South African Video Game 'Relooted' Allows Players to Steal Back Looted African Artifacts

The Game 'Relooted'

• 🎯 Relooted is a new heist video game developed by Johannesburg-based Nyamakop, with a planned release within the next year.
• 💡 The game allows players to organize heists to repatriate looted African artifacts from Western institutions.
• 🧠 The narrative director, Mual Masho, emphasizes that the game aims to make the topic of restitution fun and educational, allowing players to learn about artifacts while solving puzzles.

Context of Artifact Repatriation

• 🌍 The issue of returning African artifacts looted during European imperialism has gained significant global attention.
• 📌 Experts estimate that approximately 90% of Africa's cultural heritage is held outside the continent, with many items in Western museums like the British Museum.
• 💡 The concept for Relooted was inspired by Nyamakop CEO Ben Myer's mother's reaction to visiting the British Museum.

Game Setting and Objectives

• 🚀 The game is set near the end of the 21st century and features an afrofuturist theme.
• 🧩 Players will aim to pull off heists to recover 70 specific African artifacts, including the drum, the gab skull, a soapstone bird from great Zimbabwe, and some Benin bronzes.

African Gaming Industry and Future Hopes

• 📈 Africa's gaming industry is experiencing steady growth, projected to have exceeded $1 billion last year according to a 2024 report.
• ⚠️ Despite growth, African game developers face challenges like limited funding and access to international markets.
• 💬 Myer hopes that Relooted, if commercially successful, can pave the way for more games about African history, cultures, and everyday life, fostering a more diverse gaming landscape.
• 🔑 Relooted will be available on platforms such as Steam, Epic Game Store, and Xbox Series S and X.