Never Alone (2014)

Never Alone attempts to portray the message that the connection between individuals and communities and how the ties that bind them together, can overcome the most seemingly impossible tasks. And whether you play by yourself or with a friend, the journey will be just as exciting and thrilling for the players as it is for Nuna.

A beautiful, fascinating exploration of a world that may soon be nothing more than fantasy.

Half-platform, half-documentary Never Alone uses videogames as an expressive medium to get us in touch with a civilization that has been dealing with nature's hardships for centuries. If you choose to ignore its short duration, you will find that you will learn a valuable lesson or two from its simple yet effective storytelling.

Magical and atmospheric platformer that will teach you few things and also will touch your soul. Two-player co-op is highly recommended. [Issue#248]

Never Alone combines gameplay of Limbo with a trip to the Arctic Circle and with an exotic document. Although none of the parts is perfect, together they create a remarkable experience.

Never Alone is quite a short game, but its charm, coupled with the opportunity to explore a culture you might not know much about, makes it utterly captivating.

An interesting combination of documentary and classic videogame experience.

Although Never Alone began life as a learning tool for the Inupiat youth, the game is definitely entertaining

Even with some hiccups when playing single-player, the attention to detail in this beautiful story all about friendship is bliss.

An atmospheric platformer that offers little new gameplay-wise, but it's quite enjoyable while it lasts, especially with a friend. The fact that it's based on Alaskan indigenous folklore is what makes it really stand out. [Jan 2015]

The way it's all designed, with gameplay and narration interspersed with relevant background videos exploring the importance of the things you’ve just uncovered, further serves to make the entire experience meaningful and endearing.

Never Alone remains graceful. Its most depressing moment reminds us that if a small girl can survive the harshest of conditions and the meanest of fates, so can we. Life goes on; the spirits never leave us.

It's charming, beautiful and with lots of hidden (and not sot hidden) messages, but Never Alone fails to create a strong bond with the player like Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons did.

For quite some time now, I keep asking myself why almost no game includes some “extra material” so to speak. Except for Valiant Hearts, I can’t really think of any other game that goes the extra mile to establish connections to recent events and not only is enjoyable to play but conveys knowledge at the same time. Never Alone thoroughly succeeds at this task: the atmospheric setting, the loveable heroes and a slew of documentary-videos, that give insight into the lively culture, not only entertain but teach you a lot of interesting things. I would really like to get more games like this.

A jump and run with puzzles. Average gameplay, but great story and atmosphere.

I wish the game was just as amazing as the story it tells. For an adventure that takes 4-5 hours to complete, it relies quite often on repeating the same gameplay sequences.

Never Alone is a very well told fable, but it's a pretty short one and has some problems with the AI.

A nice and interesting experiment, even though it's a bit expensive.

You might be interested in the culture and folklore aspects of the game but the gameplay is not up to par.

It comes away respectful of its inspiration and educational as well, but won’t last long in the memory as a gaming experience.

With a game like Never Alone, the grade system has its limits. Anyone who will be transported by this timeless story, escaped from a storybook, will probably forgive the various gameplay issues... the others probably won't.

As a game there are many aspects that should be polished or improved, but it is a great experience, original and very didactic.

Never Alone has a fairy tale charm and educational values, and it’s a decent platformer. It’s a shame Alaskan temperatures failed to kill off the bugs. [01/2015, p.62]

As an educational tool, Never Alone is a great success, but the gameplay does more to burden than bolster that achievement.

As a video game Never Alone is a poor adventure platform game with great ideas but it is poorly executed. As a didactic program it's an amazing piece of love to Inuit culture.

Deeply flawed in execution but fascinating nonetheless, Never Alone shows that different cultures have wonderful stories to tell. [Jan 2015, p.63]

Never Alone is mildly likeable as a platform and interesting as a documentary, but too short and easy to leave a lasting mark. Shame that its two sides never blend to create something more powerful that could truly immerse players in its fascinating Iñupiat folklore.

Never Alone is a game overflowing with history, but its strong focus on storytelling sadly impacts negatively on the gameplay. Several mechanics feel frustrating and unpolished, however the overall impression is somewhat lifted by the thorough introduction into the traditions and culture of the Iñupiat people.