Alto’s Adventure
Year: 2015
Rating: E
Time Played: ~40 hours
The Alto Collection was one of the first non-Steam games I installed on my Steam Deck. I wanted a simple game like Alto’s Adventure to ensure that I could play games from other stores (like Epic). Then, I ended up playing this game more than any of the other games I had on Steam. Alto’s Adventure was equal parts relaxing and exhilarating. I could easily zone out and play this game for hours while simultaneously watching something, which made it perfect for playing on the Steam Deck.
Alto’s Adventure‘s strengths come in its simplicity and its aesthetic. There’s only one button to press to get the snowboarding titular character to jump, spin, or glide. The silhouetted atmospheric perspective made it easy to see what was happening at a glance. I also enjoyed the chill music that matched the endless snowboarder vibe. The more I played, the more I could unlock, both through the in-game currency and by accomplishing three goals per experience level. These goals ramped up in difficulty, requiring me to get better at playing it until I had obtained the best character in the game.
This game had a finely tuned risk and reward system that made me regret being greedy. Finding that balance between an extra trick off a grind or smoothly landing was something that hounded me throughout my hours of playtime. And while most of the mistakes were of my own doing, there were occasionally setups in the procedural-generated landscape that felt like a cheap way to end my run. Still, I had an enjoyable time with the game, and the only reason I stopped playing was because I knew I could play indefinitely.
A chill snowboarding game that can easily suck up a lot of time, I give Alto’s Adventure 4.0 stars out of 5.
