Module 4 | Lesson 1 | Lesson 2 | Lesson 3 | Lesson 4 | Lesson 5

Terra Nova

E-Literature and narrative “games have the potential to foster change through empathy and compassion.”

Gray & Leonard (2018) p. 19

Created by Maize Longboat (he/him) and Ray Caplin (he/him), Terra Nova (2019) is a two-player split-screen platformer set in a future first contact between Indigenous Earth-born people and star-born settlers.

• As a collaborative game, you must play with a partner, one person playing Terra and the other controlling Nova (can be a member of the class if that is possible, or a family member, or friend).
• It’s a good practice to keep a game journal while you play games for the purpose of analysis -this can be written, audio, or video – remember, the purpose of these notes is to help you.

Never Alone

Created by Kisma Ingitchuna in partnership with Alaska Native storytellers and elders, Never Alone () is an award winning atmospheric puzzle platformer set in the compelling world of Iñupiaq stories, imagery, and characters.

• Play the game (you may choose to play with a partner again, but do not have to this time – it is optional).
• Remember, it’s a good practice to keep a game journal while you play for the purpose of analysis -this can be written, audio, or video – remember, the purpose of these notes is to help you.
• Open the Discussion Board below: Read the article “The Next Chapter in Indigenous Representation in Video Games” (2020) by Molly C. Beer.
• We will use the See-Think-Wonder-Connect routine to share our Observations (see), Ideas (think), Questions (wonder), and Connections.

Discussion #13: Representation STWC

Open the Discussion board below to share your observations, conclusions, questions, and connections about Terra Nova and Never Alone with Beer’s (2020) article “The Next Chapter in Indigenous Representation in Video Games” using the See, Think, Wonder, and Connect Routine.

References

Beer, M. C. (2020, February 25). The next chapter in Indigenous representation in video games: A new crop of games teaches language and culture. Polygon. https://www.polygon.com/features/2020/2/25/21150973/indigenous-representation-in-video-games

E-Line Media. (2016). Never Alone [Video Game]. Upper One Games. http://neveralonegame.com/

Gray, K. & Leonard, J. (2018). Not a post-racism and post-misogyny promised land: Video games as instruments of (in)justice. In Woke gaming: Digital challenges to oppression and social injustice. University of Washington Press.

Longboat, M., Caplin, R., Dehdashti, M., & Moersch, B. (2019). Terra Nova [Video Game]. https://maizelongboat.itch.io/terra-nova