Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
User consensusAlternativesIs it worth it?
The verdict on

Subway Surfers

65
User verdict / 100 High confidence Divided

Subway Surfers remains a popular and entertaining endless runner, particularly for casual play and younger audiences, but recent updates and an increase in ads have led to frustration among long-time players.

4.6★ lifetime (3,770,336) Free + in-app purchases since 2012 by Sybo Games ApS updated 0.3 mo ago recent negative 9% 120 reviews across 4 regions
Ads Glitches & Performance Monetization & Pay-to-Win Repetitiveness & Updates Offline Play
5★671
4★153
3★43
2★18
1★65
recent reviews across 4 regions, vs the 4.6★ lifetime average

Subway Surfers is widely praised as a fun and addictive game, suitable for all ages and playable offline. However, a significant number of recent reviews highlight issues with excessive ads, frequent glitches, and a perceived shift towards 'pay-to-win' mechanics, detracting from the core experience.

What users like

  • Entertaining and addictive gameplay, suitable for all agesR1R3R9R11
  • Does not require internet to play, making it good for offline use or long tripsR5R8R15R23
  • Good for passing time and offers a relaxing experienceR18R24R259R446

What users complain about

  • Excessive and intrusive ads frequently interrupt gameplayR5R7R15R37
  • Frequent glitches, lag, and freezing issues are reported, sometimes causing loss of progress or phone problemsR15R29R41R46
  • Game has become repetitive and lacks new challenging content, leading to boredomR76R101R118R191
  • Perceived as 'pay-to-win' or overly monetized, with many desirable items locked behind paywalls or requiring excessive grindingR7R10R35R238
  • Updates frequently change the game's aesthetic (music, background, characters) which some players dislike and prefer the classic versionR142R181R261R271
  • Issues with account data being lost or progress not saving correctlyR46R150R302R630
  • Game speed can become uncontrollably fast at higher scores, making it unplayable for someR151R373R443

Latest update · v3.65.1

What the developer says changed (the verdict above weighs this against what reviewers report):

- Subway Surfers are heading back to sunny Sydney! Surf through beachside tracks, sparkling harbors and vibrant city streets, filled with fresh content and seasonal events. - Meet Dan Under, the daring new Surfer with a love for animals and unlock themed outfits and Boards. - Join limited-time celebrations for Pride, Midsummer, 4th of July and get ready for the global football celebration with the Football Rush challenge.

Recurring themes

Ads negative
A dominant complaint is the overwhelming number of ads, appearing after every run, sometimes freezing the game or being unskippable, forcing users to restart the app. This contradicts the developer's notes which do not mention ad frequency.R5R7R15R37
Glitches & Performance negative
Users report frequent glitches, lag, and freezing, especially with ads, which can lead to lost progress or even phone malfunctions. Some also experience issues with characters being slower or the game becoming too fast to control.R15R29R41R46
Monetization & Pay-to-Win negative
Many players feel the game has become too focused on in-app purchases and 'pay-to-win' elements, making it difficult to acquire characters or items without spending real money. Some report unexpected charges.R7R10R35R149
Repetitiveness & Updates mixed
While some find the core gameplay fun, others feel it has become repetitive and lacks new challenges or meaningful updates. The frequent changes to themes, music, and characters with updates are disliked by a segment of players who prefer the 'classic' version.R76R101R118R142
Offline Play positive
A consistent positive is the ability to play the game without an internet connection, making it ideal for travel or areas with no Wi-Fi.R5R8R15R23

Who it's for

Subway Surfers is for casual gamers and younger children looking for an entertaining, offline-capable endless runner R3R8R23. It's also for those who enjoy simple, repetitive gameplay for passing time R9R18R24. It might not be for players who dislike frequent ads, seek challenging and varied gameplay, or are sensitive to 'pay-to-win' mechanics R7R37R76R118.

Evidence note: The recent reviews skew negative, with many complaints about ads and glitches, which contrasts with the high lifetime rating. This suggests a recent decline in user experience. While many positive reviews are short and general, the negative reviews provide specific, recurring issues.

Frequently asked

Does Subway Surfers require an internet connection to play?
No, Subway Surfers can be played without an internet connection, making it a good option for long car rides or when Wi-Fi is unavailable R5R8R15R23.
Are there many ads in Subway Surfers?
Yes, many recent reviews indicate that Subway Surfers has an excessive number of ads, often appearing after every run, which can be intrusive and disrupt gameplay R37R40R229R259.
Does Subway Surfers have glitches or performance issues?
Yes, numerous users report frequent glitches, lag, and freezing, particularly when ads play, which can lead to lost progress, unresponsiveness, or even phone issues R15R29R41R46.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R1] 5/5 · US 🤩🤩🤩: I think it’s a great game And I like it a lot
  2. [R3] 5/5 · US Good game: This game is good because a lot of little kids play it
  3. [R9] 5/5 · US Fun: Fun very entertaining I spend almost every day playing this game. Do recommend
  4. [R11] 5/5 · US best game: ever
  5. [R5] 4/5 · US es muy bueno: es poquito difícil pero no ocupa internet ni nada es súper bueno aunque tiene mucho anuncios pero te lo recomiendo
  6. [R8] 4/5 · US Love this game: I love this game so much I love that you don’t even need internet to play great
  7. [R15] 3/5 · US Good but a lot of ads: Btw pls read!!! This game has a lot of ads but it’s a good idea for long car rides! Sometimes it is super glitchy tho and is constantly playing the same ads and asking me to buy the bundles! A good idea for this game is to have a starter pack for first timers so they can get like 10,000 coins 30 keys and like a couple of boards and characters!! In the showdown races I for s
  8. [R23] 5/5 · US Best game ever: A good game online and offline game the best game for me
  9. [R18] 5/5 · US Subway surfers: This game is relaxing and fun
  10. [R24] 5/5 · US This is a good game: This will keep you on for hours
  11. [R259] 3/5 · GB So fun but YOU NEED TO FIX THE ADDS: It’s a great way to kill time in a no Wi-Fi space the only thing is the adverts they annoy me and make me not want to play the game anymore because your hyped up and like yes I’m gonna beet my high score and then pop an advert for an app I already have or and advert for an AI game it’s ridiculous If you are going to show an advert at least make it real not
  12. [R446] 3/5 · GB It’s ok: The plot is good and the graphics aren’t glitchy it just feels like u can’t get anything because of the constant offers but it’s quite good and helps pass the time in the car or when ur bored
  13. [R7] 3/5 · US Too much "pay to win": It sucks
  14. [R37] 1/5 · US Ads: Ads are horrible I’d rather have the option to turn them off completely so my daughter can play uninterrupted! This is absolutely ridiculous.
  15. [R29] 5/5 · US Bad: When I opened the app on my gen 5 iPad it asked me to update So I said yes. When I got into settings there was no UPDATE button. I trade again and again. All I wanted to do was play the game.🙁 the game it's self is so fun but it was glitchy when I tried
  16. [R41] 2/5 · US Pls don't scroll: Omg I can't even play this game because it is not letting me 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡
  17. [R46] 3/5 · US This is not fair: I love your game. It’s not like I want you do go down, but there is a bug I need you guys to fix. I beat a lot of people in the leader for the run. Twice , I beat the champions high score. I even beat my own record. Then when I come out of it, in still in the same place, I refreshed my game and this was still here. You guys owe me my diamond and my champion medal.
  18. [R76] 2/5 · US Repetitiveness: The game subway surfers is not for the weak, because it can drive any man mad with its repetitive nature and no changes, it can make you seem like your in a loop
  19. [R101] 3/5 · US Subway surfers: It’s an entertaining game but after a while you get pretty bored I wish there was fun advantages and free characters. And designable characters other than that I would recommend it if you like unchallenged games.
  20. [R118] 1/5 · US Boring 🥱: I so wish this game were more harder and challenging. All it is is running, which is super Duper boring you just dash left and right left and right superduper boring seriously people get some more ideas maybe even add characters from movies or shows. FOR ADS
  21. [R191] 3/5 · US It's alright it just needs a little updates: Okay it's pretty boring in 2023, I need 4 new updates pls!! 1: make it more tricky like add more obstacles or people who try to catch you 2: don't make it cute. We need your realistic to grow. 3: don't let kids who are 4 play. They need to enjoy other games. 4: no cursing in the game pleaseee!!! Even if you add it I will never play again...
  22. [R10] 4/5 · US Love but would make one change: I absolutely love subway surfers there is only one thing I would change I wish it was easier to buy their characters I would rather be able to buy everything with coins and keys and tokens
  23. [R35] 5/5 · US Subway surfers: I love this game, but some characters cost real money
  24. [R238] 3/5 · US Meh: I grew up playing this game, and It’s pretty much the same game. The only real difference is now there is more “watch an ad for reward” bs. Or pay real money to unlock certain things, it seems like every thing that was once good turns greedy.
  25. [R142] 1/5 · US Buns update: Stop updating the game and return it to its former glory
  26. [R181] 3/5 · US Don’t know what to put: I can’t rate this a one star because it want be fair. If you are a 2000s baby and grow up with this game. Heads up this game has changed so much unlike other games we played. I do want to say they have to much going on the game screen. It was heard to know what was going on. Now it’s definitely catered to your kids, not teenagers. I wouldn’t even play this years ago as a te
  27. [R261] 2/5 · GB What in the world tour: Why does the game keep changing like very month to a different country the music the background the guard it all changes and I don’t like it when is it going to stop and revert to the classic pls return the classic mode or at least have it as a separate game mode or setting pls. At least the gameplay is the same and the floor is lava mode is cool just wish I didn’t have to
  28. [R271] 3/5 · GB Review: I want the old music back now!!
  29. [R150] 3/5 · US 67: After I deleted it and redownloaded all my stuff was gone
  30. [R302] 2/5 · GB Lost account: I had an account which was stacked with kids of characters and boards and trophies and I logged on one day to find my entire account has been wiped and had to start all over again with nothing why is this ?
  31. [R630] 3/5 · CA Please get me back my border: My border got token away from me my name is Matilda
  32. [R151] 1/5 · US Too slow: NOT GOOD!!! For some reason my characters were much slower than my friends, and that caused me a lower high score! DO NOT PLAY
  33. [R373] 1/5 · GB This game is unplayable: You start the game off by running slowly once it reaches high score of 7,000 it goes incredibly fast and uncontrollable makes it completely unplayable I can’t set a good high score cuz of it going incredibly fast. Please fix your game
  34. [R443] 3/5 · GB You need: You need to make it faster in the beginning and make it faster in the rest of the games okay bye
  35. [R149] 1/5 · US Random charge: Haven’t even got around to playing, went to download and it charged my account $24 even though it said it was a free game to download. A heads up would have been nice.
  36. [R40] 4/5 · US TO MANY ADDS!!!!: Such a fun and exciting app except for the every second of adds like literally I finish a race and add then do another race then add again but other then the adds this app is the goattttttt anyways EVERYONE SHOULD GET THIS APP NOWWWWWWWW!!!!!
  37. [R229] 1/5 · US Toooo many ads: After every run there is an ad. You need to close and open the game if not it won’t let you play again

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store