You'll be able to play a Hunger Games video game this Thursday, if you've got an iOS device. The free game is based on the book and upcoming movie that depict an annual televised competition for survival between boys and girls in huge arenas in a ruined North America.
The game is a prequel to the movie, and, unlike so many movie tie-ins, it's got a shot at being good.
We've got the first look at the game in action from the folks at Lionsgate, and, what do you know? It's a runner, like the great iPhone game Canabalt. That makes perfect sense, since the game—full title: The Hunger Games: Girl on Fire—was created by a team led by Canabalt creator Adam Saltsman.
Girl on Fire stars Hunger Games heroine Katniss Everdeen and is set in the forest outside her home, where, according to the official game summary, she is "attacked by swarms of Capitol-engineered tracker jackers." The game is set before the movie but references the film and the Suzanne Collins book on which all of this is based. You can run, jump levels, aim and shoot—all a bit more complex than Canabalt but hopefully just as fun.
The game's soundtrack is by Canabalt Danny Baranowsky. You can hear some of his music in the second part of the above clip.
The Hunger Games: Girl on Fire will be available this Thursday on the iTunes App store. The Hunger Games movie will be out on Friday.