Alto's Odyssey Press Kit

Factsheet

Developer:
Team Alto
Based in Canada & UK

Release date:
16th July, 2021

Description

Alto’s Odyssey: The Lost City is a special edition of the award-winning endless sandboarding game, Alto’s Odyssey, designed exclusively for Apple Arcade.

As well as soaring above windswept dunes and traversing thrilling canyons, players can now join Alto and friends as they venture deeper into the endless desert than ever before and uncover its best-kept secret.

First released in 2018, Alto’s Odyssey was met with critical acclaim for it’s fluid physics-based movement, procedurally generated environments, and dynamic lighting and weather effects. The game has gone on to receive many awards and nominations, including the prestigious Apple Design Award, a BAFTA nomination and a place in the coveted Independent Games Festival. For more information, please view the game’s original press kit here.

Alto’s Odyssey: The Lost City expands upon the beloved original, with even more surprises to uncover and challenges to complete—all woven seamlessly into the core experience. So whether you’re a first-time explorer or a seasoned pro, there is plenty for everyone to discover.

History

Team Alto represents the ongoing collaboration between UK-based studio Land & Sea and Toronto-based indie studio Snowman.

Land & Sea is the formalisation of the previously unnamed core development team behind Alto’s Adventure and Alto’s Odyssey. Founded by series co-creator and lead artist/developer, Harry Nesbitt, the studio is now joined by a team of experienced contributors who continue to shepherd the Alto series into the future, while also developing brand new IP’s centred around their shared love of nature, history and folklore.

Snowman is a small studio at the centre of artful experiences. Whether as a developer or creative partner, their goal has always been the same: to create meaningful experiences that you may sit with for a short time, but that sit with you for a long while. In recent years the Snowman team has also grown, expanding beyond their start working on productivity apps and the Alto series to bring a number of titles to life on Apple Arcade and beyond.

You can read more about the early history of Team Alto in the Alto’s Odyssey press kit here.

Revisiting a Classic

Alto’s Odyssey: The Lost City is a unique project for Team Alto, being the first time the team has returned to an existing title and significantly expanded upon the core experience. When approaching this project, preserving the original flow of Alto’s Odyssey was front of mind as they set out to balance new and existing elements. The team took special care to ensure that returning players would feel right at home in this version of the game, while also adding new content that is sure to surprise and delight old and new players alike.

Working with Apple Arcade on this project represented an exciting opportunity for Team Alto as it meant the chance to bring what players love most about Alto’s Odyssey to a whole new audience while also being able to revisit key ideas that didn’t make the final cut of the original release. Bringing Alto’s Odyssey: The Lost City to Apple Arcade has allowed the team to craft what truly feels like the definitive version of the game.

Alto’s Odyssey: The Lost City came to Apple Arcade on the 16th of July, 2021. Players can also look forward to a number of post-launch updates that will continue to deliver additional content unique to The Lost City in the coming months.

Features

Easy to learn, difficult to master. At the heart of the Alto series is an elegant one-touch trick system. Chain together combos, and complete hundreds of goals to unlock new items and abilities — all with intuitive controls.

Discover four stunning Biomes. From The Dunes, to The Canyons, The Temples, and, for the first time, The Lost City. Explore these rich and diverse landscapes, each boasting unique visuals and gameplay.

Newfound heights. Uncover secrets in the sky with hot-air balloons, moving grind rails, wall riding and wingsuiting.

Master the elements. In addition to dynamic lighting and weather effects like sandstorms and shooting stars, the desert is home to swirling wind vortexes and rushing water.

Meet Alto and friends. Unlock six unique characters, each with their own attributes and abilities.

Zen Mode. Complete with its own serene soundtrack, this meditative mode distills Odyssey down to its purest elements: no scores, no coins, and no power-ups. Just you and the endless desert.

Photo Mode. From the pause screen, get behind the lens and take stunning photos of your trip through the desert. Pan and zoom to frame the ideal shot, and share them with friends and family.