Three Games, Two Continents, One Vision: The Story Behind a Unique Global Game Jam

The initiative, led by Futuregames and Elimu Goal, organized a 96‑hour cross‑continental game jam that brought together sixteen studios from Africa and Europe. The event’s core thesis was that senior developers working as peers, rather than in traditional vendor‑client or mentor‑mentee roles, could create culturally resonant games through shared play. The jam produced three new titles—each centered on food, music, or family—that blend African and European visual styles, narratives, and themes. All three will be released on itch.io.

The methodology deliberately mixed teams of senior developers from both continents, guided by the Ubuntu philosophy (“I am because we are”) to ensure balanced knowledge transfer and mutual influence. Participation spanned a diverse array of studios, with support from partners such as SpielFabrique, the Video Games Poland Association, Swedish Games Industry, Africacomicade, IGDA Incubation SIG, Darko Petrovic, Games for Change Africa, and the UNESCO Chair on Intercultural Competences.

The jam’s outcomes will be showcased at the Games for Change Africa Summit in Nairobi, positioning the work as a model for using games to foster social and cultural connection. The event demonstrates that structured, peer‑led collaboration across time zones can yield innovative, culturally hybrid games while strengthening African‑European industry ties.