A young reindeer herder defends his land in Skábma – Snowfall, coming to PS4 & PS5 next year – PlayStation.Blog
Since the reindeer are out on the field now and everyone knows that Skábma – Snowfall is coming soon to PS4 and PS5, I wanted to take this opportunity to explain what our game is really about.
What is Skabma?
Skábma – Snowfall is an adventure game set in a fantasy version of Sámiland and inspired by the indigenous culture of the Sámi people. The story combines fact and fiction as it delves into the heart of the culture: presenting its old (and sometimes current) beliefs, customs and stories.
Everything in the game is about Sámi.
Who is Sami?
I learned that not everyone in the world knows about Sámi – so I will tell you briefly.
We are a very small indigenous group scattered around the northern parts of Scandinavia, Finland and Russia. There are about 100 000 Sámi people, divided into many different Sámi groups and languages.
All languages are considered very endangered.
We are mostly known from reindeer herding culture but there is so much more about us that I could tell you. But we only have so much space in this article. I invite you to dig deeper and learn more about the Sámi culture if you are interested.
The Story of Skábma – Snowfall
Skábma tells the story of a young reindeer herder named Ailu, whose usual task of protecting reindeer turns into a mission to save their homeland after a strange disease begins to spread in the area. Tracking down a runaway reindeer, Ailu stumbles across an old Noaidi Drum – a powerful object believed to have been destroyed more than a century ago.
This is the starting point in Ailu’s journey to become Noaidi, the first Sámi Prophet & Healer in a century. All Ailu has to do now is learn how to use the drums. Easy isn’t it?
How to play Skábma – Snowfall
It’s not easy to master a powerful tool like Noaidi Drum. Fortunately, the drum helps Ailu reconnect with four familiar Spirits willing to lend them strength.
The Owl grants Ailu the ability to dash around and turn Bleeders (infected objects and enemies) into an Air Vortex, making movement much faster. The bear brings back the power of the earth so that Ailu can land herself against strong winds, create stone platforms, and break through Bleed-infected obstacles. Salmon bestows healing and shielding powers. And finally, Agility Fox will lend the ability to jump higher and burn Bleeder.
Acquiring new powers and exploring locations is the main mechanic of the game. There are also a lot of items and secrets to be found in the game world. The collections will reveal vast amounts of information about the Sámi culture and unlock dialogues one doesn’t want to miss.
Players are encouraged to get lost in the jungle, because you never know what you will find.
I could babble all day about how amazing it is that we now have the world’s first PlayStation game voiced in the North Sámi language. Players around the globe know about our unique culture. And how exciting it is when players really dive into something new and new that has never been seen in the game.
So let’s go back to where this blog started and answer the question: what is our game really about? It’s about petting a reindeer!
Why do I think all players should raise reindeer? Because reindeer are the most important animals for the Sámi, sure…but mostly because you can and it will make you feel warm and light inside.*
Looking forward to petting a friend with antlers and more when Skabma – Snowfall launches on PS5 and PS4 next year.
deny the responsibility: don’t try to pet reindeer in the real world, they have pointed antlers. Luckily, you can do that in our game Skábma.
