Cookie Run (Korean쿠키런; RRKukileon, stylized in CamelCase) is a series of online mobile endless running games developed by Devsisters. Inspired by the classic folk tale The Gingerbread Man, the series is set in a world of conscious gingerbread cookies that were brought to life in an oven by a witch and have since escaped her evil clutches. Each game has a mechanic of the cookies running to earn points and items, overcome obstacles, and fight or escape enemies. The series is available on iOS and Android devices.

Cookie Run
Logo used for the KakaoTalk and LINE game
Genre(s)Endless running game
Developer(s)Devsisters
Platform(s)
First releaseOvenBreak
15 June 2009
Latest releaseCookie Run: Tower of Adventures
24 June 2024

Gameplay

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Cookie Run is a series of online mobile running games that involve battling to reach the end of a level, with the most recent, non spin-off game being Cookie Run: OvenBreak, which features an ever-expanding collection of cookies, support pets, and valuable treasures, all bearing a different number of points depending on the combination used. Cookie Run at the moment includes six modes, with other modes that will come and go for events. Each game is based on the "freemium" model, which offers the basic game for free while encouraging users to pay in smaller doses for virtual in-game items or abilities.[1]

List of games

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Cookie Run series releases
2009Ovenbreak
2010
2011
2012
2013Line and Kakao
2014
2015
2016Cookie Run: Ovenbreak
2017
2018Cookie Run: CookieWars
2019
2020Cookie Run: Puzzle World
2021Cookie Run Kingdom
2022
2023Cookie Run: The Darkest Night
2024Cookie Run: Witch's Castle
Cookie Run: Tower of Adventures
TBACookie Run: Ovensmash

OvenBreak

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OvenBreak released 15 June 2009. Since its release, it updated to OvenBreak 2 on 11 December 2012,[2] but on 11 December 2013, it was announced that the game would be delisted from the Appstore.[3] A separate title, OvenBreak Infinity, also released in September 2009.[4][5] In late 2010, OvenBreak Infinity reached #1 on the iOS App Store in the United States in the "Top Free Apps" category.[6]

In Summer 2012, Skittles integrated its brand within OvenBreak as part of a sponsorship program through a new play mode, which featured Skittles in the gameplay and its home screen.[7]

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Cookie Run released originally for KakaoTalk on 2 April 2013.[8] It was Devsisters' first game under the Cookie Run IP. It later released for LINE on 29 January 2014 and the game has since seen over 114 million downloads.[9][10]

On 5 June 2018, the LINE version of Cookie Run shut down and was removed from the Google Play Store and the App Store.[11] On April 2, 2023, Cookie Run celebrated its 10th anniversary, and on April 2, 2024, it resumed updates with a large-scale update for its 11th anniversary after an 8-year hiatus. Alongside the update, Cookie Run was added to the official Devsisters website game list, indicating that Cookie Run will continue its service once again.[1]

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Cookie Run: OvenBreak released globally (with the exception of China) on June 15, 2009.[12][13] The game was originally titled Cookie Run 2 when Devsisters revealed their development of a sequel to Cookie Run in April 2015, which was planned to be launched globally by the second half of the year.[14] On September 27, 2016, the game was released for soft-launch, now under the current name, in Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, the Netherlands, and Sweden on both Apple App Store and Google Play.[15]

Ovenbreak is an updated version of the running formula established in previous games: runs features up to two cookies, one Combi Pet, and up to three treasures. Cookies are regularly released in story updates, with updates to the main story coming in annual seasons. The game features multiple singleplayer and PVP modes that involve reaching a high score with the correct combinations.

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Cookie Run: Kingdom was released on 19–21 January 2021 worldwide and had its official English release on 8 October 2021.,[16] Unlike the previous games, Cookie Run: Kingdom takes place in an alternate universe and is a mix of a collectible RPG and a social kingdom-building game.[17] The story involves joining the forces of Cookies from all over the world to stop the plans of Dark Enchantress Cookie.

CookieRun: Witch's Castle

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Cookie Run: Witch's Castle is a block puzzle game released on March 15, 2024.[18]

CookieRun: Tower of Adventures

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CookieRun: Tower of Adventures is a top-down action game released on June 25, 2024.[19]

Spin-off titles

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Cookie Wars was a spin-off game based around the plot of the previous Cookie Run games. It is a mobile tower defense game that was in closed beta, with around 10,000 users testing the game from 10 to 16 April.[20][21]

On 26 July 2018, the game was soft launched in three countries, Thailand, Hong Kong and Canada.[22] It released globally on 23 August 2018.[23] On 15 April 2020, Devsisters announced that Cookie Wars would shut the game down in the following month.[24]

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Cookie Run: Puzzle World (formerly named Cookie Run: JellyPop and Hello! Brave Cookies[25]) is a match-three puzzle game by Devsisters. The game was soft-launched in May 2019 and introduced to international users first to get feedback.[26] It was later officially released in January 2020 worldwide.[27]

Cookie Run: Puzzle World underwent several name changes since its beta release. The current name was adopted on 26 July 2020.[28]

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Cookie Run: Ovensmash was announced in 2022 as a 3D fighter coming to consoles and PC. No information has been revealed outside of its initial announcement.

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Cookie Run: The Darkest Knight is a VR roguelike adventure game for Meta Quest consoles, with its first chapter releasing on 30 November 2023.

Reception

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The Cookie Run series as a whole has received success domestically and internationally. The original OvenBreak was downloaded over 10 million times and was ranked as the most popular free app on the App Store in 20 countries by 2012.[29] Cookie Run for LINE has ranked #1 in Thailand and #4 in Taiwan for sales in 2014, while seeing over 2.9 million daily users on Kakao in Korea in 2013.[10] Cookie Run: OvenBreak made it in Apple's Best of 2017 for the top 10 most-downloaded free iPhone and iPad games.[30] The game was also in the top 20 free iPhone games in 2017 in South East Asia.[31] Cookie Run: Kingdom was the Grand Prize winner of the 2021 Korea Game Awards with the Best Game of the Year Award and the Character Award of the Year.[32] In Google Play's Best of 2021 for Korea, it was chosen as a winner for Best Game of the Year[33] and User's Choice of 2021.[34] In Korea and Thailand, it won Best Competitive; and in Hong Kong and Taiwan, Best Game Changers. In 2022, Cookie Run: Kingdom won the Pocket Gamer People's Choice award.[35]

References

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  1. ^ Cheng, Jonathan (1 July 2014). "For Cookie Run Team, A Taste of Success". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  2. ^ "OvenBreak - App Store revenue & download estimates - US". Sensor Tower. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  3. ^ "OvenBreak 2 for iPhone (2012)". MobyGames. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  4. ^ "OvenBreak Infinity - App Store revenue & download estimates - US". Sensor Tower. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  5. ^ "OvenBreak Infinity". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  6. ^ "OvenBreak-Infinity, 미국 애플 앱스토어 무료 어플 1위 달성". AVING Korea (in Korean). 30 November 2010. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  7. ^ Kats, Rimma. "Skittles drives brand awareness via mobile game integration". Marketing Dive. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  8. ^ "모바일 러닝 어드벤처 쿠키런 for Kakao 출시". This Is Game (in Korean). 2 April 2013. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  9. ^ LINE Games (4 March 2014). "[LINE GAME] LINE Game Endless Runner "Cookie Run" Surpasses 10 Million Downloads Worldwide Within 30 Days of Release". LINE. Archived from the original on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  10. ^ a b Kim, Dongjoon (2 April 2018). "'쿠키런' 탄생 5주년, 브랜드 가치 더욱 높인다" ["Cookie Run" 5th birthday... raising the brand value]. 게임인사이트 (in Korean). Archived from the original on 17 April 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  11. ^ "ปิดตำนานเกมฮิต Cookie Run เตรียมยุติให้บริการในไทย 5 มิถุนายนนี้". AripFan (in Thai). 15 March 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  12. ^ "[이슈] 데브, '쿠키런: 오븐브레이크' 10월 27일 글로벌 출시". Navier Sports (in Korean). 5 October 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  13. ^ Riaz, Adnan (30 April 2018). "Cookie Run: OvenBreak Season Three Update Now Live". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on 4 May 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  14. ^ "쿠키런2 게임, 7개 국어로 무장 하반기 론칭… 실적 부진 탈출 작전!". Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). 17 April 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  15. ^ "쿠키런 신작명 '쿠키런: 오븐브레이크'로 확정". Money Today (in Korean). 12 September 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  16. ^ Team, M. G. H. (20 January 2021). "Cookie Run: Kingdom Arrives on Android and iOS". Mobile Gaming Hub. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  17. ^ 정, 혁진 (22 March 2021). "수집형 RPG+소셜게임, 쿠키런 킹덤의 이유 있는 흥행가도". 디스이즈게임 (in Korean). Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  18. ^ "Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on 12 April 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  19. ^ "CookieRun: Tower of Adventures". Youtube. 25 April 2024.
  20. ^ "쿠키워즈 (by 쿠키런), CBT 성과 인포그래픽 공개". GameInsight (in Korean). 23 April 2018. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  21. ^ "「クッキーラン」シリーズのDevsisters,初の海外法人・Devsisters Japanを東京に設立". 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). 1 November 2017. Archived from the original on 2 November 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  22. ^ "데브시스터즈, 신작 쿠키워즈 해외 3개국 소프트론칭". NSP통신 (in Korean). 26 July 2018. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  23. ^ "薑餅人系列全新手遊作品 《薑餅人聯盟》 雙平台上架!". gamebase.com.tw (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 23 August 2018. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  24. ^ "데브시스터즈, 쿠키워즈 5월 15일 서비스 종료". 리뷰10K (in Korean). 16 April 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  25. ^ "데차·쿠키런 4주년, 장기 흥행 비결은 '콘텐츠·소통·IP'". it.chosun.com (in Korean). 27 October 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  26. ^ "[플레이어] 안녕! 용감한 쿠키들이 독특한 게임성 선보인 비결은 'AI'". it.chosun.com (in Korean). 2 February 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  27. ^ "DEVSISTERS". Devsisters. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  28. ^ @CRPuzzleWorld (27 July 2020). "Only a few more days until the Season 2 update! #Cantwait" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 March 2021 – via Twitter.
  29. ^ Tebay, Andy (19 June 2012). "[Startups in Korea] Devsisters — Leading the market in Mobile Games". VentureSquare. Archived from the original on 28 November 2016.
  30. ^ THE NATION (16 December 2017). "Biggest bites at the Apple this year". THE NATION. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  31. ^ Ismail, Izwan (7 December 2017). "Here is Apple's list of top apps in Southeast Asia for 2017". New Straits Times. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  32. ^ "[지스타 2021] 대한민국 게임대상 대상은 '오딘'". 이투데이 (in Korean). 17 November 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  33. ^ "구글플레이, '2021 올해를 빛낸 앱·게임' 발표". 디스이즈게임 (in Korean). 30 November 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  34. ^ "밀리의 서재·쿠키런 킹덤, 구글 플레이 '올해 최고 앱·게임' 선정". Seoul Shinmun (in Korean). 30 November 2021. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  35. ^ staff, Pocket Gamer (5 April 2022). "Cookie Run: Kingdom crowned Pocket Gamer People's Choice 2022". www.pocketgamer.com. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
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