Skábma – Snowfall is currently available for PC players. Next up are the console versions.
The main character Áilu’s noaidi powers develop as the game progresses. Redstage Entertainment
Made by Redstage game studio Skábma – Snowfall – game is nominated in two different galas: the Finnish Game Award and the Nordic Game of the Year event. In both galas, the game is nominated in two different categories.
– I guess this feels great. I’m speechless, CEO of Redstage Sahin Cengiz states.
Redstage is a small indie studio. The game has been made by a team of about 8 people. The idea of Skábma has come from Sámi cultures.
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The idea for the game has come from the team From Marjaana Aura, who serves as Redstage’s screenwriter. He is also a representative of Sami culture.
– There have not been games like this before. The idea has been to take over one’s own culture. In that case, expressing this is more authentic, Auranen states.
The main character of the game is a reindeer ring named Áilu, whose noaidi powers develop as the game progresses.
The game is spoken in Northern Sami. Redstage Entertainment
In Sámi, noaidi means a person with supernatural magical powers, which can be used to connect with the spirit world and connect with nature. In other words, a shaman, but that term is outdated and originally comes from the indigenous people of Siberia.
It is appropriate to borrow culture, as long as it is done respectfully
The game has collected Sámi stories from many different Sámi backgrounds. According to Auranen, the stories have been collected from the Sami themselves, as well as from the travelogues of explorers and priests who have visited the Sami country.
Cengiz and Auranen say that their passion is telling stories, which is where the story-driven nature of the game comes from. Skábma – Snowfall is indeed a pioneering work in the genre dealing with indigenous peoples.
– Recently, games have been made about many different cultures, such as ancient Greece or the Vikings. It was only a matter of time, who will do this and when, Cengiz states.
Nature is a key element in Skábma – Snowfall. Redstage Entertainment
However, according to Cengiz, borrowing Sámi culture is a complex process that requires an authentic encounter with the indigenous people. Often the background is cultural appropriation, and transgenerational traumas that are still dealt with in the community.
Skábma is made with respect for the indigenous people. The characters also speak the Northern Sami language.
– In my opinion, borrowing from the Sámi culture is okay if the Sámi have been involved in the process. In that case, they have also been consulted and the project has their approval, Auranen confirms.
Bringing Sámi people into the gaming industry
In December, the Japanese game giant Square Enix was the subject of an uproar, as they had released paid additional content related to Sámi costumes in their Final Fantasy XIV game under the name “Far North costumes”.
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– This incident could easily have been avoided if the company had dared to ask the Sámi people to participate as well, says Auranen.
Cengiz continues Auranen’s comment:
– For the price of the additional content, you could have bought our game, Cengiz laughs.
Auranen hopes that with the game, the Sámi people will also get excited about the gaming industry. He also hopes that there would be more cooperation between game developers and minority groups.
– Production teams should not be afraid to contact different minority groups, because there is always a place for genuine cooperation, Auranen states.
The game is currently available on Steam, Epic Store and GOG. The release is also being made for Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch.