Sky & flight · PEGI 3
Alto's Odyssey
An endless sandboarding game across desert dunes, canyons and temples, built around a one-button trick system. Its Zen Mode strips away scores, coins and power-ups for a meditative run with its own soundtrack, which makes it a good few-minute unwind.
Sandboarding endless dunes under a changing sky
Sliding across dunes in Alto's Odyssey
Alto's Odyssey is the second game in the Alto series, following Alto's Adventure. You sandboard down an endless desert, leaping chasms, grinding over rooftops and riding hot-air balloons, wall rides and wind vortexes.
The developer describes an elegant one-button trick system that is easy to learn and difficult to master. Dynamic lighting and weather, from sandstorms to shooting stars, change the scene as you ride.
Each run lasts as long as you stay upright, so sessions are naturally short.
The developer also mentions rushing water, shooting stars and changing light. Over a session, the desert shifts from day to night, which adds to the sense of a calm, continuous ride.
Seven characters can be unlocked across the series, each with their own attributes and abilities, according to the developer, but none of them are needed to enjoy Zen Mode.
Using Zen Mode to switch the scores off
The standard mode has goals, coins, upgrades and leaderboards. For winding down, the more useful option is Zen Mode. According to the official description, it comes with its own serene soundtrack and distils the games to their purest elements: no scores, no coins and no power-ups, just you and the endless mountain or desert.
There is also a Photo Mode, available from the pause screen, for framing a still shot of your run.
Because the game is about steering and timing jumps, we have not ticked the no-timers flag. In Zen Mode, though, a fall simply means starting again.
Zen Mode is a good choice for the minutes before bed: there are no goals to complete and nothing to buy, and the soundtrack is designed to be serene. If you find yourself chasing one more run, setting a fixed number of runs before you start is a simple way to keep it short.
What to check on the mobile versions
On Google Play UK, Alto's Odyssey is a free download that contains ads and in-app purchases, rated PEGI 3. On the UK App Store, it is listed as a one-off purchase. If a child uses the Android version, consider purchase controls in Google Play. Our guide to calm games for kids explains how.
PEGI notes that, on rare occasions, an angry man or a lemur may chase the character and, if they catch up, the run ends. It is seen from a distance with little detail.
Ads in a free mobile game can break the mood of a calm session. If that bothers you, the iOS version and The Alto Collection are one-off purchases, though it is worth checking each listing for current details before you buy.
On any version, the photo mode is a pleasant way to slow down: pause a run, frame a sunset and simply enjoy the scene before carrying on at your own speed.
Alto's Odyssey on computers and consoles
On Steam, Alto's Odyssey is sold as part of The Alto Collection, which bundles Alto's Adventure and Alto's Odyssey for Windows and Mac. The developer lists over 120 levels, 360 goals and seven characters across both games.
The PEGI database lists The Alto Collection on PlayStation 4 (August 2020), rated PEGI 3.
If you like its sky-and-sunset mood but want no fail state at all, Flower is a gentle alternative.
The original Alto's Adventure, set on snowy mountain slopes, is also part of the collection if you prefer a wintry scene to a desert one.
The series is notable for its sound: the developer recommends headphones and describes original music and handcrafted audio. In Zen Mode, the combination of soundtrack and steady motion is the closest this library gets to a moving meditation, though as always we make no health claims.
"Calm" here is an editorial view of pacing and pressure, not a health claim. If a game stops feeling restful, it is fine to put it down.
Where these facts come from
Last checked:
