GAMING LIFE
Bold heroes who represent you
Searching for a game with a protagonist who looks like you? Among these titles you’ll find a diverse set of bold and fun characters. We agree, their martial arts or sword skills may not be entirely relatable, but they have heritage or experiences that buck the traditionally homogeneous trend in the gaming world.
Nidhi Nirmal: Temple Run 2
With a large cohort of female players, it makes sense that this super-popular endless runner also has some great female characters.
Nidhi Nirmal, a woman of South Asian heritage, was added to Temple Run 2 back in 2017, along with Rahi Raaja, a male character of Indian ethnicity. Nidhi can be unlocked for 5,000 coins, which you collect as you play.
It’s your job to help her power through the game, swiping to swerve, jump and dodge obstacles around a temple.
Nuna: Never Alone: Ki Edition
It is not often that you find a game about an indigenous population, but this touching puzzle platformer was actually developed in conjunction with the native Alaskan Iñupiat people, who contributed to the game’s narrative.
Nuna is an Iñupiat on a quest to save her people and their way of life from an eternal blizzard. You can switch from playing Nuna to playing Fox, her animal companion, whenever the harsh environment calls for it.
The story is based on oral tradition and also includes videos from elders and storytellers from the Iñupiat community.
Chun-Li: Teppen
In 1991, Chun-Li became the first playable female fighter in Street Fighter II – and one of the first female characters in any fighting game.
Today, she is a centrepiece of the Street Fighter franchise. And in the intervening years (and games, comics and TV series), Chun-Li has built up a robust origins story – as a Chinese Interpol investigator hunting for clues about the death of her father.
Teppen is a card battle game in which you use heroes and cards to defeat online opponents. Chun-Li appears in her signature blue outfit with “hero arts” that include shielding all friendly battle units from attack.
Svetaketu: Sadhana - The Way Back
This game from ARTE, the French production company that focuses on cultural programming, is an interactive story based on Indian texts.
Sadhana follows the spiritual journey of Svetaketu, an Indian warrior and archer who is looking to transcend the material world.
The experience of playing is designed to be meditative. You will complete puzzles that are both challenging and mindful in order to progress the story.
Sasha: Severed
Look beyond the monsters and gore in Severed and what you have is a story about loss and love.
Sasha, a young girl of unknown ethnicity, is on a quest to find her family. It seems that the encounter with the monster who came for them also resulted in the loss of one of her arms. As she adapts to her disability she must learn to vanquish monsters with the sword in her remaining hand and become a warrior.
The game’s brightly coloured, abstract-art style allows you to remain removed enough from the most gruesome elements to perceive the deeper themes of grief within.