Never Alone is an arctic charmer

Never Alone (E-Line Media; PS4, Windows, Xbox One; rated teen)

Set in a magical, spirit-filled Arctic, Never Alone is a charming platformer about a young girl’s adventures in the wild. Inspired by the Iñupiat folktale of Kunuuksaayuka, about an endless blizzard, the game sees Nuna accompanied by an arctic fox that can summon spirits to help the pair navigate the icy wilderness. Two players can play cooperatively, using the fox to clamber into small spaces and reach heights, while Nuna can throw a bola to break through ice barriers.

Featured in the game are real-life creatures such as polar bears and whales, as well as mythological ones like Little People, Sky People, and Owl Man, and the art incorporates drawing styles from northern cultures. Developed in Anchorage, Alaska, by Upper One Games, and including the work of Iñupiat elders, storytellers, linguists, and artists, Never Alone honours oral traditions with an Iñupiat-language narrator; the effect is of an elder telling you the tale as you play it.