Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders builds directly on the formula established in Lonely Mountains: Downhill. The structure remains familiar: pick a mountain, start from the top, and race to the bottom through a mix of official routes and hidden shortcuts. But this time, instead of a mountain bike, you’re equipped with skis… and that one change has a big impact on how the game plays.
I have to admit, my first few hours were frustrating. Coming from Downhill, I was used to the feel of a bike. Skis? They felt clumsy. Like trying to ice skate in work boots. Every crash felt unfair, every turn too sharp. I questioned whether this was even fun.
Then, things started to shift.
You begin to realize that the controls are not broken. They are simply demanding. Speed comes not from button-mashing but from learning how to flow. You crouch for momentum, brake with care, and use ski poles for tiny bursts. It is a rhythm game at its core. You glide, react, adjust. Over time, the frustration turns into focus. Each run becomes a puzzle. Each shortcut, a reward.
The visuals are simple but effective. The snow glistens in the sun, the low-poly trees look like paper cutouts, and the camera swings dramatically with your movement. It is not there to help you. It exists to add tension. Sometimes it hides dangers behind trees or rocks. That can feel unfair. But when you get it right, it makes the success feel earned.
The sound design deserves praise. There is no soundtrack, just the wind in your ears, the crunch of snow, and the sound of failure. It is strangely calming. But do not mistake this for a relaxing game. Even in Zen Mode, where you can drop checkpoints and remove time limits, the mountain still asks for your full attention.
The challenge is real. Each course has three goals: beat a certain time, crash fewer than a set number of times, and a bonus goal that combines the two. Finish these and you unlock new gear and harder routes. The hardest of these are Black trails, and they are brutal. I have only managed to unlock a few. I am not sure if I will ever master them. But I want to try.
There is also Trick Mode and Free Ride Mode. Trick Mode gives you specific objectives to complete while skiing down, and Free Ride lets you roam without checkpoints. Both add replay value. You can reach the highest account level without touching multiplayer.
Multiplayer exists, but it feels a bit weird. Online races and co-op exploration sound good in theory, but in practice I had trouble finding matches. When it works, it is fun. When it does not, it feels like a missed opportunity.
There are accessibility options like auto-brake and remappable controls. These help make the game more approachable, but the core experience is still built on fast reflexes and patience.
Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders: To be clear, Snow Riders is not for everyone. If you disliked the fixed camera in Downhill, this game will not change your mind. It is an isometric sports game that expects you to adapt. It does not try to hold your hand. But if you enjoy challenge, learning through failure, and a bit of chaos, then this is a mountain worth climbing. – Tom Henry
And with all the new achievements that Trick Mode added, competing it to 100% isn’t easy.
Also, it runs great on Steam Deck, it’s definitely a good game for that device as you can just load a run or two and put it back.
