The First Ascent takes you on a mountain climbing adventure, out now on iOS

• The First Ascent is a mountaineering puzzle adventure game
• Climb up a steep mountain face while avoiding various obstacles
• Create your own climber or choose from unlockable characters with unique skills

Who hasn't dreamed of becoming a mountain climber? Well, perhaps those afraid of heights—or falling—might hesitate. But for anyone who has always wanted to reach greater summits, the newly released iOS-exclusive The First Ascent offers an exciting new way to do just that.

In The First Ascent, you can design and customize your own character or select from a roster of unlockable climbers, each possessing distinct abilities. Your goal is to navigate a sheer cliff face toward the sky. Along the journey, you'll encounter numerous challenges, including unstable handholds, fierce blizzards, and howling winds.

Visually, The First Ascent features simple low-poly graphics for both characters and environments, keeping the focus squarely on your climber and the wall they are scaling. Therefore, if you're seeking a highly realistic mountain exploration simulation, this title might not be exactly what you're looking for.

The peak

However, if you prefer a mobile experience that combines fast-paced puzzle gameplay with mountain exploration, The First Ascent is likely right for you. Each level presents new dangers and obstacles, allowing you to race against the clock or play at your own pace.

While it serves as an intriguing setup for what is essentially a quick-paced puzzler, the variety of environments—from jungle-covered mountains to magma-filled caves—ensures that The First Ascent delivers plenty of excitement, tense action (literally gripping), and fun.

Speaking of ascending, climbing upward remains one of gaming's most iconic mechanics, rivaling even tennis in simplicity. If you're eager to explore everything the platformer genre has to offer, why not check out our list of the top 25 best platformers on iOS and Android?