Video Games Encyclopedia

Endless runner or infinite runner is a subgenre of platform game in which the player character runs for an infinite amount of time while avoiding obstacles. The player’s objective is to reach a high score by surviving for as long as possible. The method by which the game level or environment appears to continuously spawn before the player is an example of procedural generation. The genre exploded on mobile platforms following the success of Temple Run, Canabalt, and Doodle Jump being other popular examples. Its popularity is attributed to its simple gameplay that works well on touchscreen devices.

Reference: Wikipedia