It’s hard to believe that the first Lonely Mountains is around six years ago now. Time moves fast in the gaming world, but I remember having tons of fun downhill biking. The game was a roaring success, so it was only natural that the team at Megagon Industries wanted to continue with that formula. Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders landed last week on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Steam. Those with an Xbox Game Pass subscription can also jump in and download this as part of the roster of games.

Image Source – Steam

Brace Yourself For An Adrenaline Rush

For those who don’t care for delving into the online experience and prefer to go it alone then you absolutely can. The premise is very simple and that is to tackle the courses and checkpoints and make it to the finish line. What is clever about Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders is that the environments aren’t completely linear with one pathway. There is a multitude of different shortcuts to shave precious seconds off your runs, but you do need to be cautious as some are particularly challenging to master. When you land the perfect jump combined with a trick and continue at speed, it becomes incredibly satisfying.

Each peak is broken up into several courses with different difficulty options and a more casual zen mode if you want a softer approach with the ability to lay down your checkpoints. Levelling up across modes will allow you to unlock cosmetics to further tweak your character and customise them further. It is also fantastic to see leaderboards across courses so if you fancy taking your chances at being at the pinnacle of the world’s best times, then get out there and keep trying!

Image Source – Steam

Online Multiplayer Is A Great Laugh

The addition of online multiplayer here is fantastic and also well-executed. They have also catered for two crowds as well with both cooperative and competitive options. So whether you want just a casual bit of fun or feel like you can reach the end of the course quicker than others, then there is something for you here.

Within the competitive mode, you’ll be racing to be the fastest but if you don’t stay on your ski then you’ll be set back to the last checkpoint. I was becoming infuriated with my lack of skill and trying to outwit opponents by taking shortcuts, only to fall and lag behind the rest. What I did like is that once finished, you can observe others to see how they are getting on. It isn’t so great if you’re the last one and everyone is watching you continuously failing the same bit of the course.

That said though, with the competitive side, it makes for great sessions with a group of mates and I am sure we will be having some great Complete Xbox community nights with this game. As for the cooperative side of the game, you’ll play as teams by scoring points by landing tricks, being fast, and nimble and avoiding too many falls.

Image Source – Steam

Visuals & Audio

When it comes to indie titles, I am always pleasantly surprised when the visuals exceed expectations. This one is certainly up there when it comes to the mechanics and environments. With three mountains to choose from each with eight courses to traverse through, it must be hard to make snowy peaks appear different. They have nailed it though as every one feels different in their own unique way.

The way the snow glistens against the sun’s rays just looks incredible on screen. Gliding the skis and cutting through the snow has that particular sound as it crumbles and compacts beneath you. The ragdoll physics of your custom-designed character becomes humorous as you crash, bang and wallop into trees, rocks and even head first into the ground.

Image Source – Steam

Final Thoughts

Well, I think we have found the first near-masterpiece indie game of 2025. Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders takes everything that made Megagon Industries’ first title great and strides forward with a super-polished experience. I’ve managed to play this across several devices for this review: Xbox Series X, Lenovo Legion Go, and even cloud gaming on my mobile phone. It is the perfect game to engage with anywhere you are and with the Xbox play anywhere feature it is available freely once in your personal library too.

The addictive nature of just one more run, as you strive for perfection, is ever-present. It’s a game which is a challenge to master but is oh-so-satisfying when you hit courses perfectly. If you’re an Xbox player, you’re in luck since it has been integrated into the Xbox Game Pass library for January 2025. But even at its £20.99 price point, it is well worth every penny for the number of hours you could sink into its slopes.

Overall
  • 95%
    CX Score - 95%
95%

Summary

Pros

  • Stunning visuals and incredible course design
  • Online multiplayer brings great replayability and longevity
  • Moreish gameplay loop

 

Cons

  • Can be a bit challenging to perhaps younger players
  • Multiplayer matches can sometimes take a bit long from the lobby to the match itself

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