Ideas for unique mechanics in new endless runner

For the past few months me and my company have been working on a new endless runner designed for mobile platforms.
I know what you might think... another endless runner ? As if there aren't tens of thousands of them on the market already... I know there are, but a lot of them are really simple and boring. There are endless runners out there with 1 mil - 100 mil + downloads and they have really simple and boring mechanics and graphics. That being said, I think that our game has the potential to be "better" than the majority of runners on the market. I also believe that an endless runner is a good project to pick up for a new company that is trying to break through into the market (simple mechanic, tested, proved, successful and popular, etc.).

A short description of the game: a 3D endless runner with procedurally generated levels, seen from a sidescrolling-landscape perspective. The basic game mechanics are jump and slide - every obstacle is either "jumpable", "slide-under-able" or both. Obstacles come from the right side of the screen and you have to react fast to avoid them.
On top of these simple mechanics we created the concept of "gizmos" (somewhat similar to jetpack joyride's gadgets) - these are collectibles/power-ups that change the mechanics of the game.
One of the "gizmos" we added is "super bubble". How does it work ? When you take this power-up, the game pretty much turns into a reverse flappy bird - gravity is reversed, the bubble is dragged upwards, you continuously tap to push it down and dodge the obstacles (go over or under obstacles).
I know these mechanics should have probably been well thought as part of the initial game design but we are a new company and it is expected to make mistakes.

What other mechanics like these do you think could be implemented in a game like the one we are developing ? I am just looking for opinions and ideas.

 

If I knew something that would make a over saturated game genre like this more successful I would most likely do it.

 

Haha good point.

 

Having popular IP helps. I played the minions infinite runner to death. I'm pretty sure the yellow guys are more valuable IP then the movies themselves.

 

not trying to sound mean but its true, as BoredMormon says, IP sells in this area, After thinking about it I do have a idea of something that could add to this saturated area, might do a prototype .

 

You could make something excessively gory and violent. That would be new for the infinite runner series.

 

Pick something to focus on. What experience do you want players to have?
For example, maybe you want there to be some kind of journey / sense of discovery. Maybe every 6 screens worth of scenery the background and enemy graphics change taking the player from a bright and sunny area out over a mountain through a spooky graveyard into a haunted castle and out to... and so forth eventually wrapping back around to that starting location again.

For mechanics maybe instead of just focusing on obstacle avoidance the player is collecting something (coins would work although they may be a bit overdone). Maybe even better make some cages and put a prisoner in each one. Now as the player avoids obstacles they can also attempt to touch the cages releasing prisoners. Depending on game speed you can add a bit more to it by also placing keys around the level and the player must first collect a key and then can release one prisoner. This will give a them another stat to try and improve. When they die just show keys collected 3/5 prisoners released 2/5 where the first number is what they achieved and the second number is the amount they had encountered up til the point they died.

The only real limit is your imagination. You can do whatever you dream up.

 

My challenge to you:

Random Whales (this time I'm completely serious)

Go!

 

With lenny faces!

( ͡͡ ° ͜ ʖ ͡ °)

 

It just so happens that in our game you play with caricatures of some recognizable characters from real life/tv shows/etc., without using their real names. Hopefully we don't get sued.

 

add perks for different celebs. Example, usaine bolt runs faster. (bad example but you know)

 

Endless chaser, just as the player grabs the runner it's an alien and sheds it's skin, and continues running, or kicks a box into the path of the player etc etc ad infinitum.

 

@xceed
It just so happens I've been working on this exact concept of expanding the endless runner genre to have more meat beyond the bloat of flappy birds, swervy cars, jumpy dude, dodge-a-thon copies of each other.
I have a couple ideas for unique mechanics and enhancements to improve upon the endless runner genre.

To expand upon GarBenjamin's post - story isn't totally unique in endless runners but its really abstract in the few runners that have story elements which drive the game forward.

And power ups aren't unique to runners either, but depending upon how you incorporate them - they can really enhance game play.

One of the things I dislike about most runners is the jerky insta-twitch movement of the player 'character' in most runners. I don't think this is a requirement that is essential for fast paced game play, I think it actually originated as a quick push to market decision which has stuck as a poor design element.

Just a couple thoughts to consider.