Pocket Gamer's recommendation-a-day advent calendar: Alto's Adventure
Over the hills, not far away
Every day, as we count down to Christmas, we'll be sharing a brilliant and essential game from 2015 that didn't quite make our game of the year list. We'll reveal the very best iOS and Android games of the last 12 months on Christmas Day
December 12th - Alto's Adventure
iOS (£2.29 / $2.99)
Alto's Adventure is, essentially, Ski Safari. But to end the description there would be incredibly unfair.
While it does take an enormous amount of inspiration from that heavily addictive skiing sensation, it's also one of the most beautiful mobile games of all time.
Yes, it's right up there with Monument Valley.
It also has an unrivalled sense of adventure. The story begins and ends with you, Alto, snowboarding down a Scandinavian mountain trying to rescue your runaway llamas.
Along the way you'll zoom through dense forests, picturesque villages, and treacherous chasms, collecting coins to spend on items and upgrades and trying to outrun elders, who chase you with a stick if you wake them up.
The lighting effects from the storms, stars, moon, and floating lanterns are a sight to behold, and the backdrops are so picturesque you want to beg the developer, Snowman, to open up the world for exploration in future installments.
But you won't be done with this one any time soon. There are characters to unlock, upgrades to purchase, and high scores to be hotly contested.
And that's not to mention the world, which you'll want to explore time and time again.