Never Alone

I really loved the game! It’s a fantastic gateway for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in Iñupiat culture. Dmitri Verevka, the art director at E‑Line Media and a graduate of the Stieglitz Academy, did an incredible job — he collaborated with 40 elders and storytellers from the community. The experience offered by this game could serve as a great model for developing other culturally grounded games.
The idea of including educational video clips feels a bit outdated by 2026 — it does pull you out of the gameplay flow. However, this downside is completely overshadowed by the sheer beauty of the filmed footage showcasing Alaska’s breathtaking landscapes. 10/10.

Review about shared screen experience.
Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) is a really specific title. It feels more like a promotional material of Inuit culture rather than a game. That said - I did enjoy insights which gave me more knowledge about said culture and in-game characters/events. However the game itself was pretty bland. The story could be interesting, but the execution wasn't too good. It's quite buggy. Half the game your shared screen partner has nothing to do. Controls on pads are pretty bad. You mostly just walk straight, there is a bit of platforming. It's also a short game (don't be misguided by my in-game time, I spent about 2 hours on pause).
Achievements are unmissable however if you are a completionist you need a DLC which is even shorter than the main game. Base game went smooth, just some bugs, but DLC, oh boy, it lagged so much. I do have a better PC than recommended one. Finishing this game was quite tiring.
I really wanted to like this title - I love platformers, I love great stories, I love learning about new things (like Inuits culture). However as a game itself is just not too good. I would recommend it if you just want to obtain easly memorable knowledge about Inuit culture but if you don't care than this game is rather tiring then enjoyable, at least as a shared screen experience.

I have a particular love for game experiences that teach me about subjects connected to our world. Never Alone (Kisima Innitchuna) is based on the traditional Inupiaq tale, Kunuuksaayuka.
This game can be played alone or co-operatively (local only). I played the entire game in one sitting with my partner. It made for a fun evening game session.
Never Alone is a platformer with two main characters. I'm not sure how they're controlled while playing solo but with co-op, each player controls one of them. Players do not get a choice of the characters. Player One plays as the human character and Player Two gains control of the non-human character.
The controls are simple though occasionally don't feel responsive. Overall I thought this was a beautiful adaptation that would make for a lovely afternoon gaming session with a friend as it took less than two hours to complete (and that's with quite a few game overs).
I recommend this game to those interested in multiplayer experiences, short games, storytelling, animal characters, or wintry settings.

Can't believe it's taken me so long to play this game, it's utterly delightful. It's a fantastic example of why games can be a powerful tool, it teaches the player about culture, indigenous people and history in a fun and engaging way. I've learnt more about the Inuit the last hour then I have for years, and it gets you curious for more. Not to mention the controls are forgiving and the graphics are soft and great for a laptop gamer as myself. (Also the colours aghh)

Never Alone is a passable LIMBO-esque game that is only elevated by its indigenous documentary.
This indie game is made by/with the help of Indigenous people of Alaska and is a respectable feat.
But as a game, it is pretty lacking, especially that Limbo came out years before this.
On their official website, they claim "we've paired world-class game-makers with native storytellers..", are you kidding me? world-class who? The gameplay design is borderline primitive!
In the end this is an indie game, there isn't even a whiff of "world-class" here. Just because this game won a BAFTA, doesn't make the game's subpar mechanics into "world-class".
The game itself is visually beautiful. The main selling point are the documentary segments that teach about the Inuit cultures. Those were the only things that kept me playing.
Locking the documentary parts behind collectibles, was not that good of an idea. In the later game, where it is harder to find them or you are pressed for time, you inevitably skip over some. This locks you out of seeing the whole documentary. They should have automatically unlocked everything once the game was completed, just so these precious documentary interviews would not be lost and forgotten. I missed like 2 and can't be bothered to replay 2 chapters just to get them.
Especially when the gameplay, controls and mechanics are subpar.
I get what they were going for with the local Co-Op, but solo players have to babysit two characters. Usually when you play one, the other follows. But here is a big issue, they don't become immortal NPC during that time. When they eventually are hit by an attack or miss a jump and die, then its game over for both. The most annoying part was when the AI was too stupid and sometimes just leapt into certain death, which frustrates you even more!
The bola weapon aiming is horrendous too. It does not launch in the desired directions and its controls are trash. This is worse in time-sensitive and dangerous segments, where a single miss means game over.
The jumping puzzles and parkour was also not very polished, meaning that you could randomly die just because a pixel touched you.
The bugs and glitches did not help. Combine all that, and it was a pretty subpar experience.
I was this close to dropping this game and even now I am more inclined to give it a Negative rating.
The only thing elevating it were the documentary segments.
Also the Foxtales DLC that game better puzzles and tighter controls proved that this game could have been more solid if the "world-class" developers wanted it to..
Because there ain't a mixed rating on Steam, I reluctantly give it a positive score because it just barely passed my criteria.
Also I got this game dirt cheap.
They announced a sequel? I am doubtful.

Played for a class in college. The game is very informational and the story is great. Platforming mechanics could use a little brush up.

A charming game! Never Alone Kisima Inŋitchuŋa is a beautiful native Alaskan story made into a game. The Iñupiaq tale of Kunuuksaayuka, of the girl and the fox, is simple yet enchanting, truly a joy to have such a cultural insight. The tale is told with a mix of in-game cutscenes as well as animated ones, that recall traditional art of the inuit people. The game itself is fairly simple; some platforming, some puzzles, some action, but what stands out is the story and the world imagined. Never Alone is a small indie game, but one that beautifully stands out!