Never Alone (video game) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Never Alone |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | Upper One Games |
| Publisher(s) | E-Line Media |
| Director(s) | Sean Vesce |
| Producer(s) | Matt Swanson |
| Designer(s) | Grant Roberts |
| Programmer(s) | David Koenig |
| Artist(s) | Dima Veryovka |
| Writer(s) | Ishmael Angaluuk Hope |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release date(s) | Windows November 18, 2014 PlayStation 4 Xbox One November 19, 2014 OS X February 26, 2015 Wii U PlayStation 3 Linux December 23, 2015 iOS June 2, 2016 Android June 22, 2016 Switch February 24, 2022 |
| Genre(s) | Puzzle-platform |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Never Alone, also known as Kisima Inŋitchuŋa ("I am not alone"), is a puzzle-platform adventure video game developed by Upper One Games and published by E-Line Media based on the traditional Iñupiaq tale, "Kunuuksaayuka", which was first recorded by master storyteller Robert Nasruk Cleveland in his collection Stories of the Black River People. Swapping between an Iñupiaq girl named Nuna and her Arctic fox companion, the player completes puzzles in a story that spans eight chapters. The game was the result of a partnership between the Cook Inlet Tribal Council and E-Line Media. It is one of a growing number of video games produced by Indigenous people. A sequel was announced in February 2022.
Gameplay
The player-character plays as the Iñupiaq girl Nuna and her Arctic fox. As an "atmospheric puzzle platformer", Never Alone's puzzles entail swapping control between Nuna and the fox. While the fox is fast, Nuna can pick up things and open new areas using her bola. The story and its structure is based on the intergenerational transference of wisdom. Told in the form of an oral tale, unlike traditional platformer games, which involve overcoming obstacles and defeating enemies, Never Alone rewards players with collectible "cultural insights" - video vignettes of Iñupiaq elders, storytellers, and community members sharing their stories. The central plot revolves around discovering the source of the blizzard that has ravaged Nuna's village and restoring balance to nature. Other stories include that of Blizzard Man, the Little People, Manslayer, the Rolling Heads, and the Sky People. It takes place in a harsh physical environment.
Development
Never Alone was developed by Upper One Games in conjunction with writer Ishmael Hope, a storyteller and poet of Iñupiaq and Tlingit heritage, and the Cook Inlet Tribal Council, a non-profit organization that works with indigenous groups living in Alaska's urban areas. The Council partnered with video game education company E-Line Media and generated the idea for Never Alone as part of a series that "shares, celebrates, and extends [indigenous] culture". The Council's for-profit Upper One Games is the "first indigenous-owned video game developer and publisher in US history". They built the game to explore "what it means to be human" and intergenerational stories. It is intended both to share the stories of native culture as entertainment, and to revitalize interest in Alaskan indigenous folklore. Proceeds from the game will fund the Council's education mission.
E-Line Creative Director Sean Vesce was excited by the opportunity to "go into a community, learn more about a culture and then try to infuse their values and mythologies into a game". Vesce and his team made "a dozen trips to Alaska" to meet with community members and gather stories and imagery and was "blown away at the richness and beauty and depth of that storytelling tradition". He realized that "none of that had really been ever explored in a videogame". Vesce previously held leadership positions at Crystal Dynamics and Activision. Vesce built and led a 12-member development team in Seattle, who worked in deep partnership with "40 Alaska Native elders, storytellers and community members" to craft the game. Never Alone was built in the Unity game engine. A local-cooperative mode is available.
Never Alone: Foxtales
The first expansion for the game, titled Never Alone: Foxtales, was announced on July 16, 2015. Adding new levels and expanding upon the story, the expansion was released worldwide on July 28, 2015, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The expansion was also included with the base game at no additional cost for the Nintendo Switch on February 24, 2022.
