I personally enjoy the totally luck-based struggling. Less of an active thing, but more of an agonizingly suspenseful wait. It raises my hopes, crushes my dreams, and makes me feel like THIS IS THE RUN every time I somehow make it out.
(Incidentally, it has only been "the run" once so far, and I didn't even get eaten in that one...)
EDIT: Speaking of crushed dreams, tfw the apple goes free, but not me ; ~;