It wasn’t long ago that gaming and Africa were two words you would almost never see in the same sentence. Fortunately that trend is now a thing of the past with the gaming industry in across Africa beginning to grow at an accelerated pace and developers across the world taking an interest in many of the different cultures across Africa.
Although console game development has yet to really take off, we are beginning to see a flurry of mobile and PC games set on the continent.
1. Africa’s Legends
Africa’s Legends is a vast superhero universe steeped in real mythology, culture and history from across Africa – all brought up-to-date to tackle the modern-day issues which affect every African. The Africa Legends game is a tile-matching puzzle-based flight-simulation game using superheroes and villains from the Africa’s Legends universe.
2. Throne of Gods
Have you ever wondered who would win in a fight between Ikenga, the Igbo god of strength and Shango, the Orisha of thunder? Now is your chance to find out! Inspired by classic fighting games like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, Throne of Gods is a versus fighting game that pits some of the most powerful African Deities against each other. The demo is now available for free on the android mobile OS but creators Akdogan Ali and Iruo Imusu are currently raising funds on GoFundMe in order to further develop the game.
3. Afrobeats Warriors
Afrobeats Warriors is a parody versus fighting game that reimagines popular Afrobeats musicians as fighting combatants and pits them against one another. However, in addition to throwing kicks and punches players can also Skelewu and Azonto across levels
4. Mzito
Created by Weza Interactive Entertainment, Mzito is a 2D Endless platformer mobile game. The game follows the adventures of the Mzitos’ a pair of spiritual beings traveling across Africa, on a mission to awaken the sleeping lions. The levels of the game are inspired by real life African locations such as: Fontainhas – Cape Verde, Lake Nakuru – Kenya, Congo Rain Forest – Congo and Victoria falls – Zimbabwe and Zambia.
5. KADE: Ule Mtoi Mrui
KADE: Ule Mtoi Mrui is a, 2D adventure game set in rural Kenya. The game follows the story of Kade, a mischievous young boy who is sent to the shop by his mother to buy a few items for her. When Kade gets to the shop he spots a shiny new bicycle that he must have by all mean. He runs back home to his mother to ask for money to buy the bike but she tells him that he must earn the money himself. Kadè doesn’ t like this idea very much and prefers a quicker way to get the money for the bike. And so with slingshot in hand, Kade’s adventure begins.
6. Nairobi X Mobile
Nairobi X is a first person shooter game is set in Nairobi, Kenya in the year 2030. The country is under attack from aliens. You play as the fictional soldier Otero, who is part of the GSU Recce squad, and it’s your job to save the city from the alien invasion. You will fight in notable locations in Nairobi like the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, The Supreme Court, City Hall and Times Tower.
7. Tales of Hassan
“The Tales of Hasan” is an adventure game with a typical African setting developed mainly for android phones. The game tells a story of a hero’s quest to solve the plights of his people. His quest to save his village and its people from destruction leads him on a journey with unexpected events. He is encountered by different interesting characters. Fly, and stomp your way through these levels, smashing your way through obstacles and stomping on dwarfs, trolls, executioners, and fight strategically with Soronko and kyewaa the evil witch.
8. Touch Combat
Witness Dajie’s epic journey of trials and tribulations as you master her combat skills to defeat evil incarnate as she searches for her loved one. This is Touch Combat, where your fighting abilities will be tested to their ultimate limits! Can you survive the onslaught of demons coming your way?
9. Democracy 3: Africa
“Have you ever wanted to be president or prime-minister? Convinced you could do a better job of running the country? Let’s face it, you could hardly do a worse job than our current political leaders.” Cliff Harris, Positech Games.
Democracy 3: Africa (D3A) is a political simulation game developed by Positech Games. The simulation allows you get to play as the leader of any of the game’s available African countries. The game is now available to play on the official D3A Website.
10. Aurion: The Legacy of the Kori-Odan
Africa’s first fantasy RPG became a reality last year when when Aurion was successfully funded on Kickstarter. Developed by Kiro’o Games, a studio based in Cameroon, Aurion follows the adventures of Enzo Kori-Odan, the prince of Zama, a fictional state in the fantasy world of Auriona. Enzo was scheduled to marry his lifelong love Erine Evou and be crowned the new King. Without warning Ngarba Evou, Enzo’s brother-in-law initiated a coup and Enzo and Ernie were forced to flee Zama.
Now the royal couple must travel the world of Auriona and gather allies in order to reclaim Zama and liberate the people from Ngarba’s reign. Despite only having been funded 6 months ago, Kiro’o Games have wasted no time and Aurion is now available on Steam to play. The gameplay is centred on 2D real time combat sequences and powerful duels with immersive fighting dialogues.
Editor’s note: This is an updated version of a post that first appeared on the Kugali blog.
