African tabletop gaming is growing fast, driven by designers who are blending culture, education, and imagination to create games that do more than entertain. Some started with small experiments, like a market-day demo in South Africa, while others began by helping children learn or by turning complex ideas into playful experiences. Each designer brings a unique story, a distinct vision, and a passion for making games that connect, challenge, and inspire. Here are three African game makers whose journeys show how the continent is redefining play.
Elijah Djan: Turning Financial Literacy into Play
Elijah Djan’s journey into game design began with a challenge: how to make financial literacy engaging. Together with his co-founder, he was developing solutions to address financial illiteracy in South Africa when an unexpected opportunity arose.
“Our mentor said, ‘I have a space at my daughter’s market day if you want to interact with parents around your solutions.’ We looked at our ideas, and the board game seemed the most fitting.”
In just three days, the first version of FinMaster! was born. What started as a small project for a local market day grew into a full-fledged game designed to compete with household names like Monopoly, a project shaped by repeated iterations and a relentless focus on player feedback.
Elijah’s creative process is collaborative and intentional. He reaches out to artists, designers, and testers from around the world, refining each idea until it resonates deeply with players. South African culture informs much of his work; FinMaster! contains moments that players instantly recognize, from everyday life to subtle inside jokes.
“It’s my first game and the most successful so far,” he says, “and I love how it’s changing paradigms around financial education across the world.”
For Elijah, the uniqueness of African-made games lies in the stories and mechanics rooted in local experiences, offering perspectives the world hasn’t seen yet. And his advice to aspiring designers is simple: playtest early, and keep listening to your players.
Bassey Onwuanaku: Making Learning Fun for the Next Generation
Bassey Onwuanaku’s journey started not with a market day, but with her daughter. A legal mind turned Edugamer, Bassey noticed that traditional teaching methods were stifling her daughter’s love for learning. Being a kinesthetic learner, her daughter thrived on movement and interaction so Bassey brought lessons to life through games.
Her first game went on to focus on wildlife conservation, designed to help Nigerian children understand the importance of preserving the environment. While the initial game didn’t make it to production, a mentorship and a small prize from an international competition gave her the opportunity to refine her approach.
Bassey’s creative process starts with conceptualization and prototyping, followed by collaboration with graphic designers to bring her vision to life. Playtesting with children (her primary audience) ensures every game is both fun and educational.
“I love all of my four published games so far,” she says. “They are all engaging and educating.”
Her games include Biblo Blurt and Word Jumble, just to name a few. Despite challenges like limited access to components and production resources in Nigeria, Bassey sees a bright future for the tabletop gaming scene. Her advice to aspiring designers is simple: go for it, enjoy the process, and bring your ideas to life.
Victor Prince Dickson: Games as Tools for Transformation
Victor Prince Dickson, known as “The Transformer,” approaches games as a model for cultural, emotional, and educational transformation. With a background in human capital development, philosophy, psychology, and the arts, he views games as more than entertainment. They are vehicles for learning and personal growth.
“Games carry stories, emotions, and systems that mirror life,” Victor explains. “They allow learners to be vulnerable, make mistakes, and laugh about them. It makes learning easy.”
Victor’s creative process is deeply intentional. He studies culture and mindset to identify the emotions he wants players to experience. Each game is iterated upon until it becomes an experience; one that challenges, inspires, and leaves a lasting impression. His projects, including Kommon Sense and National Cake, aim to reshape culture, improve thinking, and ignite a sense of national identity.
Challenges for Victor include public perception, many people in Nigeria don’t yet see games as powerful educational tools, and the local production gap. Yet, these hurdles have fueled creativity, prompting partnerships and communities that view games as part of Africa’s soft power.
For Victor, African games are unique because they carry soul. They are grounded in lived experiences, oral traditions, and storytelling that blend humor, resilience, and history. His advice to new designers is expansive: learn, research, consult, design to solve problems, iterate, and never forget; the best games are played in hearts, not just on boards.
A Growing Movement
While Elijah, Bassey, and Victor come from different backgrounds, their stories share a common thread: a deep commitment to creating games that educate, entertain, and transform. They face challenges unique to the Nigerian and African context, from access to resources to public perception, yet their work continues to thrive, inspiring new designers and expanding the local tabletop scene.
These games are more than boards and cards. They are stories, lessons, and experiences, shaped by people who believe in the power of play to connect, teach, and transform. Each time you roll the dice or flip a card, you’re not just playing; you’re stepping into the vision, creativity, and heart of African game designers.
Written by: Hilda Alagada
