Alto’s Adventure: Beauty Backflips and Llamas

Oh no, the llamas have escaped again! In Alto’s Adventure, players take on the role of Alto snowboarding on snowy hills to catch his runaway llamas. The number of llamas caught translates to points, and coins found along the way serve as both points and currency to buy items that enhance gameplay. Items such as the hover feather, which allows players to do back flips or tricks without risking crashing for a certain period of time, can be found during normal gameplay. Using coins however, players can purchase the hover timer, which extends the period of time a hover feather lasts. For a much higher price players can also attain items such as the wingsuit, which allows players to fly when their scarf is long enough, allowing for more time to perform trick combos.

The majority of time playing this endless runner 2D game is based around avoiding obstacles and completing challenges to level up. Players have to time jumps over rocks or risk Alto face-planting into the snow as a message cheerfully warns “Watch out for that Rock!!” a few moments too late. Players also have to collect enough speed to jump over chasms and outrun the grumpy elder if they happen to come across his campfire. To gain this speed, players can try to perform tricks. With each successfully completed trick, such as a bunting grind, the speed a player gains is portrayed as Alto’s scarf growing longer. As previously mentioned, once the wingsuit is purchased a very long scarf leads to the ability to fly. Additionally, with enough speed players will gain a shield for a short amount of time that can break through rocks. However, like the shield, this gained speed does not last forever and players have to keep doing tricks to maintain the speed or risk falling into a chasm instead of fully crossing it.

Instead of set terrains or maps for levels, each of the 60 levels contains three goals for the player to complete. Goals can range from scaring off the 2D birds to triple backflips and even more challenging tasks as players grow in experience. By reaching certain levels players will unlock new characters such as Maya at level 11, who is excellent for backflips but slow to pick up speed, and Felipe the Lama at level 41, who jumps higher than his human friends and can also double jump. 

(from right to left: Alto, Maya, and Felipe)

Players are immersed in Alto’s world by beautiful backgrounds and background music along with sound effects. The game starts as the llamas break out of the pen and Alto grabs his snowboard to chase after them with a satisfying ring. The unique sounds of snow against the board, catching a llama, collecting a coin, completing a trick, and many more make gameplay even more rewarding and enjoyable. Not only that, but the scenery gradually changes as the “day” progresses into night or the weather turns from sunny to rainy. The sunsets are particularly beautiful. Not only is this aspect aesthetic, but forests, rain, and nighttime provide another challenge for players who have to avoid obstacles with impaired vision.

Packed with gorgeous art, fairly intuitive for beginners, and just overall fun, Alto’s Adventure is suitable for anyone who appreciates a bit of beauty, backflips, and of course, llamas.