Dontnod has announced that it is making the emotionally wrenching tale of childhood secrets, Tell Me Why, free across June 2022.
While some companies slap a rainbow logo on their front page over Pride month and forget about it, developer Dontnod has always been a little more forthright about the representation of personal identity. In an announcement over on the official Xbox blog, team green has confirmed that the studio behind classics like Life is Strange will make Tell me Why free for Xbox and PC owners throughout June. The blog on the official Xbox website confirms that gamers can download and play through the tale of siblings that first launched back in 2020.
This isn’t the first time that Dontnod has forgone a purchase fee for this title during Pride month., and for those that missed it last year, Tell me Why is an episodic adventure that follows reunited twins Tyler and Alyson Ronan. As they return to small town Alaska, players will use their supernatural bond to unravel the memories of their loving but troubled childhood. This is something of a mature tale that doesn’t just tackle the fantastical. It’s a canvas for exploring several themes, while trying to unravel some misconceptions about how trans individuals are portrayed in media.
It seems Microsoft is doing far more than just pushing out a press release too. The blog confirms that the gaming giant is accompanying the free period with donations of $25,000 each to Transgender Law Center and Trans Lifeline, two non-profit organizations offering resources and support to trans, non-binary, and genderqueer people. Alongside the rainbow merch that will inevitably be open to buying, there is also continued funding of charities including Mermaids, OutRight Action International, and NCTE.
While I’m very close to pulling the trigger on a Pride themed controller, it’s encouraging to see that Microsoft is beginning to pay more than just lip service to this month. You can grab Tell Me Why over on the XBox Store or Steam now.
