*"Every time it happened, the wind will send the loose snow traveling. She found the source of the blizzard." -- The Narrator (paraphrased)
Never Alone: Kisima Ingitchuna is a puzzle platformer with co-op mechanics. The story is set in Alaska, following the girl Nuna and her fox companion in a journey to find the reason behind the non-stop blizzards hitting her village. Never Alone also comes with documentary-style clips about the lives of the Alaskan people.
This game is the definition of gaming as art. Folklore and platforming are interlaced together. The puzzles are challenging enough to require trial and error but easy enough to not require a guide. Never Alone can be finished in one setting if you know all the solutions. It required me about 3+ hours of interrupted gameplay to finish.
The best part for me is how indie it feels. From the emphasis on folklore to the small twists. Made me think, which parts are real beliefs of people living there, and which are purely fantastical? Despite the clunkiness of the game bugs, (which I encountered a few,) the main parts are all beautiful!
I got this game many years ago, and played the first level more than once. I'm glad I finally got to experience the full story. would want to play again! Now you get to see my experience:
Watch on YouTube:
Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt3R7_tP1xaFmMVJ7eI4DNggl7vpxIVR9
Screenshots:
- Cover image is from the game's Steam's Page's header scaled with AI. Screenshots are from my playthrough on PC.