Okay, who hates endless running games by now? I know I had my fill of them within a few months of getting my first Android device years ago. That bias has not stopped me from checking out Alto’s Adventure though. I mean, come on, this is a Noodlecake release, so for me, it required at least a download and tryout. The premise in Alto’s Adventure at least makes the endless runner idea work, unlike the many other titles that share this genre.

There are six snowboarders for you to unlock in Alto’s Adventure. These additional characters are unlocked at predetermined levels as you progress. Each new snowboarder has their own unique attributes: one may be slower at first, but fast as he gains momentum, while another may be light on her board and capable of many 360 degree flips. The trick to unlocking each of these new snowboarders is by completing tasks to unlock the next level (three per level). As you progress, these challenges will become tougher, and may even require a certain character to complete (the character is one you have unlocked and is named in the challenge).

Okay, snowboarding may not sound like the most fun thing ever, at least not in an endless running game, though it works in Alto’s Adventure. Sure, Steep Slope Slider and many other snowboard racing games have hit consoles over the years; those were racing games. There was a set end and opponents to finish in front of. Alto’s Adventure is an endless runner that doesn’t have a racing aspect to it. Instead, your goal here is to recapture your escaped llamas, avoid mountain elders, and generally grind your way to higher scores. This is only part of the charm of Alto’s Adventure, though.

While I dislike the endless runner genre, I constantly find myself playing Alto’s Adventure.

The art style used is minimalist which works really well in Alto’s Adventure. What is cool about this art style is that it is more pronounced when the sun goes down and you are left with only silhouettes to find your way around. Night time runs on the slopes are dangerous, because you are still facing canyons to jump, rocks to jump, llamas to rescue, and coins to grab, of course.

Alto, the character you start with, is slow to do flips and such. Maya, the second character, is much better at flips and hang time off of jumps. Doing flips is one way to get points and score multipliers; sometimes required to go up a level. Coins are important in Alto’s Adventure, as those are used to buy more powerful bonus items, such as hover time, magnet for coins, etc. There are In-app Purchases here; it is for a coin doubler, and is completely optional–just saves time in garnering enough coins to purchase higher cost items.

Getting into Alto’s Adventure is dirt simple: just click the screen at the appropriate time and you are good to go. Playing on the GPD XD was how I started this journey, before graduating to my ZTE ZMAX 2 for extended play. Thanks to Google Play integration–at least on Android–you can play on multiple devices and keep your progress going.

Alto’s Adventure by Noodlecake Studios
Genre: Endless runner
Platform: Android (version reviewed), iTunes, Windows Store
In App Purchase: Yes, optional for coin doubler
Rated: E for Everyone (Google Play and Windows Store), 9+ (iTunes)
Available now on , iTunes, and the Windows Store