The Caribou Trail, a new indie game set during the Gallipoli campaign of World War I, attempts to shed light on the forgotten combatants from Newfoundland. While it succeeds in delivering historical insight, its paltry interactive elements and technical issues undermine its good intentions, earning a 4/10 score.
Focus on Newfoundland Troops
The game centers on the experiences of soldiers from Newfoundland, then a dominion of the British Empire rather than part of Canada. Given the region's tiny population, the number of troops sent to fight in Europe had a significant effect on its culture and economy. Players soon discover that the men are almost all fishermen, accustomed to setting out in trawlers to catch Atlantic salmon. Arriving in wartime Turkey, they are baffled by much of what they see, a bemusement that mirrors the player's own.
Gameplay and Historical Detail
Starting with a nighttime amphibious beach landing, players get an impression of what lies ahead. Artillery rounds soar overhead, officers bark orders, and the men talk amongst themselves. As you help row the boat towards shore, you encounter vignettes of fellow Newfoundland men-at-arms. Their relative poverty means not all uniform elements match, and they haven't received the same training as British Tommies, but their patriotism and pride make them determined not to let those disadvantages show.
Conversations form the heart of the game. Slowly stirring the soldiers' thin gruel or mashing up hard tack biscuits, you listen to comrades discuss their views on the war and society. These interactions provide thought-provoking historical detail. However, most actions are scripted, and navigating the camp, trenches, and no-man's-land requires an authentically basic paper map and compass. This is irritatingly fiddly, and most of the time it is easier to wander randomly to find objectives.
Technical and Design Flaws
Interactions often feel limited, on rails, or unnecessarily clumsy. For example, wire cutters can only be used on exact sections of barbed wire; prompts do not appear elsewhere. The simple art style conveys harrowing events, but hokey production values mean scenarios like running from artillery bombardments fail to evoke intended panic. Worse, nearly three hours into the game, it lost our save data, forcing a restart from the very beginning. This is not the sort of problem you should have to deal with in a released game, although there wasn't much content left before the credits rolled.
Verdict
Using games to draw players into unsung elements of history is a wonderful idea, and The Caribou Trail succeeds in communicating details that wouldn't be obvious reading about Gallipoli in a book. However, its rough edges and underinvestment in playable elements let it down. If you are a World War I buff or have a specific interest in Newfoundland's involvement, there are interesting titbits, but for traditional video game players, prepare to be disappointed.
Score: 4/10
Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed) and PC
Price: £9.79
Publisher: Manavoid
Developer: Unreliable Narrators
Release Date: 7th July 2026
Age Rating: 16
