The word “gamer” typically leaves a sour taste in my mouth: it generates the image of a sweaty white man, a bottle of Mountain Dew in his hand while he hurls profanities and derogatory speech at a screen, alone in his parents’ basement. In an industry marketed to this archetype and equally dominated by it, Never Alone acts as a guiding light for what video games can become, and how meaningful narratives can be crafted through inclusion and representation. The game mechanics highlight Indigenous—more specifically Alaska Native—values, and Indigeneity serves as a central thread of the story, not as a plot point or obstacle to overcome. This game is a celebration of Indigeneity through subtle, yet nuanced choices that challenge the pervasive frontier narratives common throughout the gaming world.
Mainstream video games often convey problematic and even dangerous messages. Tomb Raider, whose name is synonymous with “grave robber,” follows a white protagonist as she essentially loots tombs and burial sites of Indigenous cultures around the world. Oregon Trail reinforces the frontier narrative, while simultaneously participating in the erasure of Indigenous voices despite depicting a historical period of which they were an integral part (Oregon Trail playthrough). The Red Dead Redemption franchise romanticizes taming the “Wild West,” glorifying both settler and outlaw culture (Wright). These games are typical of much of the industry. When Indigeneity is included in these narratives, it is viewed from the outside looking in, often taking the role of an inconsequential plot point rather than a central focus. Recently, many of these games have released remastered versions, like Oregon Trail and Red Dead Redemption 2, which seek to reconcile the problematic storylines previous editions possessed through increased inclusion of Indigenous characters. However, these attempts to decolonize gaming actually contribute more to recolonization instead; these solutions are more akin to burying their shameful past than truly offering new Indigenous perspectives.
This problem is exactly why Never Alone is such an important and powerful addition to the gaming community: it challenges those harmful narratives. Indigeneity is a common theme woven throughout the storyline, expressed through the formal aspects and overview of the game. These elements are key components of game analysis, and we can use them to fully understand the weight that Never Alone holds (Fernandez-Vara, 13). One such game mechanic includes the fact that Nuna and the fox, the player characters, cannot engage in violent actions toward the antagonists, which speaks to the Alaska Native value of nonviolence. In addition, you cannot progress through the game without the assistance of spirits, which can serve as an allegory for the belief that spirits help guide you through life itself. Playing this game can certainly be frustrating at points, as you fail again and again and again. Seconds after successfully escaping one adversity, the next antagonist or obstacle comes crashing in, keeping you on your toes. This draws some comparisons to what Indigenous people faced (and still face): one struggle, one enemy, right after the other. However, like in the game, it is impossible to simply turn around and opt to not face the new danger. This speaks to the persistence that Indigenous people have been forced to exhibit time after time. These various game mechanics subtly communicate Indigenous values and experiences, promoting these rather than the domination and frontier narratives we all too often see.
The design elements of the game illustrate various aspects of Indigenous culture and identity. The narrator speaks in an Indigenous language, the main character wears Alaska Native dress, as seen in Figure 1, and Alaskan Native art styles are used for cut scenes. Never Alone crafts a new form of storytelling, effectively conveying culture and narratives that are important to Alaska Native peoples. One of the objectives of the game is the collection of such stories, where it intersperses gameplay with commentary from modern Indigenous people. Highlighting Indigeneity in this manner allows people to learn about it through the medium of a game, and it adds a voice to an industry that is very homogenous in mainstream representation.
With video gaming being an extremely popular and lucrative industry, it is important that the target audience is not constrained to the negative gamer stereotypes. Telling stories from an Indigenous perspective diversifies the gaming world: it does not attempt to conceal harmful rhetoric and save face, but rather offers new stories that add to the significance of the industry. Whether overt or subconsciously, the choices that Never Alone makes in its design contributes to the decolonization of gaming.
Works Cited
“Apple II: The REAL original Oregon Trail.” YouTube, uploaded by Dale Mahalko’s Antique Computing, 20 March 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PySqTm4Qu2A
Fernández-Vara, Clara. Introduction to Game Analysis. New York: Routledge, 2015.
Parkin, Simon. “Nuna and her Arctic Fox, Characters in the Video Game Never Alone. 17 Nov 2014, The New Yorker, https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/never-alone-video-game-help-preserve-inuit-culture.
“Red Dead Redemption 2 – Native Americans Storyline (all missions) [PC, 4K].” YouTube, uploaded by CINEMATIC GAMING, 19 January 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbL6BxsdTKI&t=1s.
Wright, Esther. “Rockstar Games, Red Dead Redemption, and Narratives of ‘Progress.’” European Journal of American Studies, 16, no. 3 (2021), doi: https://doi.org/10.4000/ejas.17300.