Steam's header art for the game
Lonely Mountains: Downhill was a, as the name suggests, downhill biking game set in various picturesque mountains. The game had a fixed camera from above, at specific angles, so you could not realistically see where you were headed at all times. It was a sort of time trial action puzzle almost; lots of execution and memorization of the trail layouts.
I really liked that game when I discovered it a few years ago and have been chipping away at it some. So, imagine my pleasure in finding out during this Next Fest that a “sequel” was on the horizon.
Of course, this isn’t downhill biking; the focus has moved to skiing. Which ultimately is more of the same, in the sense that you’re still going downhill fast. It does allow for an entirely different mood and different physics however, so in that sense it’s a good continuation.
Some pretty fine, even if lo-fi at times graphics on display
That being said, it was immediately familiar as someone who played the previous title. Despite some slight physics differences (and different mechanics, for example no emphasis on sprint stamina as you’re not pedaling) it really is more of the same. You go downhill on different trails, unlocking further challenges for them. It starts out simple, but then you get trials where you need to complete a trail under a certain time and with respawning at checkpoints a certain amount of time as well.
Lots of obstacles to be found
There is something addictive about this kind of gameplay loop, and the experience is fairly meditative even if chasing these challenges can be (the good kind of) frustrating. The nature sounds and lack of music do help; both this game and the previous one have an almost ASMR kind of quality to them. I’m glad this sequel exists and will be looking out for it in the future.
As of writing (2025-01-15), Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders is still not out, but it won’t be long: it will release on january 21st… so less than a week from writing.