Set in small-town Alaska, Tell Me Why places you at the heart of a mystery in an intimate, true-to-life story where twins Tyler and Alyson Ronan use their extraordinary bond to unravel memories of a loving but troubled childhood.

The story of Tell Me Why is comprised of three chapters that will release on a clear and predictable schedule. DONTNOD are passionate about the opportunities for community-building and audience engagement that come with episodic storytelling, but they are also dedicated to innovation and improvement.

DONTNOD has worked closely alongside Microsoft and the LGBTQ media advocacy organization GLAAD in shaping Tyler as an authentic representation of the trans experience, as well as a genuine, multidimensional character. Tyler is also the first playable videogame hero from a major studio and publisher who is also transgender.

“The core mechanic of the game is the special bond Tyler and Alyson share and is also a theme strongly anchored into the DONTNOD storytelling approach,” explained Florent Guillaume, Tell Me Why‘s Game Director. “Over the course of the story, players will explore the identical twins’ different memories of key events and choose which memory to believe. Ultimately, the choices players make determine the strength of the twins’ bond—and the future course of their lives.”

“We are always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with world-class teams like DONTNOD, to bring new, compelling stories to our community,” said Matt Booty, corporate vice president of Xbox Game Studios. “When DONTNOD approached us with their pitch for ‘Tell Me Why,' we were thrilled to help them realize their bold creative vision and empower them to explore new ways to create authentic and inclusive gaming experiences.”

Tyler and Alyson are both playable characters and equal heroes in the story. “We love them both,” continued Guillaume, “And we are especially grateful to Microsoft for its full support, openness and help regarding Tyler’s identity and character, as a transgender man.”

“Microsoft and DONTNOD have approached Tyler with a real commitment to authenticity,” explains Nick Adams, Director of Transgender Representation at GLAAD. “Tyler is a fully-realized, endearing character, whose story is not reduced to simplistic trans tropes. Creating a playable lead trans character – and taking such care to get it right – raises the bar for future LGBTQ inclusion in gaming.”

“We listened closely to fans of narrative adventure games, and we heard loud and clear how painful unpredictable gaps between episodes can be,” said Peter Wyse, General Manager for Xbox Games Studios Publishing. “We’re thrilled to announce that the entire Tell Me Why story will release in the Summer 2020.”

Tell Me Why is coming to Xbox One, PC, Xbox Game Pass in Summer 2020.