If we were to make a list of games inspired by, for example, medieval Vikings or any era of Japan, it would be a list that extends over pages and pages. In the gaming world, some civilizations and eras just get more representation than others, whether that’s down to striking aesthetics or ease of conversion into gameplay.
For something different, we’re looking today at those other amazing parts of human culture and history at the opposite end of the scale.
Africa
To be clear for this entry, calling Africa a single culture is almost criminal, but the complete lack of games drawn from any of the hundreds of cultures on the continent is just as bad. Outside of Egypt, which has gotten more than its fair share from “Assassin’s Creed” to countless strategy games, Africa is massively underrepresented in gaming.
For developers, the issue may be more of a wealth of sources rather than a lack. Those hundreds of cultures within Africa may share some common features to others nearby but comparing groups like the Yoruba to the Zulu is about the same as comparing either of them to the Vikings in terms of how far apart they are. Making a single game cover even a portion of the most prominent ones in the continent would be monumental.
New Zealand
Bigger neighbour Australia has gotten a little more love in gaming recently but New Zealand, and its mixture of European and Maori cultures, has largely been left on the side. It’s more of a shame because of the country’s love of all things digital in terms of entertainment, especially all things gaming from video games to casino games. For the former, games like “Path of Exile” and “Bloons” have made a major mark on the industry, and a range of offers for casinos like this one shows how big the online casino industry has become. This is in many thanks to free spins and no-deposit offers that attract customers – perhaps other entertainment sectors need to follow suit if they want to expose fans to new cultures and gaming experiences.
The Maori culture in particular has amazing potential in the rising area of exploration and ecology games. A title around sustainable development across Polynesia with some legends and mythology mixed in would certainly be unique.
Celtic
In the case of ancient Celtic culture, we have actually seen a title recently that dives deeper in the form of “Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice”, but beyond this we’re limited again to historical and strategy games plus a few scattered pieces in games like “Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla”.
What makes this odd is that, in other media forms, love for Celtic mythology, legends and symbols is alive and well from TV to movies. Between the various scattered Celtic peoples of Europe, there are incredible tales and stories to be told, not least of which is King Arthur. A game about the legendary British king with more of a historical grounding would be fascinating to say the least.
As the indie game industry gains more and more market share, we’re hopeful that titles focusing on less-seen cultures will start becoming more normal. As we see it, there’s every chance of a Maori or Yoruba game on the horizon.
