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Never Alone
Never Alone, which aims to share the culture of Alaskan natives. Photograph: Upper One Games
Never Alone, which aims to share the culture of Alaskan natives. Photograph: Upper One Games

Never Alone review – captivating game about native Alaskan storytelling

This article is more than 9 years old

Designed in conjunction with the Iñupiat people of North Alaska, this beautiful platformer has an important tale to tell about an ancient culture


Upper One Games; PC (version tested)/PS4/Xbox One; £12

Video games are steeped in mythology. From fantasy titles like Skyrim to expressionistic adventures like Okami, they regularly raid ancient cultures for inspiration. However, the results tend to be filtered through the homogenising lens of Tolkienesque lore, or designers simply leaf through myths and religions for serviceable enemies and settings. Few really try to get to grips with the civilisations they appropriate from. 

Never Alone, however, is faithfully based on the folklore of the Iñupiat people of North Alaska, and is produced in close partnership with them. It tells of a girl, Nuna, who has left her village to discover the source of an endless blizzard that is ruining her people’s way of life. Played out over eight chapters, the central quest not only features Iñupiat figures and animals, but also weaves in other vital elements of the mythology, such as the Northern Lights.

The game opens with animated versions of scrimshaw carvings, a traditional bone carving method used by the Iñupiat to record fireside tales told by their elders. As you progress, you encounter owls that mark video interviews with members of the Iñupiat. These short clips – linked with the area you have just discovered – tell you more about the people, their lives and the land they inhabit. This is a game that leaves you feeling educated as well as entertained.

As Nuna sets out on her journey she is attacked by a polar bear but is rescued in the nick of time by an Arctic fox, which becomes her travelling companion. Nuna and Fox then become the playable characters, each with their own special skills. Nuna can drag heavy objects and use the bola, a traditional weapon, while Fox has a connection with the spiritual aspect of Iñupiat life and can work with “loons”, spiritual manifestations of animals that can help on the journey. 

The characters are each playable in a two-player mode – fostering the spirit of teamwork that the game says it wants to encourage – or a single player can switch between the two. This forms part of the challenge, as you must work out which character’s skills would best solve the puzzle you face – but physical obstacles often conspire to keep Nuna and Fox apart.

Minimalism and momentum

Never Alone is a sidescrolling platformer with very simple controls. You’re shown how to play at the start and then receive a refresher as new skills and items are introduced. The artwork and overall feel is almost cartoonish, yet beautiful and endearing. Despite its minimalist feel (it is basic to the extent that the characters never even speak), it works well at making you feel involved and I found myself with genuine affection for Nuna and Fox and their mission. 

The soft focus of the background just about reveals villages, ice floes and forests, providing a sense of the Arctic tundra stretching away into the distance, even though your playable area is relatively small. An unobtrusive yet atmospheric soundtrack helps to create a soothing ambience, punctuated by the occasional grunts, gasps and whimpers of Nuna and Fox as they struggle towards their goal.

Checkpoints occur frequently as you complete each puzzle, which helpfully means you don’t have far to return to repeat a section if you’re caught out by a trap or something is taking too long.

As the game is such a new release it’s still being patched and I encountered a couple of glitches. Some puzzles can be a little fussy in that they will only respond if you’re standing in a specific place, which I only discovered through trial and error. 

Somewhat disconcertingly, at one point I managed to jump Fox inside the scenery. The picture faded to black but the game was still running: I could hear I was moving around but ended up having to go back to the checkpoint. The physics can at times misbehave, with characters refusing to grab ledges, and I also found that on a few occasions that the game would slow down, causing me to mistime my steps. Overall however, these are minor complaints and the developer is releasing frequent patches.

Never Alone is quite a short game, but its charm, coupled with the opportunity to explore a culture you might not know much about, makes it utterly captivating.

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