Toronto-made North Shore explores the ‘magnificence and hazard’ of skating in Canadian nature

Whereas hockey is a well-liked sport, particularly in Canada, there aren’t many video video games that really characteristic ice skating as a central mechanic. Essentially the most outstanding instance, after all, can be EA Vancouver’s NHL video games, however even then, they’re relegated to the inflexible framework of taking part in hockey inside a rink.

That’s a part of what makes North Shore so notable. The debut title from Toronto-based Ravine Studios is a top-down skating sport, placing gamers within the footwear of a kid who explores the mysterious and exquisite titular expanse that’s primarily based on Southern Ontario and Quebec landscapes.

It’s an intriguing premise for a sport, and it’s one that attracts heavy inspiration from the Ontario upbringing of Ravine co-founder Nick Counter.

“I began skating once I was, like, three years previous, nevertheless it was at all times on ponds after which additionally [in] hockey rinks,” says Counter, who grew up in varied elements of the province because of having household in each the Lake Huron and Rideau Lakes areas. “I continued to skate eternally, after which simply frolicked in areas in nature, skating in nature.”

But it surely wasn’t till he studied illustration at OCAD the place he realized he needed to do one thing inventive that channelled his lifelong love of hockey and video video games. And after assembly programmer Dante Camarena at a tech firm a number of years in the past and dealing on a sport referred to as Little Studying Machines, they might ultimately resolve to department out and make one thing of their very own collectively.

“We needed one other shot at attempting to make one thing [to make] the participant really feel and have this specific expertise, and we need to do it with integrity from starting to the tip,” says Camarena. “And with that in thoughts, that’s how we ended up beginning the studio.”

As they seemed by way of Counter’s previous sketchbooks, they each preferred an idea that he’d had for a battle royale sport involving skating and hockey sticks. However as they performed round with the precise mechanics of skating, they determined they might do one thing extra distinctive by pivoting to a extra exploration-centric gameplay loop that drew from Counter’s experiences within the Canadian wilderness.

The Backdrop and prints on the sales space have been made by @seanislewis.bsky.social.

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— North Shore – Ravine Studios (@ravinestudios.ca) January 15, 2026 at 4:38 PM

“I’ve at all times been serious about skating, as a result of whenever you’re on the ice, particularly at night time in these completely different locations out of town into the Canadian Defend — except you’re a boater, which lots of people aren’t — you don’t see the panorama from this attitude,” says Counter. “We went with a top-down perspective for various causes, however simply seeing this type of area that’s usually inaccessible with velocity is cool, as a result of it’s like a secret place with velocity and confidence.”

Counter says the top-down view additionally affords the sport some novel presentational parts.

“This area permits for a lot as a result of we will cope with ice reflections. If it’s completely reflective, you might be skating the clouds, principally. If it’s tough, then it’s distorted. You even have the feel of the ice, after which you will have the transparency of the ice,” he says. “So due to this attitude, you may see every little thing under, probably, if we help you, after which every little thing above, so that you really are collapsing the peak right into a single layer, which was a giant inspiration for us early on.”

By that POV, Ravine is pulling inspiration from most of the items of Canadian art work that Counter noticed as an OCAD scholar whereas visiting the Artwork Gallery of Ontario (AGO). Specifically, he says he was in awe over the “religious” high quality of Indigenous artwork and the works of artists just like the Group of Seven and Cornelius Krieghoff. “I simply need to be in that area on a regular basis, and so I made this sport so I might be on the market extra,” he says.

He additionally credit a instructor whereas he was at OCAD, the Toronto-born, London, England-based painter Stephen Appleby-Barr, for creating what he likens to “Canadiana Dungeons & Dragons” that basically spoke to his nerdier pursuits. “Seeing fantasy, which I like a lot, and Canadiana, merged into these actually 10-foot tall oil work which can be stunning — that was the primary large affect.”

These inventive influences, plus his experiences exploring Canadian nature, finally formed what Counter needed to seize in North Shore.

“Coming from a nerdy sport childhood, minimalism is essential in video games. It’s really a rendering type. And the work’s already form of been performed, and it’s culturally related,” says Counter. “I adore it a lot. We see the Canadian panorama painted on the AGO and on the Nationwide Gallery and stuff. However I don’t know what number of video games — there’s a couple of of them — that seize that in the identical form of manner.”

The great previous skating sport

However after all, it’s not sufficient to simply have a fairly, painterly sport — you need it to truly be entertaining to play. Apparently sufficient, Counter says one of many early inspirations for the “enjoyable” of North Shore got here from a maybe sudden supply: Mario Kart.

“I used to work at a studio earlier than [Dante and I] met, the place each night time after we labored, we performed Mario Kart, and we turned actually good — like execs, principally,” he says with fun. “And when it got here as much as the concept of [North Shore], we needed to make one thing quick and reactive.”

From there, Camarena would file Counter skating on the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) in Toronto to higher perceive the physics of his particular person actions, on prime of finding out skating footage from different skilled references. “I didn’t know what crossovers are!” admits Camarena, referring to the stroking approach for gaining velocity whereas getting into a curve or circle.

“Should you’ve seen the Olympics just lately, a lot of the routines are simply managing weight, so we have been like, ‘Ought to we management that?’ There’s a sure degree of complexity you may handle, and I might see the complexities in it,” he says.

“Proper now within the demo folks have been taking part in [at events like GDC], there’s a button that permits you to flip backwards, and swiftly you’re skating backwards, after which you may flip forwards […] However then, you faucet the button, you begin spinning, after which the route you spin depends upon which manner you’re going through or which manner you’re turning. So all of it turns into this type of fluid dance that’s bizarre for an journey sport.”

Finally, he realized that it was essential to not simply concentrate on ahead momentum. “It’s not like a automobile the place you’re going ahead, or strolling, which simply appears like going ahead. Skating has this kick to it, so within the demo, each time you press A, you kick. However then, when you maintain A, you retain your foot up,” he says.

“Controlling your acceleration with a single button was the early revelation,” provides Counter.

However carefree skating isn’t the one a part of North Shore. The sport’s official description mentions “scenes of pure magnificence and hazard,” which Camarena breaks right down to emotions of roughly “80 per cent cozy, 20 per cent horror.” In the direction of the tip of the trailer, you will get a glimpse at that because the participant should fend off mysterious enemies with a looking rifle. This feeds into a bigger story that Ravine isn’t fairly prepared to speak about. However the overarching concept behind all of it, Camarena explains, comes from an “completely terrifying portray” that he discovered whereas trying by way of Counter’s portfolio.

“It speaks to a few of these tales that [Nick’s] been telling about being out within the woods, and taking part in with your pals, and so they’re taking part in with sticks, possibly swords or no matter, and one child factors the stick on the different child, and ‘Bam!’ After which the portray itself reveals the opposite child on the bottom. There are issues we do as children which can be darkish,” says Camarena.

He likens this to biking round within the streets of Mexico as a boy.

“I believe that’s a common expertise; whenever you’re a child, the world feels secure, and there are locations you discover, and swiftly, issues shift as an grownup. All of the locations you have been left alone in as a child are very scary,” he says. “And never solely that, the way in which you and your pals possibly performed throughout that point — was that basically that secure? The environments you have been in — have been they actually that secure?” he says.

The purpose, Camarena notes, was to discover the “inherent brutality” behind the world.

“There’s a deep darkness within the Canadian area that’s very distinctive. It’s not simply the darkness of nature, however there’s a historical past of the way in which that this area has been developed over time,” he says. “And a part of that may be a very human darkness. And having the ability to contact on a few of that is essential. There’s issue there, however we’re attempting to hit it in the fitting manner.”

North Shore doesn’t but have a launch date, however you may wishlist the sport on Steam.

Picture credit score: North Shore