with a simple update. It’s a great game. I’ve had to delete games that I absolutely loved in the past simply because of buggy issues and really don’t want that with this one. I would love to be able to play this on my MacBook also! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Random Chance *2021-03-07, version 1.1* Do you like when the obstacles in a level appear at random? Do you like when objects will appear directly in front of you blocking the entire path, forcing a restart? Do like not being able to hone your skills at a level due to random timings? Then this is the game for you. Enjoy the feeling of complete futility when you’re almost to the end of a level and the game feels it necessary to put you in an unwinnable and entirely unavoidable situation. The first five levels are decent, hardcore mode doesn’t feel as if you’re making it though on sheer luck of the draw. After that, forget it. This game’s obstacle generation has me livid, if I wanted to gamble, I’d go to Vegas. Instant delete. ### 1/5 — Awful, don’t waste your time *2021-02-02, version 1.1* I started out this game really hoping to like it. The concept seems really cool, but when you get to actually playing it, it’s awful. The controls do nothing to actually control your play through the game. You can’t steer, the timing and physics of the game make no sense, and jumping only half helps. You also can’t play in portrait mode, which I think is a big mistake. I also have a personal dislike of the people speaking the words during the music. I think it’s really annoying, but that doesn’t relate to the actual play. But if you like losing a lot for no purpose other than lack of control, this is your game. ### 2/5 — I would love to love this game 😕 *2021-04-26, version 1.2* I can’t get past level 3 to save my life.. I’m surprised I even got to level 3. The controls are absolutely horrible. I’m trying to watch for the obstacles so I can move the people around them.. but I have to look at where my fingers are at the same time to make sure I’m pushing the right button!!! There’s gotta be another way to control where they go! I’d love to give 5 stars.. but I can’t even play. Soooo. I guess I’m out on this game. 😕 ### 2/5 — Inconsistencies mar an otherwise good game *2021-02-22, version 1.1* I really want to like this game. The artwork is great, the music is stellar, and the idea using a herd of runners to represent HP is very neat. However, there are several issues that make this game very frustrating to play. The controls. First, the left/right arrows need to be mapped to the left/right sides of the screen, respectively. When your thumb is sliding around during a run, it’s far too easy to press the wrong direction accidentally. The level design. In general, the levels are very good - lots of variety and trying to find the secret character can be challenging. But how obstacles spawn in is a touch too random—minor variations in when/where they spawn can result in wildly different levels of challenge. This can make restarting levels very frustrating ### 2/5 — MAJOR BUGS, but Fun *2021-02-17, version 1.1* It’s so fun! This game is so goofy and fun, and the soundtrack just makes everything so much more fun. I love that everything is a song. And I love the hidden meaning behind it...they’re trying to avoid being hurt by the junk food while running to save the healthy food. Can’t wait for more levels! I did lower my rating from a 5 though because there are still a lot of bugs present in this game, some very obvious that I’m surprised made it past testing. For example, I DID NOT SAVE THE SECRET CHARACTER OR GATHER ALL THE COINS IN LEVEL 19, MEANING HARDCORE MODE SHOULDN’T BE UNLOCKED, YET WHEN I GO BACK TO PLAY IT, THE SECRET CHARACTER IS GONE AND IT PUTS ME IN HARDCORE MODE. THE SECRET CHARACTER IS NOT IN MY COLLECTED CHARACTERS EITHER, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO COMPLETE! ### 2/5 — Bad controls *2021-02-12, version 1.1* I read great reviews about this game and I was excited to get it. But I was disappointed when I got it. The controls are really hard to use and it’s really frustrating. I feel like the levels are almost impossible to get through. I feel like it would be a lot easier if it had swipe controls. The other reviews are pretty good so maybe I’m just bad a the game idk. The only thing I did really like was the graphics, those were great. ### 2/5 — Nice idea but design and control problems *2021-02-05, version 1.1* I’m on an iPhone 8. I like the graphic style and the idea of picking up more people along the way. At different/random times the controls are poorly responsive, so I keep going straight into a guardrail during a turn. Not always obvious when you need to jump, like going over a cliff is fine but they can’t run up two steps? Also with lots of people, ya can’t get around the macarons that appear in the middle of the course - there isn’t enough room between the macaron and the guardrail, even on a straight stretch. ### 2/5 — Nightmare fuel; wonky controls *2021-02-05, version 1.1* This game is really unintentionally creepy. The music with its long gaps between beats, the eerie sounds the characters make, the way their pear-shaped bodies and legs all hover and shuffle in synchrony, the large macarons slamming the ground with their blank stares, the purple “dream haze” art style, the characters with their empty facial expressions - all of these add up to make an atmosphere that’s in the “uncanny valley” of creepy. The controls are also very wonky and hard to maneuver, as if there’s a delay to them. Worst of all, the left and right move buttons are both on the left side of the screen, making it easy to tap the wrong button and move your character(s) in the wrong direction. ### 2/5 — Promising concept, failed execution *2021-02-01, version 1.1* I love the graphics, the foody-world theme is super cool and the music is awesome. But the gameplay is the weak point of the game: controls are unresponsive sometimes (and this game requires your best reflexes, so this is a monumental flaw), and the performance is simply unacceptable when FPS drops abruptly, affecting gameplay (I played on a 12 Pro Max iPhone, so is not a limited hardware issue). I hope a future update of the game fixing the performance and controls will result in a worth playing, fun and cute addition to the Apple Arcade catalog. In the meantime, there are other great games to play with your Apple Arcade subscription. ### 2/5 — Has potential but controls are horrible *2021-01-31, version 1.1* I want to like this game. I was looking forward to its release. The concept is great and so is the music. BUT the controls are absolutely horrible. As much as I try to play this game, thinking it’ll improve as I get used to it, it doesn’t. It’s as if I have zero control over the players. I’m just sliding into walls and obstacles. I tried adjusting the layout of the controls and that did nothing to improve the playability. Also is annoying that I have to reset the desired control layout every time I play. Would be nice if the game remembered my preferences. I want to want to play this game, but knowing how frustrated I will become has made me delete the game. Maybe I’ll check it out again in the future if it’s updated to address the issue with the controls. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Yes, this game is as cool as it gets! *2023-02-26, version 1.3* This game is so amazing. I just want to pull my nipples off! I've never been into runner games, but this one is truly fun and amazing! You have to try it to know what I mean, so just stop reading this and go play it. It's an instant love affair to pay this game... So what more are you needing to hear? ### 5/5 — I love this game *2022-05-28, version 1.3* This game is amazing, it’s a runner game with, an amazing style, I can’t recommend it enough. Basically you run around dogging unhealthy food trying to get as many people as possible. I highly recommend it, if I had to rate the difficulty on a scale from 1 to 10 I’d rate it a 6. ### 5/5 — Totally recommend! 🤩🤩🤩🤩 *2022-04-13, version 1.3* I love this game! this is amazing because its so fun and if you lose you don't get mad unlike other games because this game is so satisfying that you collect characters and you can adjust the controls so your are more satisfied while you play! This game is for any age as long as you know how to play and my 5 year old son LOVES it so i tried it out! ### 5/5 — Rare bug *2022-01-07, version 1.3* In level 6 I found a BUG! This bug is rare so don’t worry :) so the bug is basically freezing the screen and make you start all over again NOT start over the game but start over the level otherwise the games pretty good ### 5/5 — This is a FUN game to play on my M1 Mac Mini! *2021-08-07, version 1.3* It's a bit difficult to play with the arrow buttons, but it's addictive! I'd prefer if I could control the crowd with the mouse and jump with the left mouse button. I think the side-to-side response would also improve, if it was tied to mouse control. Trying to interpret analog joypad control to arrow buttons which are purely digital generates alot of over-correction, which can kill lots of people in your "group run". ### 5/5 — The game is not what I expected (in a good way) *2021-06-22, version 1.2* I love this game!! From the moment I saw the preview, I knew I would enjoy it to kill time but boy was I wrong! I am addicted to the game!! In all honesty, I don’t have many complaints besides the lag at times (more than necessary), the controls (sometimes they won’t jump when I hit jump or sometimes they’ll go left when I select right) and certain things just seem impossible to avoid. Idk if the purpose of the game is to be like a “you win some you lose some” type of situation but if it’s not, I hate that there is no possibility to make it through the game without losing a single player. If it is a win some lose some type game, then I’m okay with that aspect with knowing I can pick more characters up on the way. Overall, the game is fun and I will continue to support but I hope those few things can get worked out. It seems as tho I’m not the only one who had the same issues with the game since I’ve read the reviews. ### 5/5 — Read before playing this game! *2021-04-23, version 1.2* This game is hard BUT! I’m here to give you some tips and tricks so you don’t rage quit. Tip 1. When you have a large group of people try focusing on 1 certain person, maybe a secret character. It will help a lot. Tip 2. If you want to get a secret character to the end, get the secret character to every checkpoint, so whenever you die you get the character back and try again. Tip 3. Look out for any pathways that don’t seem to go with the main track, that’s how you’ll get a secret character. Tip 4. Don’t pay attention to the goals for a level it just makes you more anxious. Tip 5. Try and keep your cool, maybe try paying attention to the beats. Those are my 5 tips for playing Populus Run, enjoy! ### 5/5 — Marvelous... Simply Marvelous *2021-04-02, version 1.2* I have no idea how this isn’t on the top played list. So freaking adorable. The music, the sound effects, the Muppet-like voices... it’s a dream come true for me, and I hope it shows the whimsical charm that we can look forward to in future games on this platform. Job well-done, you guys. A+++ ❤️❤️❤️ ### 5/5 — Amazing Game, a few suggestions *2021-03-27, version 1.2* I love this game! The theme, the mechanics, and the music are all great! Just a few brief suggestions. First, the jump button isn’t sensitive enough. I was playing hardcore in level 3 and I pressed the jump button on the last jump, and I fell off a cliff. Second, It’s nice how the food placement is random, so you can’t always easily avoid it and know the pattern. But sometimes, the random generation is impossible to avoid, and in hardcore, that is devastating! The main level where I had obstacle generation issues was “Cloudy with a chance of Burgers”. Please fix these problems. Thank you! :D ### 5/5 — A Real Sweet Treat *2021-03-24, version 1.2* Lovely game! It’s a wonderfully addictive and beautifully designed running game with a twist. Collecting people and “healthy” characters is addicting! I’m also very appreciative that the developers heard the community feedback and released an update that significantly improves the game controls and responsiveness! Can’t wait to see more! --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*