New Quebec-based video game becomes first to incorporate Indigenous perspectives

A new video game titled ‘Two Falls Nishu Takuatshina’ has become the First Quebec-Made Video Game that revolves around Indigenous perspectives.

The game, which launched November 8, is a first-person single-player narrative game that presents a contrasting perspective of early contact between French and Indigenous encounters.

The game focuses on characters Jeanne from France and Maikan, a young Innu hunter as they navigate in colonial times to provide players with an immerse experience into the unique reality of Indigenous cultures.

The game and content were approved and validated by a council of Innu and Wendat elders. General Director Kim Berthiaume says this was essential as it provides youth with an early understanding of the differing views with some introduction to Indigenous ways of living.

“We really want to show the power and how powerful a video game can be in terms of just putting yourself into other people’s perspective,” said Berthiaume.

“It’s also the reconciliation and how each of us can do something about it and it’s not going to solve everything but it’s the first way of thinking, opening our minds to other perspectives, other opinions, and that is really what you want to stay with the game.”

Set in New France, players can play as both characters as they navigate through many challenges. Berthiaume says the collaboration with elders was important to use their voice, with the story coming from Wendat writer Isabelle Picard. 

“When we first talked with the council of elders and said this would be a video game that we’ll be making and one of the first interesting things they told us is that we don’t know much about video games,” he said. ” [But] we see a lot of our young people from the community that they play more and more video games and that could be a way of using the game to just share this culture,” said Berthiaume.

Art director Tara Miller, says one of the goals was to make the game as immersive as possible with the environment and landscape, adding she felt proud to see an Indigenous character come to life on the screen.

“I hope that having something authentic and character-focused, something very personal will help people kind of see Indigenous people in kind of even like a more modern light,” Miller explained.

Both creators say the game has been years in the making, always revolving around Indigenous culture, traditions, and relationships. The indie game is encouraged to be played by those around 16 based on the subject matter surrounding colonization. 

“We really want to work with schools to integrate it into the curriculum so that teachers can use it and the Codex to spark conversation with the students,” said Berthiaume.

Miller adding, “I really hope that Indigenous kids are able to play this game. I really think it would be great if more indigenous people were in the gaming industry so if someone out there plays this game and is thinking like oh this is so cool or like this sucks and I can do better I think that would mean the world to me.”

Two Falls is available on Steam and Epic Games as of Nov. 8 and will be available on PS5 and Xbox Series X | S in 2025.