●●●○○

Never Alone (Kisima Inŋitchuŋa) is a puzzle-adventure game from Upper One Games. Based on the folk tales of the Iñupiaq, an indigenous Alaskan people, the story follows a girl and her arctic fox as they journey across a mythical Alaskan landscape.

The game achieves a nice tonal balance between light and dark, capturing the beautiful but perilous world across which the protagonists travel. 3D graphics are blended with traditional Iñupiaq artwork representing the benevolent and malicious spirits that inhabit the mystical world. For the simplicity of its graphical capabilities, the game offers some delightful imagery: particularly in the case of the fox and girl, whose subtle animations convey a great amount of character. Seeing one of the pair cry out in horror whenever the other is injured is a consistently heart-wrenching experience.

Gameplay-wise there isn’t much to talk about. The game centres primarily around swapping between the two characters to solve rudimentary puzzles, such as manipulating platforms and avoiding environmental hazards. There’s nothing here you haven’t seen a thousand times before, and the hit-and-miss platforming mechanics can make repeated attempts at certain sections a bit of a pain.

The game was developed in conjunction with the Cook Inlet Tribal Council, a non-profit organisation hoping preserve and support indigenous Alaskan culture. This aim is made clear by the documentary segments which appear throughout the game, giving snippets of Iñupiaq history and traditions. The majestic landscapes and charming storytelling make this an enjoyable way of learning about a little-known world in a less-than traditional manner, even if it is somewhat lacking as a gameplay experience.

Reviewed on PC. Also released on PS4 and Xbox One.