Indigenous people have a long history of collaborating on the creation of video games. It has only been with the release of Never Alone though that broad media attention has been paid to these projects. There have been a growing number of game gatherings and community organizing around indigenous games happening in the United States and Canada. Indigenous creators of video games have been featured in the DIGITAL MEDIA ART+CADE as part of imagineNATIVE and in Memories of the Future/Souvenirs du futur at SAW Video Media Art Centre in Ottawa. Many early video games that depicted native people were often racist and perpetuated negative stereotypes (see Custer's Revenge). Video games created by indigenous people allow the creators to self-determine how they are represented and they allow indigenous people to picture themselves in the future.
Indigenous people have been involved in a range of projects where they have the opportunity to depict themselves. These games range in the style of the collaboration from games that consult with a single indigenous person to games that are entirely developed and designed by indigenous people.
7 Generation Games (Spirit Lake [2013], Fish Lake [2015], Forgotten Trail [2015], Aztech Games [forthcoming])
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (Animism [2010] Mawisowin [2012], and Your Mix)
Arviat Code Club (Multiple scratch games [2014-2015])
Black Cherry Digital Productions (Path of the Elders [2010] in partnership between the Mushkegowuk Cree, Carlton University, and Pinegrove Productions)
DarianJ (Sleep Guardian [2015])
Elizabeth LaPensée (Techno Medicine Wheel [2008], Max's Adventures [2013], Gathering Native Foods [2014] in collaboration with Hibulb Cultural Center, Invaders [2015] with art by Steven Paul Judd and music by Trevino Brings Plenty, Ninagamomin ji-nanaandawi'iwe (We Sing for Healing) [2015])
Green Circle Productions (Manidoonsug: Little Spirits [forthcoming] in consultation with Mississauga New Credit and Annishinabe groups around the GTA
Minority Media (Spirits of Spring [2014])
Ogoki (Multiple Language Apps [2012-2015], Babaamosedaa Let's Go for a Walk [2014], Brokenhead Bingo [2015], and Rez Bomb [2015])
Pinnguaq (Singuistics [2013] in collaboration with Elizabeth LaPensée, Art Alive [2015], Qalupalik [forthcoming])
Raindrop Games (Arrival: Village Kasike [2012] partnered with Roberto Mukaro Borrero and the United Confederation of Taino People
Revolve (Music Mogul [2014] with extensive content by indigenous musicians including A Tribe Called Red, Elisapie, Joey Stylez, Madeskimo, and Red City
Skins Workshops (Otsì:! Rise of the Kanien’kehá:ka Legends [2009], The Adventures of Skahiòn:hati: Legend of Stone Giant [2011], Skahiòn:hati: Rise of the Kanien’kehá:ka Legends [2012], Ienién:te and the Peacemaker’s Wampum [2013]
Ubisoft (Assassin's Creed III [2012] in consultation with Thomas Deer and voice acting from Noah Watts
Upper One Games (Never Alone [2014])
Virtual Songlines (Irene’s World [forthcoming], Vincent’s World [forthcoming], Virtual Warrane II [forthcoming], Virtual Meanjin [forthcoming])
Wisdom of the Elders (Survivance [2011])
Yijala Yala Productions, part of Big hART (Love Punks [2012])
Guilherme Meneses (Huni Kuin [2016] in a collaboration with the Kanixawá tribe of Brazil and Peru)
There are indigenous people working on a range of large blockbusters to small indie collaborations. Many of these individuals are also creating other artistic content such as comics, board games, machinima, and fine art.
Allen Turner (Stubbs the Zombie, Hail to the Chimp, Disney's Guilty Party, Marvel XP
Darrick Glen Baxter, founder of Ogoki (Multiple Language Apps, Alien Bug Attack, Babaamosedaa Let's Go for a Walk, Brokenhead Bingo, Elfs Defence, Rez Bomb, Spike Flyer, Spring Shoes Jump Better)
Elizabeth LaPensée (Singuistics, Invaders, Ninagamomin ji-nanaandawi'iwe (We Sing for Healing), Survivance, Animism, Techno Medicine Wheel)
Ernest Webb (Papo & Yo, Spirits of Spring)
Jamie Tucker (Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime)
John Romero (Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Quake)
Manuel Marcano (BioShock, The Darkness, Max Payne 3, Treachery in Beatdown City [forthcoming])
Maru Nihoniho, owner of Metia Interactive (Cube)
Renee Nejo (Gravity Ghost, Ever, Jane [forthcoming], Blood Quantum [forthcoming])
There have also been numerous video games translated into indigenous languages. For example, Pinnguaq has localized osmosis, Ittle Dew and Beneath the Floes.
