Comparison

Time Surfer vs Alto's Adventure

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Time Surfer

Embark on an intergalactic journey, surfing through space and diving into cosmic waves. Rewind time to correct errors and escape the universe's end. This game offers a unique experience for those who dream beyond the stars.

Highlights
  • Space surfing gameplay
  • Dive into cosmic waves
  • Rewind time to fix mistakes
  • Outrun the end of the universe
  • Intergalactic exploration
Features
Read full description

Time waits for no one except you: the Time Surfer. Surf across the galaxy & dive into the waves. Rewind time to fix your mistakes & outrun the end of the universe. Dream beyond the stars my intergalactic child. * App Store Editors’ Choice * 4.5/5 - Touch Arcade * IGN App of the Day Follow us on Twitter: @kumobius

About

Alto's Adventure

Embark on an endless snowboarding journey across stunning alpine landscapes. Rescue llamas, perform tricks, and overcome obstacles in a visually captivating and tranquil experience. Discover unique characters and dynamic weather for a constantly evolving adventure.

Highlights
  • Physics-based gameplay
  • Procedurally generated terrain
  • Dynamic lighting and weather
  • One-button trick system
  • Combo system
  • 180 handcrafted goals
  • Unique snowboarders
Features
Read full description

Above the placid ivory snow lies a sleepy mountain village, brimming with the promise of adventure. "A piece of interactive art" – WIRED "Best of 2015" and "15 Most Beautiful Games" – Apple "Favorite Apps of 2015" – The New York Times "One of the best mobile games" – The Verge "Alto's Adventure demands your attention" – IGN "2015 Game of the Year" – Product Hunt "Best 2D Visual Experience" – 2015 Unity Awards Finalist "One of the best-looking games on the App Store" – VICE “The visuals really are incredible” – TouchArcade “Simply stunning” – Red Bull "Best Looking Video Games of 2015" – TIME "Wonderfully tranquil and beautiful" – Engadget "Best iPhone apps of 2015" – Mashable "I couldn't let Alto's Adventure slide by me" – Destructoid "Alto’s Adventure for iOS may be the most beautiful endless runner you’ve ever played" – The Next Web "Pristine and refined" – LA Times "An engaging, relaxing, and beautiful experience." – MacStories "Satisfies the soul" – TechCrunch "Alto's Adventure is the endless runner matured" – Kotaku "Alto’s Adventure is remarkably soothing" – The New York Observer "Favorite game of the year" – BuzzFeed "A joyous experience" – GameSpot "One of my favorite games" – AppAdvice "Alto is lovely" – Eurogamer "It’s seriously stunning" – Macworld "Alto's Adventure is a brilliant mobile game" – PocketGamer "A beautiful visual experience" – CNET "An elegant ride down nature's greatest landmarks" – Kill Screen "A compelling game to play" – The Washington Post "Every inch of this game is visually impressive and delightfully charming" – Business Insider Join Alto and his friends as they embark on an endless snowboarding odyssey. Journey across the beautiful alpine hills of their native wilderness, through neighbouring villages, ancient woodlands, and long-abandoned ruins. Along the way you'll rescue runaway llamas, grind rooftops, leap over terrifying chasms and outwit the mountain elders – all while braving the ever changing elements and passage of time upon the mountain. Features: • Fluid, graceful and exhilarating physics-based gameplay • Procedurally generated terrain based on real-world snowboarding • Fully dynamic lighting and weather effects, including thunderstorms, blizzards, fog, rainbows, shooting stars, and more • Easy to learn, difficult to master one button trick system • Chain together combos to maximize points and speed • Test your skills with 180 handcrafted goals • Discover six unique snowboarders, each with their own special attributes and abilities • Challenge your friends with Game Center. Compete for best high score, best distance, and best trick combo! • Acquire the wingsuit from Izel’s workshop for an entirely new gameplay dynamic • Beautifully minimalist and evocative visual design • Original music and handcrafted audio for an ambient and immersive experience (headphones recommended!) • Universal app with iCloud support. Play on your iPhone and iPad and your progress will always be in sync. Alto’s Adventure is a premium game with no ads or in-app purchases. Rated 3+ by the Indonesia Game Rating System (IGRS).

Screenshots

Time Surfer4 screens
Alto's Adventure4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Alto's Adventure at none against Time Surfer's 6. Alto's Adventure also leads on chart position (#5 vs unranked) and ratings volume (2.2K vs 706). Time Surfer's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $4.99) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Time Surfer costs $0.99 and Alto's Adventure $4.99 up front. Time Surfer sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Alto's Adventure asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Time Surfer holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 706 and 2.2K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Time Surfer's written reviews are positive against 78% of Alto's Adventure's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Time Surfer ships an update every 5 months, Alto's Adventure every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Time Surfer versus Alto's Adventure: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTime SurferAlto's Adventure
Price$0.99 — better$4.99
Rating4.8 (706 ratings) — better4.6 (2.2K ratings)
Positive reviews83.1% of reviews — better78.5% of reviews
Number of ratings7062.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#5 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB276 MB
Age rating9+9+
DeveloperKumobiusSnowman

Customer experience

Time Surfer

All ratings701 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral2.6%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews676 reviews
Positive83.1%
Neutral5.3%
Negative11.5%

Alto's Adventure

All ratings2,168 ratings
Positive89.9%
Neutral2.6%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews1,265 reviews
Positive78.5%
Neutral7.4%
Negative14.1%

User reviews

Time Surfer

From 706 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great game
  • 👍 Addictive gameplay
  • 🎨 Awesome visuals
  • 🎶 Fantastic music
  • 🕹️ Unique time-rewind mechanic

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
  • 🔍 Lack of new content/updates
  • 💰 In-app purchases for power-ups
  • 🕹️ Difficulty ramps up too quickly

Alto's Adventure

From 2.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌄 Beautiful graphics and visuals
  • 🎶 Relaxing and soothing soundtrack
  • 🧘‍♀️ Calming and zen-like gameplay
  • 🔓 No ads or in-app purchases
  • 🕹️ Simple and intuitive controls

Room to improve

  • 🤕 Frustrating difficulty spikes
  • 🔍 Obstacles can be hard to see
  • 🤯 Wingsuit activation issues
  • 💰 Expensive for a mobile game

Bugs and requests

Time Surfer

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Missions not tracking properly
  • Rewind feature not always working as expected
  • Compatibility issues on newer devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • More levels and game modes
  • Multiplayer functionality
  • Additional characters and customization options

Alto's Adventure

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game crashes or freezes on certain devices
  • Achievements not unlocking properly
  • Inconsistent performance and frame rate issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more characters and customization options
  • Introduce new gameplay modes or biomes
  • Allow skipping of difficult challenges
  • Improve visibility and readability of UI elements
  • Provide more control over the wingsuit functionality

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Time Surfer

One-time6
  • Cupcake$0.99
  • Layer Cake$1.99
  • Cake Slice$2.99
Show 3 more
  • Whole Cake$4.99
  • Wedding Cake$9.99
  • Cake Planet$19.99
None

Alto's Adventure

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Time Surfer free?
Time Surfer costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Alto's Adventure free?
Alto's Adventure costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Time Surfer or Alto's Adventure?
Time Surfer is rated higher. Time Surfer averages 4.8 out of 5 from 706 ratings, while Alto's Adventure averages 4.6 from 2.2K ratings.
Do Time Surfer or Alto's Adventure have ads?
Neither Time Surfer nor Alto's Adventure shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Time Surfer or Alto's Adventure?
Time Surfer ships an update every 5 months, and Alto's Adventure every 4 months. Most recently, Time Surfer was updated on October 23, 2026 and Alto's Adventure on October 24, 2026.

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