Indigenous Alaskan tribe reveals wintry next-gen platformer Never Alone

Upper One Games, a studio comprised of native Alaskans, has revealed its upcoming PS4, Xbox One and PC game Never Alone.

Due this autumn, Never Alone (aka "Kisima Ingitchuna" in Iñupiaq, a language spoken by indigenous Alaskans) follows the exploits of a young Iñupiaq girl named Nuna and her arctic fox. The story, setting, imagery and themes will draw from Iñupiaq and other native Alaskan cultures, while the actual gameplay allows players to take control of both Nuna and the fox either in single-player or co-op. When playing the former, players will be able to switch between the two roles at any time.

Upper One Games is an initiative launched by Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC) in Anchorage, Alaska while the game is being published by the New York-based E-Line Media. "The goal of the partnership is to create unique and innovate game experiences that explore and extend global cultures in fresh, vibrant ways by weaving timeless living stories into dynamic and fun games," the publisher said in it's Never Alone announcement.

"We're extremely proud and excited to be building a truly unique game," said president and CEO of Upper One Games, Gloria O'Neill, who also serves on the Cook Inlet Tribal Council. "We'd like to think we're creating one of the most authentic - and fun - games of the year. Video games are powerful tools for making the history, tradition and culture of indigenous peoples relevant to both the next generation of Native people and the rest of the world."

"This is the most personally rewarding project I've worked on in twenty years of designing video games," said chief creative officer of E-Line Media Sean Vesce. "Alaska Native mythology and culture is incredibly rich and translates remarkably well to making an amazingly fun experience for all audiences."

Check out how Never Alone is shaping up in its debut trailer below.