Alto’s Adventure (Series)
Platforms: Android, Mac, PC and iOS
Genres: Action, Platform and Racing
Released: February 2015, updated in 2018. Added to this library 5 months ago, last updated 8 weeks ago.
Overview
Descend beautiful mountains, dunes and canyons on a snowboarding journey full of serenity and secrets. All you have to worry about is tapping to jump to avoid chasms, rockfall and other hazards. It’s simple and moreish due to the stunning landscapes and to a feeling of flow as you charge down the mountain, but there’s real skill to doing it well. Alto’s Adventure is a good first sports game because it’s simple to control but requires a deep understanding to master.
Alto's Odyssey follows up to Alto's Adventure that extends the beautiful snowboarding down mountain descents, dunes and canyons. This time there are hot-air balloons, moving grind rails, swirling wind vortexes, rushing water and wall riding. New dynamic lighting and weather effects like sandstorms and shooting stars add to the visuals.
This game is good if you want to harm no living thing, escape life's storms for a while, muse on deep topics, play with one button, cope with losing or play your first video game.
Commitment
Players: This is a single player game.
Costs
Accessibility
- Difficulty: The game requires precise timing skills for when you tap to jump and how long you hold the screen to achieve flips. It gets harder the longer you stay alive on each run. You can replay tutorials at any point via menu.
- Reading: There is no reading in the main game, but a lot of small text over backgrounds in the Workshop upgrade area and Your Score area. Menus are clearer text.
- Controls: Play with a single tap to jump. The tap can be anywhere on the screen.
- Image calibration: The player character is particularly small. You can earn different characters, some of which are more visible, but these are not all available from the start.
- Audio calibration: Can adjust music and effects separately. There are audio cues for your speed, jumps and power-ups, but not for upcoming visual hazards.
System settings: Android has accessibility settings including ways to navigate and interact, although not all games support this. Windows has extensive accessibility features. Some, like colour correction, work with games. Lots of accessibility software can be used with PC games, from voice recognition to input device emulators. iOS has a very extensive suite of accessibility settings including ways to navigate with voice and comprehensive screen reading, though most of the features don't work with games... read more.
Similar Games
The following games address a similar topic or offer a similar way to play. They are good options to play after Alto’s Adventure, and also offer a range of alternatives for different age ratings.
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Costs: Purchase cost.
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Alto’s Adventure is in These Lists
In addition to the similar games listed above, which have been linked to this game specifically in the database, you may find games with a similar theme to Alto’s Adventure in the following lists:
Your First Video Game
We've found that it's not just parents who have enjoyed the way these games let them in on the world of gaming, but grandparents, uncles and aunts. In fact it's a great list for anyone who's never played a game and wants to know what all the fuss is about.
Find Calm From The Storm
Commit No Violence
Many of them are aimed at children and families, but you'll be surprised how many explore deeper, more mature themes in their narratives, or require just as much skill as a fast-paced first-person shooter. This means there's plenty of offer for parents who might lack the reflexes (or interest) to survive a round of Fortnite.
We've focused on the games you might not expect to be played non-violently here, but you can find the full list at Non-Violent Games Of the Day curated by James Batchelor.
Interpret Deeper Meaning
These are two publications for Christian audiences, that have invited me to shed light on what a range of video games might mean for those communities. I aim to make connections with faith, the bible and the experience of these video games. This is one way to interpret them which of course invites further and possibly counter interpretations from other perspectives. YCW articles:
Firewatch | Everything | Bury Me My Love | Abzu | Wilmot's Warehouse
Thirdway Articles:
Proteus | Joust | Uncharted 3 | Alan Wake | This War of Mine | Journey | Limbo | Spaceteam | A Dark Room | Altos Adventure | A Year Walk | Bioshock Infinite | The Last of Us | Disney Infinity | Everybody's Gone to the Rapture | That Dragon Cancer | Spec Ops The Line | Papo and Yo
One Button Games
It should be noted that many of these games need to be started with more than one button. Some are played by tapping at a fixed point on a touchscreen.
For those needing alternative access there are many possibilities with an accessibility switch. These "switches" come in many shapes and sizes including jumbo buttons, super-sensitive finger switches and sound sensors. In some cases, the spacebar or a Bluetooth keyboard can work just fine. If the player can activate the control and if it can be connected to the games machine, then one-button play becomes a possibility.
This list was compiled with the help of Barrie Ellis, who runs One Switch. On that site you can find equipment to enable a far wider range of games to be played by accessibility switch users. OneSwitch also supports a range of other accessible gaming solutions.
Persevere After Losing
These are interesting games for families, not only because their difficult nature leads to shorter sessions, but also because they foster perseverance and coping with losing. After dying you are sent back to some sort of central village where you can choose upgrades for your next attempt. The incentive to play again once you have been killed is usually that you start with some more equipment or skills.
In this way, by belligerence and a slowly learned understanding of how the game world works and how best to survive, you incrementally get a bit further each time you play. Here are some really good roguelike games for families:
Thanks for using our resource. We are editorially independant, written by parents for parents, but welcome sponsorship, partnership and suggestions. It is supported by the Get Smart About PLAY campaign from AskAboutGames.com. For more advice and guidance on video games, also check out my Taming Gaming book.Tweet
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