What this life looks like
You create the interactive worlds people live inside. Game Designers conceive, design, and develop video games — defining mechanics, rules, levels, characters, narratives, and the overall player experience. While Africa's gaming market is still developing, mobile gaming is exploding across the continent, and pioneering African studios are creating games that reflect African stories and environments for local and global audiences.
What she actually does
You design game mechanics and rules, create level designs and progression systems, write game narratives and character backstories, prototype and playtest game ideas, collaborate with programmers, artists, and sound designers, balance game difficulty and player engagement, and iterate constantly based on player feedback to create experiences that are genuinely fun.
Where you can work
| Sector | Places in Africa |
|---|---|
| African Game Studios | Leti Arts (Ghana), Kiro'o Games (Cameroon), Carry1st (SA), Maliyo Games (Nigeria), Kuluya (Nigeria) |
| Mobile Game Companies | Any studio developing mobile games for the African market — a growing investment area |
| Global Studios (Remote) | With portfolio and skills, African game designers can work remotely for global studios |
| Educational Games | NGO and edtech companies developing educational games for African school children — a growing market |
Why it matters in Africa
Africa has over 700 million mobile phone users and mobile gaming is growing fast. Studios like Leti Arts (Ghana) and Kiro'o Games (Cameroon) are creating Africa-themed games for local audiences. The global gaming industry is $200 billion and growing — and African designers who can create culturally resonant games have significant opportunity both in emerging African markets and internationally.
Your pathway in
- Study Game Design, Computer Science, or Interactive Media — or learn through free resources like Unity tutorials and the Game Designers' Workshop
- Build games using free tools: Unity, Unreal Engine, and GameMaker are all free for students or small projects
- Design and complete small game projects first — game jams (online game-making competitions) are excellent practice
- Research African game studios: Leti Arts, Kiro'o Games, and Carry1st — all publish case studies of their development approach
- Participate in global game jams (Ludum Dare, Global Game Jam) to build your portfolio and connect with other designers
Skills you will need
- Game mechanics design
- Level design
- Narrative design
- Prototyping
- Playtesting and iteration
- Programming basics (Unity/C#)
A woman in this field
Bukola Akingbade
Nigeria
Bukola Akingbade is a powerhouse tech entrepreneur, media executive, and prominent leader in the African gaming landscape. Transitioning from a highly successful career in digital marketing and agency leadership, she founded Kucheza Gaming, a Lagos-based startup utilizing video games, game engineering, and immersive media as a vehicle for youth development and economic empowerment across Africa. As the convener of Lagos Games Week, she has been instrumental in engineering the strategic infrastructure connecting independent African game designers, level creators, and software engineers directly to global publishers, international gaming labs, and technical investment tracks.
Take your first step
- Download Unity (free) and complete the official Unity Beginner tutorial — create a simple 2D game in a weekend
- Participate in a global game jam — Ludum Dare and the Global Game Jam both run online and are free to join
- Research Leti Arts at letiarts.com — their work shows what African-themed games can look like and how they are made
- Study the game design fundamentals in Jesse Schell's 'The Art of Game Design' — many university libraries stock it