Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
An open-world game about wildlife conservation on a Spanish island.
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is an open-world game from 2020, created and released by Ustwo Games. It first came out for iOS, macOS, and Windows in 2020, with versions for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S arriving in 2021. PID Games helped Ustwo publish those later ports. The core activity involves roaming an island and working to protect its animals and habitats.
The story takes place around Secarral, a fictional Spanish island town. Alba Singh, a British Asian girl, travels from the UK to spend a week with her grandparents. After she and her friend Inés free a stranded dolphin, they start a wildlife rescue group. The next day, the mayor reveals plans to turn the local nature reserve—damaged by a wildfire—into a luxury hotel. To stop this, the girls gather signatures for a petition. They also clean up pollution, fix broken things, rescue animals, and photograph local species to spread awareness. A key goal is spotting an elusive Iberian lynx that appears throughout the story.
Ustwo Games self-published the iOS, macOS, and Windows versions on December 11, 2020. The console ports for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S followed on June 9, 2021, with publishing support from PID Games.
Critics gave the game positive scores on Metacritic. Christian Donlan of Eurogamer liked how realistic the environments felt, noting that animals are a joy to see, and that finding them trapped in oil or six-pack rings makes you want to help right away. He also called the island setting of Pinar del Mar "the Spanish holiday island of everyone's dreams" and "beautifully observed." Marcus Stewart from Game Informer enjoyed the photography feature but wished for more animal variety. He also praised the simple side quests. Jupiter Hadley of Pocket Gamer appreciated that the player’s actions visibly change the island, and that the game carries a strong message about standing up for a cause. In 2021, Alba won an Apple Design Award in the Social Impact category.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
- Developer
- Ustwo Games
- Publisher
- Ustwo Games / PID Games (Windows and consoles)
- Engine
- Unity
- Platforms
- iOS, macOS, tvOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
- Released
- iOS, macOS, tvOS, Microsoft WindowsWW · December 11, 2020Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/SWW · June 9, 2021
- Genre
- Adventure
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game takes place in and around Secarral, a fictional island town in Spain. The protagonist, a British Asian girl named Alba Singh, flies from the United Kingdom to visit her grandparents for a week-long vacation. After helping to rescue a stranded dolphin, she and her friend Inés form a wildlife rescue league. The next day the mayor announces that the local nature reserve, which suffered from a wildfire, will be developed into a luxury hotel. The girls decide to collect signatures into a petition to stop this. They help with multiple cleanups, repairs and animal rescue tasks, as well as photographing and cataloguing the local wildlife to raise awareness. One of the ultimate goals is to discover an elusive Iberian lynx, which follows Alba throughout the game's story.
Reader's Guide
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure received positive reviews on Metacritic. Critics praised the realism present in the game's environments, with Eurogamer's Christian Donlan noting that animals are a delight and that helping them when trapped is compelling. Donlan also enjoyed the island setting of Pinar del Mar, calling it 'the Spanish holiday island of everyone's dreams' and 'beautifully observed'. Game Informer's Marcus Stewart liked the photography mechanic but expressed disappointment at the lack of variety among animals, while appreciating the straightforward side quests. Jupiter Hadley of Pocket Gamer enjoyed how the player's actions had an impact on the island and praised the game for having a good message about advocating for a cause. The game won Apple Design Awards in 2021 in the Social Impact category. Its significance lies in its focus on wildlife conservation and environmental activism through a gentle, exploratory gameplay loop.
Did You Know?
- The game was developed and published by Ustwo Games.
- It was released on iOS, macOS, and Windows in 2020, and on multiple consoles in 2021.
- The protagonist is a British Asian girl named Alba Singh.
- The game won an Apple Design Award in 2021 in the Social Impact category.
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