Heart monitors are often used to convey some sense of drama on TV, in movies, and even some commercials. However, as Lub vs Dub teaches us, they don’t have to be so serious all of the time. In fact, sometimes they can be kind of fun.

Lub vs Dub is an endless runner in two parts. The first part is a solo experience that tasks players with running as far as they can along an EKG (Electrocardiogram) display while collecting hearts to boost their score and power-ups to aid them. As they rush along the heartbeat (i.e. pace) intensifies, making things much more tricky. And it’s not simply a matter of jumping over little spikes on the chart, either. Oh no, there are also very large spikes that can only be avoided by flipping between the top and bottom of the display. The second part is similar, but requires two players to race against each other for the most hearts while using opposite sides of the same iOS device’s screen. It also includes new power-ups that are specifically made to mess with one’s opponent.

The basic concept of running along an EKG readout is a novel one, but Lub vs Dub’s biggest strength is its two player mode. It’s a much more intense and humorous affair to be flipping and jumping around while trying to race/impede another player. And there’s no immediate way to lose, either. Both players race to the end of the “track,” losing some hearts when they smack into spikes or gaining more with certain power-ups, and the one with the most at the end is declared the winner. It’s a simple but very clever approach.

Lub vs Dub’s solo game is a lot less interesting, sadly. Without the addition of another player, and all the chaos they bring, it feels like a fairly bog-standard runner with an interesting visual theme. It’s just run, flip, repeat until smacking into one too many obstacles.

Fortunately Lub vs Dub isn’t just a single player affair. Because while running around alone is pretty dull, it’s a completely different story when another player is involved. It’s no exaggeration when I say that the two player mode is a total game-changer. Assuming one has some friends handy to pressgang into a race or two it can be a darn good time. Otherwise, not so much.