Goethe-Institut, AfricaComicade Conclude Echoes Game Jam, Honouring Top Innovators
Iyke Bede writes on a project that is aimed at empowering African digital creators—game developers, graphic artists, and storytellers—to preserve, project, and promote African historical narratives through immersive and interactive media
Three winners have emerged from the inaugural Echoes Game Jam, which kicked off in February. Chosen by a jury of game developers, Wubit Studio’s ‘Building Obu,’ Dream Team’s ‘Cradle,’ and Digi-Negus’ ‘Queen Idia’ were selected for their technically outstanding projects from eight teams. Their success gives them the chance to showcase their work at the Lagos Games Week, scheduled for June.
‘Building Obu,’ an AR project, explores the culturally significant Obu House Monument, a centrepiece of Igbo culture that promotes communal values. Players can interact with the structure, uncovering layers of history and the role of the Obu in traditional Igbo society. ‘Cradle’ is a VR project that drops players into a mysterious environment where they solve puzzles and decipher clues to find the king (oba), testing their problem-solving skills in a rich, historically inspired setting.
‘Queen Idia’ dives into the story of the Benin Kingdom’s legendary warrior queen, allowing players to navigate her world through interactive sequences that highlight her strategic brilliance in securing her son’s throne.
The Echoes Game Jam is an offshoot of Goethe-Institut Nigeria’s ‘Dreaming New Worlds’ project, aimed at empowering African digital creators—game developers, graphic artists, and storytellers—to preserve, project, and promote African historical narratives through immersive and interactive media.
Bringing together creatives from Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, and Cameroon, the initiative had participants drawing inspiration from artefacts at the National Museum in Lagos. They developed virtual reality, augmented reality, WebXR, and mobile game projects to preserve history and make culture digitally accessible for future generations.
“I think these gaming projects are a wonderful way to bring people back to culture,” said Dr Nadine Siegert, Director of Goethe-Institut Nigeria, applauding the game jam. “Museums need new ways to make heritage more accessible because most in Nigeria aren’t really catering to a generation deeply connected to the digital space.”
She added, “When you enter a museum, most of what you see are dusty old displays that aren’t particularly engaging. Gaming offers a new way to connect cultural heritage with a generation that is constantly on their mobile phones and PCs. If we don’t bridge this gap, these important stories could remain disconnected and eventually fade away.”
With technical assistance from AfricaComicade, over 100 participants were onboarded for two weeks, gaining access to resources—including masterclasses and workshops—to help them build gamified, solution-based projects that make culture more accessible in today’s digital world.
Supported by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Games Connect Africa, and the European Union National Institute for Culture (EUNIC), the winning projects will be refined further and eventually installed at the National Museum Lagos, ensuring they remain part of the broader cultural conversation.
