The sequel to a beloved mobile classic, Doodle Jump 2 is a platformer that’s inspired by the sort of things you might draw in the margins of your notes. Jump upwards on an endless series of platforms in a variety of themed levels, fight doodle monsters, and avoid traps to get a high score.

Doodle Jump 2 is an endless platformer. In the game, you control a “doodler,” a strange creature drawn in an ink-on-paper style that looks like it came right out of a middle schooler’s notes. Your doodler jumps up an endless series of platforms, moving left and right as you tilt the screen in order to fall down on a safe platform and jump again, going higher and higher each time.

Doodle Jump 2 is a direct sequel to an old game, 2009’s Doodle Jump. While it’s not hugely different from the previous game, Doodle Jump 2 offers a plethora of minor improvements. The game is much more animated, from moving platforms to animated monsters with plenty of character, there are a variety of new themes that you unlock as you play the game, and the game feels more responsive and fun to play. It’s a brilliant reimagining of the classic formula that offers subtle upgrades along the way.

While Doodle Jump 2 has in-game advertisements, they’re not particularly obtrusive. You mostly watch ads when you die, which means your gameplay won’t often be interrupted by video messages. If the ads are too tiresome, you can turn them off forever for $5, which is a very fair price for the gameplay offered by Doodle Jump 2. This isn’t a game you’re likely to spend thousands of hours on, but it’s easy to rack up a few dozen.

In order to progress through Doodle Jump 2, you’ll need to collect stars scattered throughout each level.  Stars persist when you die, but they can only be collected in the most recent theme you’ve unlocked. Collect enough stars and you’ll unlock the next theme, enabling you to change the environment in which your doodler jumps. This gives you a good sense of progression as you work your way through the game.

Speaking of themes, Doodle Jump 2’s thematic shifts help the game feel fun and fresh. Whether you’re counting sheep in the dream theme, getting transformed by genies in the desert, or watching asteroids collide with platforms in space. The core gameplay remains the same, but the little twists are enough to differentiate each level and give you something to look forward to when you unlock the next theme.

Perhaps the best part of Doodle Jump 2 is that it’s an endless game without the real-money traps you see in too many modern freemium games. You’re not incentivized to purchase powerups, energy, or characters with real money. Instead, once you’ve made the $5 purchase to turn off ads, the game is free forever. This means that competing on the leaderboards tests your skill, not your wallet.

One of the big differences between Doodle Jump 2 and other endless mobile games is the fact that you can frequently chill out and hold still. You can jump up and down on the same platform in Doodle Jump 2 for a very, very long time. This isn’t always the case – the desert theme has quicksand platforms that dissolve as soon as you hit them, for example, while platforms hit by asteroids in space will break – but on most themes, it’s not hard to find a durable platform that you can relax on while you catch your breath. Don’t be afraid to do this!

There are a couple of other features in Doodle Jump 2 that are easy to forget about. First, the left and right edges are connected. Going off the left edge of the screen will make you reappear on the right and vice versa. Take advantage of this to get to platforms that seem like they’re incredibly far away.

Second, your doodler has a gun on his snout. Use this to take out monsters with ease as you ascend. As long as your gun is active, it’ll take a few taps to dispatch your fearsome foes.

Finally, Doodle Jump 2 is less random than you might think. Levels are surprisingly static when compared to other games. Try to memorize the placement of platforms, powerups, and enemies and look for them on subsequent runs. This won’t help you late in the level, but it’ll make your scores much more consistent.

Are you a Doodle Jump 2 master? What was your favorite theme? Do you prefer Doodle Jump 1 or 2? Do you have any tips or tricks to share? Let us know in the comments below!