The Africacomicade Gamathon is Africa’s premier convention for stakeholders in the African Video games and interactive media industry, showcasing their works and creating an avenue for exchange and collaboration with other stakeholders.
The three-week hybrid event began with a Game Jam on September 11th, bringing together game developers from across Africa to collaborate on creating a game following the stated theme. The year had two jam themes namely: “Pathways” and “ African Hero/Heroine” for PC and Mobile game developers respectively. This event allowed the Game developers to connect, collaborate, and showcase their talents. Thanks to Gara, the go-to platform for premium African games, comics, and animation content, there was a publishing deal alongside a cash prize pool of up to $3000 for outstanding projects.
The top winning games in the Mobile category were: Team PilgroByte( 5th ), Gamechangers ( 4th ), Path Puzzle ( 3rd ), VStudios ( 2nd ), and Dev de Babi (1st position ). On the PC side, the winning Games included: Body Double and Build Your Path ( 1st ), Path Puzzle ( 2nd ), and The Forked Forest ( 3rd Place ). All games can be found on Gara store and itch.io respectively.
The physical events officially launched at the NEST Innovation and Technology Park on September 25th, with some key stakeholders from across the continent in attendance. Oscar Michael and Abdulkabir Adewale, co-founders of Africacomicade, opened the ceremony with a background to Africacomicade and the Gamathon whilst the delegates from outside Nigeria; Wendi Ndaki ( Kenya ), Patrice de-Souza ( Benin Republic ), Rahma Seleman Jumanne ( Tanzania ) and Mark Letsa ( Ghana ) shared their insights into the state and future of the gaming industry in Africa.
In the days that followed, the delegates and attendees took a tour of creative studios across Lagos, Nigeria. We were honoured to be hosted by the staff and members of Magic Carpet Studios, Radioxity Studios ( a stop-motion animation studio ), and Comic Republic. Stakeholders had the opportunity to explore the various projects developed by these studios and interact with their leadership team. Special thanks to Ferdinand Adimefe, Esther Gbadamosi, and Jide Martins for making themselves available on this occasion.
Participants also visited BANWO & IGHODALO, one of Africa’s largest law firms, where they had a legal workshop with the staff, exploring the importance of having legal representation in business proceedings, intellectual property, and more, providing stakeholders with valuable insights regarding protecting their creative works. Afterward, they explored the Hall of Spirits exhibition by Vortex Comics and screened four animation short films; Ajaka: Lost in Rome by Spoof Animation, Thought Power by Edu Shola, Bushido by Utobia Studios, and Mark of Love by Hermann Kayode, all at Alliance Francaise Lagos.
The main industry event and ARK Pitch took place on Thursday 28th September at Odeya Event Center, featuring talks, panel sessions, and Pitch competitions. We had talks on Intellectual property with Ms. Juliana Oboh-Joseph and Margerhita Marini of the World Intellectual Property Organization ( WIPO ), a panel on Bridging the funding Gap in the African Creative Industry with Dara Osibo ( GreenHouse Capital ) and Ada Aguocha ( Banwo & Ighodalo ), followed by exhibitions and a Pitch competition for stakeholders physically in Nigeria, sponsored by LG Electronics.
At the virtual ARK pitch, a total of 19 African game studios ( 10 mobile, 9 PC) pitched their games before a jury to compete for prototype funding from a prize pool of $25,000 and an opportunity to pitch at GDBAY and attend Africa Games Week in South Africa in November 2023. A total of 10 studios, five across each category ( PC and Mobile ) came out as winners. The winners are Dash Studios, Isnaja Mobile Game, 7D Studios, Nganin Games and Logic Dev studios for the Mobile category, whilst VCD Studios, Inuv8 Studios, Code Red, Mhiracle, and Raven Illusion won in the PC Category. All selected Game studios and more have been enrolled into the ARK Pre-Accelerator.
There was also a day dedicated to exposing and guiding teenagers into this sector of the Creative industry called the Teen Expo. This was held at Vibranium Valley, hosting about 100 students from secondary and primary schools across Lagos, including EarlyBrite. The students got to learn about the several career pathways in the creative industry, playtest, and share feedback on the projects on exhibition.
The Gamathon concluded with a fun-filled day at the Creative Bloc Carnival, featuring delightful musical performances, games, competitions, exhibitions, and more.
Our heartfelt gratitude goes to our supporters including XBOX, Gara, LG, IndieGame Business, GDBAY, Nest Hub, Humble Bundle, Africa Games Week, Alliance Francaise, Maliyo, Nexal Gaming, The AfroGamer, StudentPaddy, eSports Africa News and more, whose support has ensured the Gamathon continues to thrive, as a hub for discovery, understanding, and the promotion of the African Video Games industry.
This year, Africacomicade has embarked on empowering over 200 Africans with Digital creative skills to build the workforce for the future, backed by Unity and Jobs for the Future. About 30 African game studio founders are also enrolled in a six (6) months fellowship program, to improve their entrepreneurial skills and connect them to relevant stakeholders in the global video games industry for co-production, funding, and publishing deals. We would also be strengthening our efforts on Social entrepreneurship in the creative industry, with a focus on sustainability, Green Games, and Games for good.
The Gamathon returns this September 2024. To stay updated with our activities and connect with us, send an email to [email protected] or visit:
www.africacomicade.org
View the Official Gamathon Recap Here.
See also: AfricaComicade’s Gamathon returns to spark the creative and interactive media industry
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