Relooted, an innovative video game developed by the African studio Nyamakop, challenges players to retrieve African artifacts from museums and private residences to restore them to their original historical owners.
While it may initially seem like a purely imaginative concept, the developers emphasize that each artifact depicted in the game is based on real history.
“We didn’t need to invent anything regarding these artifacts, because the history exists,” stated Mohale Mashigo, the narrative director for Relooted.
Players take on the role of Nomali, a young woman with a background in athletics, particularly parkour and free running, who has returned to visit her family in a near-future Johannesburg after living in Tanzania.
Upset by Western museums’ recent attempts to conceal their African collections—contradicting a transatlantic repatriation agreement—Nomali’s grandmother enlists her and a small team to break into museums and private collectors’ homes to recover significant artifacts and return them to their rightful owners and descendants in Africa.
Experts estimate that there are hundreds of thousands of African artifacts located outside the continent, with UNESCO suggesting that between 90 to 95 percent of these items are housed in Western institutions alone.
Many of these artifacts were taken by Western colonial powers. Items that did not end up in museums or cultural institutions often circulate in the black market or remain with unknown collectors.
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In one of the early missions in Relooted, players are tasked with recovering two of the Benin Bronzes, which belong to a larger collection from the Kingdom of Benin, present-day Nigeria. Some of these bronzes have already been returned from Germany and Scotland to Nigeria, although several still reside in British museums.
Steering Clear of ‘Wakandification’ in African Narratives
Nyamakop’s initial game, a whimsical platformer titled Semblance, did not prominently reflect the studio’s African roots.
Ben Myres, the creative director situated in Johannesburg, initially feared that games themed around Africa would be too financially precarious. However, this perception shifted after the release of a Marvel film.
“When Black Panther was released in mid-2018, which also touched on reclaiming African artifacts to some extent, I began to reconsider and thought … perhaps now is the right moment to pursue it,” he shared.
Nyamakop’s creative director Ben Myres, left, and narrative director Mohale Mashigo, right. (Ezra Qua-Enoo and Sydelle Willow Smith/Nyamakop)
It was essential for the studio to anchor the game’s narrative in reality, despite the characters and visual aesthetics potentially fitting within a Saturday morning cartoon lineup.
“These represent real countries and real artifacts. This way, we avoid the pitfalls associated with the ‘Wakandification’ of African narratives,” Mashigo remarked, referencing the fictional nation depicted in the Black Panther films.
“When it’s science fiction set in actual places in the future, it tends to become more of a vision rather than a mere fantasy,” Myres added.
Planning the Heist
As Nomali’s team gathers for their mission briefing, players receive a brief educational overview of the artifacts they intend to rescue. However, it’s advisable to absorb this information quickly, as players will have plenty to manage during gameplay.
Each level initiates with Nomali scouting the location: devising a route and evaluating security features like auto-locking doors and surveillance cameras. Once a route is selected, players navigate the two-dimensional environment, dodging attack drones and jumping over obstacles to gain speed boosts that lead to the getaway vehicle.
Players get a room-by-room view of locations during the game, and must plan out a path to grab artifacts before escaping from security. (Nyamakop)
As the game advances, Nomali assembles a crew; many team members provide unique skills to facilitate more intricate heists. For instance, her younger brother Trevor can unlock specific doors and assist in accessing items stored in safes. Acrobat Ndedi employs his zipline to help Nomali traverse different floors or leap between buildings.
Heist Style: Ocean’s Eleven, Not Heat
Aside from drones or robots that can impede Nomali with electric shocks, players will not encounter physical confrontations or shootouts with human adversaries.
This approach is intentional, according to Myres.
“There aren’t many great examples of heist games akin to Ocean’s Eleven. Most tend to resemble [the Michael Mann film] Heat—with burglary, gunfire, and similar elements,” he explained.
This focus is a wise choice for a smaller studio like Nyamakop, helping it to distinguish itself from the overwhelming number of retro-inspired brawlers currently available in gaming stores.
When everything aligns, Relooted offers a blend of classic adventure and puzzle-solving gameplay alongside modern run-based elements reminiscent of Trials.
Players will be motivated to replay levels repeatedly, refining their escape strategies and aiming for quicker completion times.
Nyamakop’s Ben Myres cast voice actors from multiple countries and regions of Africa to form a diverse crew in the game. (Nyamakop)
Meanwhile, the narrative is surprisingly well-developed, largely due to the engaging voice performances of the main cast and the colorful art design. The relationships Nomali shares with her team, particularly with family members—such as the natural love-hate dynamic she has with her mischievous younger brother Trevor and her affectionate regard for her grandmother, who initiated the mission—are particularly well-executed.
Conversely, making a miscalculation can lead to frustration, similar to getting caught in challenging logistical puzzles found in traditional point-and-click adventure games.
Players might spend upwards of 10 minutes meticulously planning their escape route only to find themselves stuck because they used a table to boost their jump towards a high ledge instead of keeping a security shutter open, forcing them to re-think their entire plan from the beginning.
Sithe Ncube says people from formerly colonized countries often wonder what it would be like to take back the artifacts that were stolen from their lands and placed in museums. In the new video game Relooted, players can do just that. Ncube, the game’s producer, spoke to As It Happens host Nil Kӧksal
However, minor errors will not deter Nomali and her team. Relooted promises to be an unforgettable experience for many players as they encounter an African-based development team for the first time.
Much like the Assassin’s Creed series, which is rich in historical context, Myres hopes that Relooted will introduce players to numerous narratives from African history that they may not have been previously aware of.
And no, he’s not suggesting that players form their own real-life crew.
“If someone were to steal an artifact and leave a note saying, ‘This one’s for Relooted,’ I would think … ohhh. That’s a bit awkward.”
Relooted is set to release on February 10 for PC and Xbox, including Xbox Game Pass.
