The best mobile skateboarding game now has a New York sequel

For me, skateboarding has always been about getting into a flow state. Much like playing Tetris, I’m at my best when I’m skating almost subconsciously, not thinking and acting in the moment. It’s not an easy zone to get into, and music has always been my shortcut. So the greatest compliment I can give to Skate City: New York is that I’ve spent the past week fine-tuning the perfect playlist, all so that I can also perfect my runs in the game.

New York is a sequel to the original Skate City; both are available through Apple Arcade, though the first game was eventually ported to consoles as well. It comes from Snowman, the studio behind the Alto series, and the shift to New York is a lot like the move from Alto’s Adventure to Alto’s Odyssey. It’s not an entirely new experience but, rather, one that changes the setting and adds some seemingly small — but very impactful — tweaks.

What makes the series so well suited to mobile is the way it balances approachability and depth. Skate City is extremely easy to pick up. It’s a side-scrolling game, so you’re always moving left to right, and all of the various tricks and moves are performed either by a swipe, tap, or hold. It all feels very natural. For example, each side of the touchscreen represents a side of your board, and even complex individual moves only require one input to pull off. So even if you don’t know what you’re doing, you can mash your way to some cool tricks. But what really makes it work is how, once you get the hang of things, you can chain together tricks in very satisfying ways.

This was all true of the original, and the core is the same in New York. The biggest change (aside from the location) is that levels all have multiple paths, so that if you time a jump or grind just right, you can make it to a new area with new possibilities. Given how much you’ll be grinding through the same streets, this extra layer adds some necessary variety. There are also a handful of new tricks, like being able to wall ride, that give you new tools to play with. On their own, these additions seem small. But together, they add just enough to make New York have its own feel.

Seemingly the most disappointing thing about the new game is that it’s restricted to a single city. The original Skate City was appropriately global; after a series of updates, it now has levels in Tokyo, Barcelona, Los Angeles, Venice, Miami, and Oslo. But even though New York only has, well, New York, there’s a decent amount of variety (and presumably more coming in the future).

At launch, there are three areas — Central Park, Brooklyn, and Manhattan — and each has its own distinct vibe, both in terms of how they look and the makeup of the levels. And once again, there are three modes to play through: one that teaches you the game through a series of tutorials; another that lets you put those skills to the test in pro challenges; and a free skate mode where you have time and space to be creative.

It’s this last mode that has had me, for the past week, huddled over my phone, headphones in, approaching the same rails and staircases over and over trying to nail the exact line I’ve envisioned in my head. Just like skating in real life, it can be tedious and frustrating at times. But the satisfaction of pulling it off is worth it — and that playlist has helped pull me through.

Skate City: New York is available now on Apple Arcade.