After a year’s work by the artistic and technical teams of the ‘Gaming against slavery’ project, split between Mali, Senegal, Kenya, the UK and France, a first version of the game was launched in Nairobi on 30 September 2023! The launch took place at the Game Centre in Nairobi, and was attended by around thirty people (developers, artists, bloggers, etc.). After a speech by the founder of Games for Change, Suzanne Seggerman, participants were able to attend a panel discussion with Marie Rodet (Professor at SOAS, University of London and director of the ‘Gaming against slavery’ project), Martin Khamala (Lecturer at Technical University, Kenya) and Anthony (founder of Zamani Films) on the use of serious games to bring about positive and tangible social change.
Those present were then able to download and try out the afro-futuristic mobile game USAWA. Initial feedback on the game was enthusiastic, with particular praise for its graphic quality! This feedback will be used to improve the future experience of players. In addition to the participants present on site, 132 people followed the livestream available on Youtube. One week after the launch, the Jiwe platform recorded 55 downloads.
The final version of the game is scheduled to be available on Google Play and IOS platforms following the official launch at SOAS in London. It will include a choice of languages: English, French, Bambara and Swahili.
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