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Vault! leaps over all expectations, landing on mobile as a solid high score chaser

The App Army Assembles

Vault! leaps over all expectations, landing on mobile as a solid high score chaser
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| Vault!

Each week, we ask members of our App Army for their feedback on the latest and greatest releases on mobile.

One top pick this week was Nitrome's free to play pole vaulting autorunner, Vault!

Let's see what our App Army had to say...


Well... this is a new take on the endless runner! Just when I thought that dead horse had been flogged as much as it could bear.

You run along with a pole and have to vault over stuff. It's not rocket science but there is a certain charm here.

It seems like this game is following the Crossy Road model where you unlock and collect up different characters which is pretty cool. Makes playing a lot more moreish.

Not sure about the monetisation model in Vault! though. When you make a mistake or fall down a bottomless pit you get an option to either spend some of the in-game currency or watch an advert to keep going.

I'm not the most skilled player with these games, so I've lost a fair few pieces of gold already. The cost isn't too much, but this isn't the type of game I would spend real money on.


Well, here's yet another innovative game from Nitrome. The graphics are beautiful and the gameplay is seamless as ever. It's a whole new take on pole vaulting.

The soundtrack feels fresh and the simple controls make it very easy to pick up and play. I really like the power ups in this game, and the ads aren't too intrusive.

The option to change your character with coins is a big plus too. Nitrome's always very innovative with their games, and this is another great game in their catalogue.


Vault! is more fun than Flappy Bird, but even more frustrating! I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

The game requires you to time your pole vaulting by tapping and holding the screen at key moments. Doing so too early or too late will cause you to fall in a pit and then you have to go through the agony of closing an ad to play again.

You also have to watch out for obstacles along the way, like collapsing ground and red balls that block your path. The more jumps you accumulate consecutively the faster your character runs and the faster you propel yourself towards your inevitable doom.

Along the way you can collect coins that you can use to continue a failed run or unlock more characters à la Crossy Road.

Personally I'm not big on endless runners since I can only repeat doing something so many times before I put it down for good.


I'm so rubbish at this!


Timing your jump is important, but knowing when to release is just as crucial to a successful jump!


Apart from the now illustrious Platform Panic, this is my new favourite arcade-style Nitrome title. As far as quick, one-off high score chasers go, I absolutely love it.

Even the simple fact that you're not endlessly running and jumping, but rather endlessly running and pole-vaulting, really makes this auto-runner shine.

The mechanic is simple, extremely satisfying and tactile, as well as surprisingly nuanced and flexible. This is looking like yet another great game in Nitrome's astoundingly star-studded catalogue.


Okay, I just yelled some profanity at my screen after a failed run. Is this a sign that I should stop?


Hahahaha. I've literally just started playing this game and I'm loving it already. It's really got the feel good factor!


I have to admit this game has really grown on me. I still yell at it though!


Nitrome did it again! I love Nitrome and I absolutely love this little gem. Yes, it's yet another endless runner, but somehow Vault! has a completely different style and a unique feel when compared to its peers.

I don't know whether it's the press and hold action that has you waiting in suspense to see whether you land your vault as planned or if it's the amusement of watching your character vault into objects and bounce back as you miss.

Vault! has a real feel good factor that's perfect when you need something to cheer you up, but don't want to get into anything too heavy. Highly recommended.


Vault! is a good little time waster for when you have five minutes to spare, but I wouldn't play it all the time. Apart from the skill required to actually play it I'm getting slowdowns and screen stuttering, which isn't helping my game.

The ads are also annoying me a fair bit - one minute you're choosing to watch an ad to come back to life, then a moment later you've died and another one pops up. It's not much good though for those with little or no patience.


I can confirm I've experienced screen stuttering too. While it doesn't happen often it's still a problem, especially for a game that requires timing. I also agree that the amount of ads takes away some enjoyment from the game.


I stink at this game! I may not be able to break 40, but I can't stop playing it all the same.

Nitrome's done it again; creating a simple, fun game that's highly addictive and not just another free to play money pit.

It's loaded with characters we know and love from their other games that are fun to unlock, and as per usual the controls are easy to get to grips with while the action remains almost frustratingly humorous.

Nitrome have really cracked the formula for making great games that everyone can enjoy.


As with every game Nitrome puts out, this is an absolute gem. I don't care that Vault! is a score chaser; it's purely amazing in my mind.

There are times when I find myself making the wrong move, but I can't blame the game because in that split-second moment I know where I went wrong. I blame myself, so I get back up and try again.

I love unlocking the characters and seeing each of their animations flourish. Vault! really isn't easy, but it's an absolute gem all the same.


Just one more go! The idea behind this auto... pole vaulter is simple, but Nitrome's charm shines through as long-time fans of the developer would expect.

There are six different characters to unlock, and each one feels alive and full of energy. A few different types of obstacles make the game challenging, but not impossible.

In fact, each time you fail makes you want to try again and not repeat the same mistake. Even if that means you continue to do so over and over.

Now , if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to try and beat my high score.


Something that sticks out to me is Vault!'s payment style. The ads are unobtrusive, never interfering with gameplay, and you're never forced to pay up. If this is the new free to play system of 2015 onwards, I'm very happy indeed.


At first I feared Vault! might be another Flappy Bird-style game that's deliberately designed to be tough. However, after 10-15 minutes of playing, I got the hang of the unusual controls, realising this is actually a really fun little title.

My one quibble with this game is that once a run is over, you have to go back to the main menu before playing again. This is a little frustrating, as Nitrome could have easily added a retry button to the end of run screen.

Overall, this is a fun action game with an interesting new mechanic that'll certainly keep you busy over a few bus journeys.


You know a game is good when you play long enough to unlock the final character.


I think it's time you took a break!


Another fantastic game by Nitrome. This is the most addictive endless runner I've played since the Subway Surfers era!

The characters and their animations are both cute and funny as we've come to expect from Nitrome games.

There are still some niggles here and there though. For instance, you can't revive yourself unless you watch the an ad in its entirety, even though there's an option to skip after five seconds.

I still think the free to play system here is excellent though - I don't think Nitrome could've implemented it any better.


While Vault! has you timing your pole vaults just right to jump over chasms, crossing crumbling platforms, and landing on springs, it isn't anything I haven't seen before.

The coins you earn during your run can be used to unlock new characters, but these characters don't have any special abilities, so unlocking them doesn't have any purpose aside from bragging rights.

Gamers who love 8-bit graphics will dig Vault!, but I'm afraid it's not to my liking.


Vault! is super fun. I can't stop playing it, despite being terrible at it. I just can't make it past 35! The physics are fun, and the game is fair - I never feel like I was cheated when I made a mistake.

There isn't a lot of variety here - it's all about getting as far as you can. Vault!'s worth checking out because it's free to play and loads of fun. You can also be cool and spend two bucks to get rid of the ads, and help support a stellar developer.

The App Army have spoken! If you'd like to sign up, please have a gander at our App Army application article. Did you pick up Vault!? What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments below!
Danny Russell
Danny Russell
After spending years in Japan collecting game developers' business cards, Danny has returned to the UK to breed Pokemon. He spends his time championing elusive region-exclusive games while shaking his fist at the whole region-locking thing.