DSU student's video game to premiere at international forum

A Dakota State University student's original video game is set to premiere at an expo that features media made by Indigenous content creators.

Carl Petersen's game "Tipi Kaga" will be presented at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in Toronto, Canada.

Tipi Kaga is a 3D game about putting together a traditional Lakota Tipi using instructions in the Lakota language.

Petersen, a senior computer game design and computer science major, was the recipient of a $10,000 Dreamstarter grant offered through Running Strong for American Indian Youth in March of 2019. Through the grant, Petersen started Northern Plains Games that employs Native Americans to create games for Native Americans.

Megan Zephier, a senior game design student from the Yankton Sioux Tribe, and James Sierra, a junior game design student from the Oglala Sioux Tribe, are assisting Petersen with 3D modeling and writing. Additionally, Petersen recruited friend and mentor Carl Buffalo, a fluent Lakota speaker, to complete the voice acting in the game.

The imagineNATIVE festival takes place Oct. 22-27.