In celebration of Pride Month, Dontnod Entertainment is offering Tell Me Why for free through the month of June on Windows 10, Steam, and Xbox consoles. And anyone who picks up the game in that time will own the game permanently.
Tell Me Why is an episodic adventure game about twins Tyler and Alyson Ronan, who return to their childhood hometown Alaska after the death of their estranged mother. It’s a story about siblinghood and trauma mixed in with a bit of magical license—the twins can communicate with each other telepathically and view visions of the past.
Tyler is a trans man, which leads to many awkward and exhausting conversations when he returns to Delos Crossing. The game also features Tlingit and Filipino characters, two other groups which are often overlooked in American media. In fact, Filipino Alaskans (or Alaskeros) are the largest immigrant community in the state and have a history in Alaska that stretches back to the 1700s.
Dontnod cited the “intensifying bigotry and harmful legislation against trans, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming people in many parts of the world” to mark its observation of Pride Month this year.
In a blog post, the company also suggested ways for fans to help during Pride Month, including donating to charities that serve trans communities (especially Black, Latinx/Latinx, and Indigenous communities, which are often the least served), mutual aid funds, and giving directly to trans and queer people in need.
“Support games and interactive fiction from trans and queer independent developers,” the post read. “Some of our team’s recent favorites have been That Which Faith Demands by Jenna Yow, Spirit Swap by Soft Not Weak, Ikenfell by Happy Ray Games, and If Found… by DREAMFEEL. (Don’t forget that adding a title to your wishlist, especially on a platform like Steam, goes a long way toward boosting its visibility for others!)”
Correction: 6/1/2021 1:45 p.m. ET: This story has been corrected to note that the entire game will be free during June 2021.