Nigeria’s gaming industry generated $180 million in revenue and is now the second largest gaming market in Africa, behind only Egypt.
Most of that money still flows toward foreign titles, but a small group of Nigerian studios have been quietly building their own games for over a decade.
Here are 10 of the best ones worth knowing about and eventually playing. Plus a High Quality Bonus Game at the end
10. Okada Ride
Built by Maliyo Games, Nigeria’s first dedicated game development company, Okada Ride turns the chaos of navigating Lagos on a motorcycle taxi into a playable game. Maliyo was founded in 2012 by Hugo Obi and is based in Lagos. The game reflects something every Lagos resident recognizes immediately, dodging traffic and obstacles on two wheels through the city’s streets.
9. Aboki Run
Also from Maliyo Games, Aboki Run is set around the bustling energy of Nigerian markets. Maliyo has built over 40 free-to-play titles in total, and Aboki Run is one of the studio’s most recognized titles for capturing everyday Nigerian street life rather than copying a foreign game template.
8. Whot King
Whot is a card game most Nigerians grew up playing physically, and Maliyo Games turned it into a digital mobile version called Whot King. Maliyo later signed a distribution agreement with Telecoming, a Spanish company, to bring its games, including this one, to mobile users across six African countries.
7. Gidi Run
Created by Gamsole, a Lagos-based studio founded in 2012 by Abiola Olaniran, Gidi Run follows Nigerian characters running through adventures in Lagos, locally nicknamed “Las Gidi.” Gamsole’s earlier titles like Candy Connect and Birds Republic targeted international audiences with no specific African identity, but Gidi Run marked a deliberate shift toward telling distinctly Nigerian stories. Olaniran has been described as the most successful Nigerian game developer on Windows Phone and PC platforms based on downloads and revenue.
6. NOUNS Hunt
Released in March 2023 by Dash Studios, a Lagos studio established in March 2022, NOUNS turns the classic Nigerian “Name, Animal, Place, and Thing” pen-and-paper game into a mobile app. It is available on both iOS and the Google Play Store and reportedly received strong praise from players both inside Nigeria and abroad. Dash Studios also has follow-up titles in the works, including Nouns Attack and Nouns: The Hunt.
5. Chike
Chike was released in 2017 by Deluxe Creation Studios, a Lagos media and entertainment company founded in 2014 by Edu Shola. While the game faced challenges with downloads after launch, it was the studio’s first major title built around African storytelling, and it laid the foundation for the games that followed.
4. Chike-SkyRaider
A follow-up title from Deluxe Creation Studios, Chike-SkyRaider is part of a wider Chike series the studio built over time. Deluxe Creation now has around 15 games in its portfolio, including the Stickman series, and their combined titles have been installed over 50,000 times.
3. Stickman: Save Your World
Also from Deluxe Creation Studios, this title kicked off the studio’s Stickman series, which grew out of the global stickman content trend but was built and released by a Nigerian team. The series later expanded into spinoffs like Stickman Defend and Stickman Fight Badlandz.
2. Iwájú: Rising Chef
Disney Iwájú: Rising Chef is a major historic milestone for the continent’s gaming industry. Developed by Lagos-based Maliyo Games in a landmark partnership with Disney Games and Kugali Media, it serves as the official mobile companion game to the Disney+ original animated sci-fi series, Iwájú.
The game is a fast-paced, time-management cooking simulation (reminiscent of titles like Cooking Fever or Diner Dash). Players step into the shoes of an aspiring culinary talent navigating Lagos’ competitive restaurant scene. Operating out of a virtual bukka (a local Nigerian street-side eatery), you have to take orders, prep ingredients, cook under tight time restrictions, and serve a rapidly growing queue of hungry patrons without overcooking the food.
1. Safari City
Safari City is another vibrant, casual mobile game developed by Maliyo Games, a premier Lagos-based game development studio. The game relies on a highly addictive “match-3 puzzle + decoration” mechanic, similar to global hits like Gardenscapes or Homescapes. Players step into the shoes of a rising property developer tasked with transforming dilapidated, worn-down houses into stunning architectural masterpieces. Solving the puzzle levels rewards players with the tools and currency needed to unlock stylish furniture, paint colors, and customized decor items.
Why I Think This is Good for the Nigerian Gaming Industry
None of these games are competing with Call of Duty or PUBG Mobile in download numbers, and that is exactly the point. Nigerian developers like Maliyo Games, Gamsole, Dash Studios, Deluxe Creation Studios, and Pledge51 are not trying to out-build Tencent or Activision. They are building games around okada rides, market runs, Whot, and Nigerian street culture, things no foreign studio would ever think to make.
The industry is still small. As of recent counts, only a handful of Nigerian companies are actively producing original games, and most still rely heavily on the international market rather than local spending to stay profitable. But the consistency is real. Maliyo alone has built a catalogue of over 40 titles since 2012, and newer studios like Dash Studios are launching fresh original games as recently as 2023.
Trying even one of these games supports an industry that is still finding its footing, built by people who chose to tell Nigerian stories instead of recycling someone else’s.
Bonus: Legends of Orisha: Blood and Water.
Legends of Orisha tells the story of a former soldier named Remilekun of the fallen ancient empire of Oyo. Existing between 1570 and 1836, the empire eventually grew to become the largest Yoruba-speaking state through the organisational and administrative efforts of the Yoruba people, trade and the military’s use of cavalry.
The game follows Remilekun as he tries to find solace in retirement but a force from his past pulls him back into his armoured gear as he tries to fight back and protect those around him. The action role-playing game will have players using weapons and fight moves to battle enemies.
