Endless runner (also infinite runner or auto run) is a subgenre of platform game in which the player character runs for an infinite amount of time while avoiding obstacles. The player's objective is to reach a high score by surviving for as long as possible. The method by which the game level or environment appears to continuously spawn before the player is an example of procedural generation. The genre exploded on mobile platforms following the success of Temple Run, Canabalt, and Doodle Jump being other popular examples. Its popularity is attributed to its simple gameplay that works well on touchscreen devices.

Endless runners can be side-scrolling, as in the genre's early titles, top-down, or 3D, but the player is placed in a neverending level in which the character automatically moves forward. The player's only form of control is to have the character dodge obstacles, either by moving out of the way or using a specific button. Some form of points, currency, or other rewards are gained over time by maneuvering in the level or simply staying alive longer. The game progressively increases in difficulty as time goes on. Usually, the player has a game over if they are hindered enough by the obstacles that they are "caught" by whatever is chasing them and die, however that isn't always the case.

The genre has its origins in the vertically scrolling video games of the 1970s, primarily racing games. The player always moves forward, avoiding obstacles and other vehicles. Taito's Speed Race, released in 1974, was the first. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the same concept was used in skiing games.

Vehicle-oriented platform games, like Jump Bug (1981) and Moon Patrol (1982), added both jumping and shooting as ways to deal with obstacles in continually scrolling levels. The home game B.C.'s Quest for Tires (1983) uses the forced-scrolling and jumping gameplay of Moon Patrol.

The idea of being chased relentlessly by an indestructible obstacle, monster, or boss to enforce forward progression was greatly influenced by the boulder scene from the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark. This theme appeared in games like Draconian (1984) in which the player must avoid obstacles while being pursued by an invincible giant dragon. This would become a recurring theme of endless running gameplay.

177 (1986), a controversial adult game for the PC-88, has endless running from a 2D side-scrolling perspective. The 3-D Battles of WorldRunner (1987), a Squaresoft rail shooter for the Nintendo Entertainment System, has endless running from a pseudo-3D third‑person perspective. Atomic Runner Chelnov (1988), an arcade run-and-gun shooter, has several hallmarks of a modern runner with forced scrolling and long jumping onto platforms to avoid hazards. The 1990 Amiga and TV show game Hugo has sequences of pseudo-3D endless running. In Genji Tsuushin Agedama (1991), the player is constantly running in a forced scrolling environment.

Battletoads (1991) has several forced scrolling areas where the player is required to avoid hazards and obstacles. SkiFree (1991) by Chris Pirih and released in Microsoft Entertainment Pack 3 was inspired by the 1980 Atari 2600 cartridge Skiing. The player skis down an endless slope with procedurally generated obstacles, pursued by large indestructible yetis. Score is based on distance traveled. The pinball machine Doctor Who (1992) includes a video mode with forced running and avoiding obstacles.

The special bonus stages in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994) for the Sega Mega Drive were early examples of endless runner gameplay from a pseudo-3D third-person perspective. The first two stages of Disney's Aladdin (1994) for the Master System and Game Gear featured endless runner gameplay from a 2D side-scrolling perspective. SFCave (1996) is a Windows 3.1 game that involves flying through an endless cave without hitting the walls.