Learning more about a culture

During my ongoing literature review I often discover interesting facts about things I’ve never thought about. Sometimes I can connect these facts with my own observations: The result is mostly a completely new idea why things are as they are. Maybe these ideas are new to you, too. Therefore I’ll share my new science based knowledge with you!

This week: This time, I think about the way how Never Alone presents the culture of the Iñupiat people to interested players from all over the world.

Recently, I began to play the computer game „Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna)“ and I was caught right away by its unique concept as it presents the culture of the Iñupiat people in a very engaging way. During the gameplay, players can learn new knowledge about the culture of the native Alaska people by discovering and watching so-called „Cultural Insights“.

Each of those special videos follows the style of a documentary and is about a certain part of the Iñupiat culture. In addition, the videos are also used in order to provide the players with some background information about certain elements that play a crucial role in the game. For instance, a player receives a bola during the early stages of the gameplay and can subsequently use it in order to destroy certain ice barriers. At the same time, the player unlocks a new Cultural Insight that presents the original use of a bola and describes a special hunting method of the Iñupiat people.

The story of the game itself is about a young Iñupiat girl who is lost in the Alaskan wilderness and tries to find her way back to safety. Fortunately, she is not alone as she is accompanied by an arctic fox. During the gameplay, players can switch between both characters in order to solve puzzles and to overcome challenges.

Personnally, I think the combination of documentaries with an engaging gameplay is a great way to develop a certain understanding of a different culture. On the one hand, the videos provide the players with a connection to the real world and help them to understand the feelings and thoughts of the Iñupiat people. The computer game itself, on the other hand, even allows the players to experience the mythical elements of the culture. For instance, a Cultural Insight introduces the player into the thought that every part of the world has its own soul and that those souls sometimes even help the people. Subsequently, the player meets the mythical helpers that continously help the player to overcome challenges.

Helpers in Never Alone.

In the end, Never Alone demonstrates that computer games can be even used to help players to develop a certain understanding of a foreign culture.