User:Imandin408/Gaming in Endangered Languages

Gaming in Endangered Languages is the idea of using video games, or interactive elements in the style of a game to help preserve or teach a language that is classified as Endangered. Tools such as single-player video games, artificial intelligence, and mobile applications are used to carry out this idea. The idea of Gaming in Endangered Languages is used to preserve languages classified as Endangered At Risk, Severely Endangered, or Dormant according to the Endangered Languages Project to document or revitalize them.

Game Erauntsia
Game Erauntsia is a group of video game players that function in the endangered Basque language. They discuss current news related to video games and esports, and discuss new titles, all in Basque. They are credited with fan translations of popular games, such as ARK, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, Minecraft, Pokemon Ruby, Papers, Please, Super Mario Bros., and Worms Armageddon.

Game Erauntsia does numerous things, such as writing articles, hold interviews, run a forum, running a multiplayer Minecraft server, own a Twitch broadcasting community, and run tournaments, all in Basque.

Mushroom 11
Mushroom 11 is a puzzle-platforming game developed by Untame. It currently has translations for various Indigenous languages, such as Algonquin, Inuktitut, and Anishinaabemowin.

Mushroom 11 is available on mobile and PC.

Steredenn
Steredenn is a galactic two dimensional shooter developed by retired studio Pixelnest. Steredenn has translations for the Breton language.

Steredenn is available for the Nintendo Switch, PC (on Steam), PS4, Xbox One, and Apple devices.

Winterfall
Winterfall is a story driven, open-world role playing game. It is known to have translations for the Corsican language.

Winterfall is currently in development for PC.

Pinnguaq
The company Pinnguaq specializes in translating software into Inuktitut. For example, one translation they mention is the translation of the game Osmos. The company started as a passion project, due to the owner, Ryan Oliver, being upset that there was a lack of representation for Nunavut culture in video games.

Pinnguaq's goal is to share ideas of Inuit and Nunavut culture through translations of these languages in technology.

Projects Pinnguaq has completed or worked on include:


 * Inuktitube - A website dedicated to videos in the Inuktitut language.
 * The Iqaluit Makerspace - An area that focuses on STEM with users speaking in the Nunavut language.
 * The Lindsay Makerspace - A community dedicated to gender and racial equity by providing resources in the STEM fields.
 * Root & Stem - A resource with multiple issues focused on providing information on STEAM and diversity in the STEAM fields.

Pinnguaq also provides tutorials on game design and coding, all in Indigenous languages, such as:


 * Scratch Tutorials
 * Python Tutorials
 * Storytelling
 * Game Demos
 * Game Design Tutorials
 * Live Streaming Tutorials

First People's Map of B.C.
The First People's Map of B.C. is an interactive map that teaches its users about the indigenous communities that existed in B.C.. This map provides information such as: artworks, landmarks, and regions. It was created by the First Peoples' Cultural Council with collaboration from indigenous communities.

On the map itself, users can see various indigenous communities in North America near modern day British Columbia and Alberta. On the sidebar, various languages can be selected, which show details such as Pronunciation and Communities. Users can also Learn or Follow the language to get more information about it.

Hill Agency
(formerly known as Hill Agency: BARK & byte, now called Hill Agency: Purity/Decay)

Hill Agency is a detective game developed by Achimo Games. The game is set in the future where you play as Meeygun Hill where you have to have to find out who the murderer in a detective case is. The game is set in an Indigenous sovereign world, teaching users about Indigenous peoples' culture while trying to solve the case.

According to the creator Meagan Byrne, she developed this game to start telling Indegenous stories, because "The lack of Indigenous representation and understanding of Indigenous culture was a constant obstacle."

Hill Agency is still currently in development.

Maoriland
Maoriland is a two dimensional video game developed by Johnson Witehira. In this game, players have to hunt animals to stay alive. During gameplay, users will see depictions of missionaries hitting Maori people, decapitated heads, and other various images related to past Māori history. The game was created to show players the Māori peoples' history and to show the effects of colonization.

My Grandmother's Lingo
My Grandmother's Lingo is an interactive game/video produced by Australia's Special Broadcasting Service. Players go through animations primarily in the critically endangered Marra language, told by a Aboriginal woman named Angelina Joshua. Users have to speak the words shown on screen to progress.

The Special Broadcasting Service has said that it hopes users can interested in languages that are in critical condition/endangered with My Grandmother's Lingo.

My Grandmother's Lingo is only available to play in a web browser.

Never Alone
Never Alone is a video game that is classified as a puzzle exploration game. The game was developed with collaboration with the Iñupiat people, a group of Alaska Natives. The game takes place in the winter as the main character and her fox tries to find the main cause of the ongoing blizzard. The entire game teaches the user about Iñupiat culture and its language.

Never Alone is currently available for mobile devices, PC, and PS$4, PS3, Xbox One, and the WiiU.

Northern Plains Games
Northern Plains Games is a video game development studio on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation founded by Carl Petersen. Northern Plains Games' was founded to create games that teach the endangered Lakota language to everyone. The studio's first game in development is called Tipi Kaga (Tipi Builder).

Tipi Kaga (Tipi Builder)
Tipi Kaga (Tipi Builder in English) is a construction game where the player has to build a Lakota Tipi. This game utilizes the Lakota language for all of its dialogue. It's goal is to look into the history of the Lakota people and its culture, while teaching its users about them as well. Tipi Kaga is still currently in development and has no plans of cancellation (as of May 1, 2021)

Talking Games
Talking Games (previously known as RezWorld) was a 3D adventure, open world video game meant to teach Native languages. It was going to be published by Thornton Media, Inc., who are known to adapt tools to Native languages. It was planned to have a full release, backed by a Kickstarter. You would have played as the main character, who suffered from memory loss after a car accident. You re-learn everything you know from your family and friends over the course of the game. It was also planned to have numerous game objectives.

However, the game was canceled due to low funding, as they have only raised $8,236 of their $350,000 goal.

Tussalanga
The Tussalanga Application (for iOS devices only) is an application for teaching the language Inuktitut, an endangered language mainly spoken in the Nunavut province in Canada. This application has features, which include glossary terms, grammar lessons, and many dialects of Inuktitut for users to learn.

Turtle Island Games
Turtle Island Games are a set of resources dedicated to teaching Canadian children about the cultures of the Inuit and Metis people. In addition, players can learn about six First Nations languages. During gameplay, users interact with a group of animals as they teach users about Canadian culture and language.

Various games made under the Turtle Island games series are available to play on the Government of Canada's official website.

Chatbots
Reobot - Reobot is a Facebook chat bot developed by Jason Lovell. This bot allows users to practice the language of Maori, an Endangered language with origins in New Zealand. This bot can reply to users in both Maori and English. The latest update for this bot was in 2018, as it does not receive any updates anymore (as of May 2 2021).

First Voices
First Voices is an application developed by the First Peoples' Cultural Council. This application is a data archive that works with indigenous communities to store data of endangered languages. First Voices allows users to upload various resources such as songs, stories, words, dictionaries, etc.. Using this data, they create new sources of data that does not exist in these languages, such as keyboards and workbooks. The way First Voices stores its data is with an engine called Nuxeo, which uses Artificial Intelligence.

On firstvoices.com, users can explore endangered languages to learn more about them. They can also view news related to First Voices, such as applications, grants, and future goals. Currently, First Voices' is not accepting any applications to their program (as of April 27, 2021). Right now, they offer grants for projects from 50-100 thousand dollars. Applications for these are also closed (as of April 27, 2021).

Opie Robots
Opie Robots is a type of artificial intelligence bot. It interacts with users to do various activities. These activities include telling stories, teaching pronunciation, and other various tasks with language. Its main goal is to teach endangered indigenous languages to source locations. Opie uses a platform called TensorFlow that uses machine learning to assist with teaching languages.

The robot is made up of two tablets, one is used for realism, and the other one is used for interactivity. The bot does not require a stable internet connection for its main use, but it will not be updated.

Opie Robots was developed by the Social Robotics Lab from University of Queensland's School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering. Opie Robots have previously worked with the Ngukurr Language Centre to design this robot.