Alto’s Adventure goes free on Android, stays premium on iOS

Delightful and relaxing, Alto’s Adventure is coming to Android for free. Photo: Snowman Games

Update: It’s out.

Alto’s Adventure, the hit snowboarding game on iOS and Apple TV, is headed to the Android platform February 11.

Android gamers will, by and large, have the same gaming experience as their iOS brethren with one significant difference: this new release will be free on Android while it remains $2.99 on iOS.

Developer Snowman partnered with Noodlecake Games, known for its Android-porting expertise, to bring the swooshing, coin-collecting, jumping, and just plain engaging endless runner to Google Play.

The game will work the same as on iOS, but will include advertisements as well as in-app purchases like a coin doubler.

“The biggest thing we wanted to ensure was that the actual gameplay wouldn’t change with the shift from paid to free,” Ryan Cash of Snowman told The Verge. “The gameplay and structure are entirely intact, so players are going to get the same experience on Android that they’re getting on iOS.”

Why make the Alto’s Adventure free on Android, then? Because of piracy, mainly. The team says that piracy on Android is a massive issue for games that charge more than $0.99, making a move to free a no-brainer.

In addition, the larger install base of Android in countries like China and Japan–markets that are majority free-to-play–helped the team decide to capitalize on the international market with a free version.

This is great news for Android gamers, for sure, who will finally get a chance to play this charming, utterly delightful mobile game.

Via: The Verge