Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders
PC/XBOX
1/21/25
Megagon Industries
I'll start this video by saying I absolutely despise winter. Slushy snow gets tracked through the house, the low temperatures have my nether regions retreating like a scared turtle, and defrosting the car while navigating through traffic moving at a snail’s pace—it’s honestly the least wonderful time of the year. Things were different when I was a wee child, though. I loved sledding down hills, making snow angels, and, of course, school cancellations that meant a day at home playing video games.
That said, I've always enjoyed snowboarding video games and winter-themed levels. The Cool Boarders series, which dates back to the PS1 in the late '90s, was always a blast. But games solely based on skiing? Those were pretty rare. If you happen to have any fond memories of skiing games specifically, drop them in the comments below!
Lucky for us winter sports video game fans, a new skiing title has finally arrived, and it comes to us from Megagon Industries, the same team that brought us 2019’s Lonely Mountains: Downhill. So, does Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders manage to carve out a fresh trail, or is it all downhill from here? Let’s find out in our full review!
Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders is a downhill skiing game where you're tasked with completing various challenges to unlock new courses, gear loadouts, and cosmetics. Players are timed on each run and need to carefully navigate dangerous terrain while moving as quickly as possible, all the while avoiding treacherous obstacles or plummeting to their deaths. Sounds intense? Fear not! The game also features a Zen mode, which offers a much more relaxed experience, and the game even includes online multiplayer that's fully cross-platform with up to 8 players.
Much like its predecessor, Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders has a very distinct feel. There are two different control options: screen-based steering or left-right steering. While I ended up preferring the left-right option, mastering the controls will take some time and might throw your brain for a loop occasionally, despite the fact that there are very few button commands to memorize. The quirky, wonky controls are all part of the fun. Admittedly, you’ll experience plenty of frustration throughout your runs due to the game’s feel. However, you can train yourself to get the hang of things; it just takes practice. Ultimately, nailing a near-flawless run or setting a new record time feels incredibly satisfying, making the somewhat steep (pun fully intended) learning curve worth the effort.
You'll start the game by creating your skier, with a few customizable options available. As I mentioned earlier, you'll earn currency throughout your gameplay that helps unlock more items. The game features a built-in leveling system that tracks your progress and awards points, which can be spent on those items. While the cosmetic options might not be all that thrilling, you can definitely work your way to earn that pink hat if it catches your eye.
Before you hit the main mountains, you'll need to slide through a tutorial that shows you the ropes and the slopes! Here, you'll start to grasp how steering, accelerating, and braking work. The right trigger (if you're using an Xbox controller like I was) will get your momentum going, while holding down the A button activates a crouch, sending you downhill at a faster rate. Crashing into walls or falling to your doom? No worries—you can simply respawn with the push of a button. Going off jumps is particularly exciting, as you can perform various tricks—some of which need to be unlocked—do rolls (hopefully before you hit the ground), and even control the distance of the jump. And really, that’s all there is to the game. It’s deceptively easy to grasp but oh so difficult to master.
The single-player solo mode is where most of the substance of Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders lies. Currently, the game has three main locations, each divided into four different trails. While this amount of content might seem a bit light, it's worth noting that Lonely Mountains: Downhill received a seemingly endless amount of post-launch support. It now features around 40 seasons' worth of updated content. I suspect we can expect a similar treatment here. There are also two different slopes per trail, though the black slope will need to be unlocked through challenges.
On the topic of challenges, each slope contains three of them. Typically, you'll need to complete trails within a set amount of time and limit the number of crashes to succeed. Trails are divided into sections marked with checkpoints, and you're timed based on how you complete each segment. The timer is not cumulative for your entire play session; instead, think of each checkpoint section as its own contained area.
For example, if you crash before reaching a checkpoint, the crash will be recorded, but the time for that run won't be. You are ultimately timed for each successful run, and in some cases, if you were slow but still managed to succeed, it’s best to hit the “give up” button and reset the run from the top of the previous checkpoint.
Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders is not an easy game by any means. Some challenges feel quite unforgiving and will require countless attempts. Each trail feels unique, with layouts that are not easily mastered. What begins as an amazing run can quickly turn sour. All of this is to say, for players who are easily frustrated, this might not be the game for you. On the flip side, I found myself learning from mistakes, and the game feels more "punishing but fair" rather than downright punishing. Leveling up and purchasing new gear will also help alleviate some of the challenges, as more advanced gear gives you advantages such as better traction on ice.
If the challenge feels a bit too steep, perhaps the Zen mode will be more your speed. Here, the pressure of a timer is lifted entirely, allowing you to drift along trails freely and set your own checkpoints whenever you wish. It's a great option for those who don’t necessarily love the idea of time-based challenges but enjoy the concept of skiing at their own leisure.
Looking to ski with company? The game features two different modes of online play, both of which are crossplay compatible. A standard race mode is available, naturally, but there's also a team mode where you earn points as a team by riding trails and performing tricks. Sadly, at the time of this review, I was unable to test the online mode due to a lack of players, but assuming it performs well enough, I'm excited to give it a go.
And speaking of performance, Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders mostly ran fine on my 4070, except at 4K resolution, which inexplicably tanked my framerate down to the 20s. While I know 4K is taxing, the game's pleasant low-poly visuals aren’t exactly pushing the limits of what's possible visually in a game. Simply dropping the game to 1440p resolution boosted the framerate to 120fps, which leads me to believe this was a bug. The game also has a surprising amount of load screens which aren’t soul-crushingly long, but not amazingly short either.
Bizarre resolution issues and loading screen qualms aside, the game looks quite lovely, with the snow in particular offering a mesmerizing glow. Oddly though, the game is mostly void of music, which is certainly a choice. While the sound of skis against snow is quite satisfying, and the blowing wind is lovely, most of the game sounds fairly unremarkable and might have benefited from at least having the option of a few musical compositions. Not a deal-breaker by any means, but I love me some VGM, and the minimalist approach used here wasn’t my favorite.
Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders is yet another excellent release from Megagon Industries that offers a similar experience to their previously released game in a fresh new setting and with online features. While the unconventional control scheme won’t be for everyone, and it’s certainly a bit light on content at launch when compared to its predecessor currently, there’s still plenty here to keep you busy for hours, and I had an absolute blast playing it. Already, I look forward to even more content updates in the future and hopefully convincing some of my friends to play with me online, though I would have loved some sort of local co-op option here too now that I think about it. Regardless, this game is a whole snow cone of fun and comes highly recommended.
SILVER/GREAT
Lovely visuals
Easy to learn but tough to master
Online play is a welcome addition to the series
Zen mode is great for those who don’t like feeling pressured
CONS
A bit light on content at launch
Controls will turn some players off
Lack of music wasn’t my favorite
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