Google Play search quirk leaves Temple Run buried under unofficial tips
Out of the running
Temple Run is out now on Android, but you may have a hard time finding it if you didn't click on the handy [download] link we included in our story this morning.
Due to a quirk in how apps are displayed in Google Play, Imangi Studio's official Android port of the hit iOS endless-runner shows up well down the search rankings, below such incredibly important titles as Temple Run Fan App, Temple Run Fan Quiz, and Meme Viewer (for some reason).
And even if you run a search for 'Imangi Studios', Temple Run only appears in 5th position (out of five results).
Hidden treasureThis isn't the first time an official app has been the victim of some slightly dubious search algorithms on Google Play, however.
PopCap's much-celebrated twist on the tower defence genre Plants vs Zombies, for instance, shows up below Pumpkins vs Monsters and, more jarringly for EA, an unofficial hints and tips app for the game (thanks, Stu).
Temple Run will undoubtedly climb up the results page as its download numbers grow, but given the high level of anticipation surrounding the game's release, it's a little baffling to discover Google doesn't have something in place to ensure big-name Android games are highly visible without them having to be a featured app.