Never Alone
(Kisima Ingitchuna)
Experience the epic journey of Nuna and Fox as they search for the source of an eternal blizzard that threatens the survival of everything they have ever known.
An atmospheric puzzle platformer developed in collaboration with the Iñupiat, an Alaska Native people, drawn from a traditional story that has been shared across the generations.
Guide both characters in single-player mode or play cooperatively with a friend as you trek through frozen tundra, leap across treacherous ice floes, swim through underwater caverns and face enemies both strange and familiar.
Explore awe-inspiring environments, perform heroic deeds and meet legendary characters from Iñupiaq stories — all narrated by a master storyteller in the spoken Iñupiaq language.
Nearly 40 Alaska Native elders, storytellers and community members contributed to the making of the game.
On over 75 "Best of 2014" lists and winner of "Best Debut Game" at the 2015 BAFTA Games Awards as well as "Game of the Year" and "Most Significant Impact" at the 2015 Games for Change Awards.
Never Alone has appeared in dozens of museums and exhibits around the world, including MOMA in New York, the Smithsonian in Washington D.C., and the Field Museum in Chicago.
Features
Play as both Nuna and Fox — Switch between the two companions at any time with one button press, or play side by side in local co-op mode, as you rely on the unique skills of each character to succeed in your quest. Nuna can climb ladders and ropes, move heavy obstacles, and throw her bola at targets to solve puzzles. Fox can fit through small areas that Nuna can't reach, scramble up walls, and jump to great heights.
Brave the harsh world of the Arctic — Run under, through, and atop the unstable structures of an abandoned coastal village. Explore the eerily quiet treetops of a mysterious, frozen forest. Brave the fierce winds of the eternal blizzard. Only with the aid of Helping Spirits will Nuna and Fox have any chance of survival in a land where survival seems impossible.
Unlock fascinating video insights — Elders, storytellers, and other members of the Alaska Native community share stories and wisdom about their culture, values and the amazing Arctic world encountered by players in over 30 minutes of interviews.
Never Alone is the result of a collaboration between some gaming industry veterans, an educational group, and actual Alaskan Natives. Just writing that is surreal to me, something I never thought could happen. That alone should be cause for celebration, but Never Alone is also stunningly poignant - and quite brilliant.
Iñupiat principles include coexistence between humans and wildlife, respect for nature, one another, and one’s elders (basically forging social systems that don’t harm the world), sharing food, songs, dance, and stories on a communal level, and cultivating a spiritual connection with the land. In short, community-informed selflessness. I learned all this from playing Never Alone, and I had a great time doing it.
When was the last time a video game told you about a whole other culture? Took you somewhere remote you'd only heard about in passing, and let the people who've lived there speak to you in a generations-old voice? Never Alone does that all-too-rare thing and does it very well.
