Akiiwan: Survival Revealed by Indigenous-Led Little Buffalo Studios, Demo Playable at PAX East
Toronto-based Little Buffalo Studios, an Indigenous-led indie developer, has officially unveiled its debut project: Akiiwan: Survival. Set in a mysterious wilderness shaped by ancient wisdom, the game merges deep survival mechanics with a gentle, narrative-rich atmosphere. PAX East attendees can get hands-on time with the demo at Booth #17105 during expo hours.
In development for PC and consoles, Akiiwan: Survival centers around a talking campfire and draws from more than 10,000 years of Indigenous survival practices, storytelling, and craftsmanship. The project is a personal one, made by a team that includes Indigenous creators from the Red River Métis, Anishinaabe, and Mohawk nations, alongside veterans from PlayStation, Ubisoft, Netflix, and Discovery.
What Is Akiiwan: Survival?
Akiiwan: Survival drops players on a strange island, alone and cold beside a talking fire. A fox stares at you. You’ve fallen from the sky. And winter is coming.
This is survival, but not the kind driven by endless grinding. Instead, the game emphasizes meaningful choices, knowledge-based progression, and day-by-day storytelling told through the elements, the land, and the stars.
“We’re not just making a game—we’re reviving ways of thinking that helped our ancestors survive for generations,” said Jeremy Nelson, producer and designer at Little Buffalo. “We want to share that knowledge and grow it with the community.”
Key Features of Akiiwan: Survival
A Mystery-Fueled Journey
You awaken beside a talking fire, rescued by a fox. The island holds secrets about your past—and your path forward. Uncover them before spring arrives and with it, your only chance at escape.
Snackable Play Sessions
Each game day is tied to a phase of the moon. Time passes quickly, enabling meaningful progress in 15-minute bursts, or deeper sessions if you choose to stay in the world longer.
No Grind, All Heart
Forget the repetitive busywork common in survival games. In Akiiwan, systems like fast travel, auto-eating, and simplified water gathering keep the focus on learning, discovery, and survival, not tedium.
Crafting Rooted in Tradition
Each new craft is a quest that mirrors the passing of knowledge between generations. Learn the why and how behind each survival technique, and put it to use in your journey.
Celestial Storytelling
When a new item is unlocked, the stars themselves narrate how it came to be, forming a stargazing experience that links gameplay with myth, memory, and cultural storytelling.
A Campfire That Cares
The central campfire acts like a wise elder, offering guidance, sharing haunting tales, and helping players understand the land. It’s more than a mechanic; it’s a narrative anchor.
Open Development Begins
In the spirit of community and collaboration, Akiiwan: Survival is entering an “open development” phase. Players are invited to sign up on the studio’s Discord or in-person at PAX East to access and test the game’s first playable chapter—roughly four hours of gameplay representing the first "moon" in-game.
The team is taking cues from community-driven projects like Subnautica, using early feedback to refine systems, deepen the narrative, and evolve the game throughout 2025 and into 2026.
Akiiwan: A Survival Game with Purpose
Winner of the 2024 Unity for Humanity Award, Akiiwan: Survival stands apart from typical survival-crafting titles. It offers:
- A relaxed but rewarding pace
- Authentic Indigenous insight and design
- A grounded sense of place and purpose
- No reliance on violence or resource hoarding
- A unique approach to storytelling through gameplay and environment
Reader question: What would you learn if the stars could speak? How would you survive with wisdom, not weapons?
Where to Play and Follow
- Play the demo at PAX East Booth #17105
- Wishlist Akiiwan: Survival on Steam
- Sign up for early access to the open development phase via Discord
- Follow Little Buffalo Studios on YouTube, Instagram, and Discord
- Visit Little Buffalo Studios Website
About Little Buffalo Studios
Founded in 2022, Little Buffalo Studios is an independent developer based in Toronto. Led by Indigenous creatives and industry veterans, the team is dedicated to making culturally meaningful, player-first games. Akiiwan: Survival is the studio’s debut title and embodies its mission: to honour ancestral knowledge through interactive storytelling.
