Inua - A Story in Ice and Time

An original narrative experience. The story follows the Franklin Expedition that set out to explore the Arctic in 1848, with no survivors. In a supernatural setting, you'll experience historical events, spirituality, and encounters with the Inuit people as you root out clues in the game environment. A beautiful, minimalist, and intelligent game.

Do you know what tragedy befell the HMS Terror and HMS Erebus?

It is a mystery of British seafaring that became the stuff of legend. Having pioneered exploration of the North and South Pole, both ships disappeared in the Arctic around the year 1848.

And the story of what happened is what you will experience in Inua – A Story in Ice and Time.

This narrative game, developed by Snowcastle Games and produced by ARTE, was released on the Nintendo Switch in 2021 before making its way to Blacknut, and it’s a real gem. It might even get people who are stubbornly resistant to video games into gaming.

Imagine: you will be immersed in the great, frozen North as you seek out the clues that led to the greatest discovery in the history of the North Pole. And the story is told over three different time periods, with three main characters. The first is Taïna, an (arrogant?) journalist from the 2000s who is trying to solve the mystery of the two ships that vanished in the ice, along with all their crew, in the 19th century. As her investigation advances, you’ll also get to play in 1846 as Simon, a member of the ship’s crew, and Peter, the third character who travelled with a military expedition in the 1950s.

Your job will be to switch between eras so that a clue left by Simon appears in the present of Taïna or Peter.

All of this time travelling can get complicated, but it’s very easy to do, and a constellation of stars in the form of a polar bear are there to give you clues if you get stuck.

Our advice? Make good use of the landmarks that tell you where you are, and what the next chapter will be about. Try and remember these landmarks as you explore the environment, and you’ll have no trouble knowing where to head next.

It’s also important to know that in order to get the best experience out of Inua, you shouldn’t expect any complex puzzles or gameplay. This is a narrative point and click game that is not supposed to be challenging. Never getting stuck, you’re there to enjoy the show and focus on the story. And what a story it is…

The narrative experience lasts around 6 hours, but will stay etched in your memory for much longer, so powerful is the tale of these lost sailors. It is all inspired by real events and accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack, minimalist illustrations worthy of a picture book, and a warm style that brings an old fairytale to life.

In the mood for a game that’s cool, beautiful, and engrossing all at once?

You’re in the right place.