Black artists have had a tremendous impact in art forms such as film and music, with Black culture and stories reaching audiences around the world in record numbers. This interest in diverse content and perspectives is not exclusive to those industries, but the barriers faced in game development are very real. The good news is that Black developers, despite the challenges, are now finding more ways to create and share games that celebrate their culture, uplift their stories and are simply fun.



The impact of Black developers in gaming dates back to Gerald Lawson and his role in designing the Fairchild Channel F and pioneering the first video game cartridges. In many ways, Black developers today are part of Mr. Lawson’s legacy and represent an inclusive future for our industry, where more stories make more players feel seen and included.

As the Director of the ID@Xbox Developer Acceleration Program, I have been fortunate to visit, speak to and partner with developers from around the world in places like Nigeria, South Africa, Brazil and here in the United States, including cities such as Detroit, Oakland, Atlanta and Houston. The passion, stories, culture and gameplay experiences that are being created are the fresh perspectives and new voices that our industry needs to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet.

The Developer Acceleration Program is dedicated to empowering developers across the globe, enabling them to share their unique stories and perspectives with a broader audience. Since its inception, the Developer Acceleration Program has provided support to more than 300 developers spanning six continents. This commitment has already resulted in the launch of over 100 games, each benefiting from the program’s guidance and resources.

As part of the celebration of Black History Month, the Developer Acceleration Program is proud to shine a spotlight on DAP Partners and their games from across the African diaspora.

Studio: Nyamakop

Location: South Africa

Interviewee: Sithe Ncube, Producer

Out now and available with Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Play Anywhere.

Please give us a brief description of your game.

Reclaim real African artifacts from Western museums in this Africanfuturist heist game. Recruit crew members, plan escape routes, acquire the precious cargo, and bounce out of the joint as fast as you can.



What sets your game apart?

Relooted features very unique non-violent puzzle/action gameplay – the puzzle comes in figuring out the plan for your heist, and the action comes in executing it. Nyamakop is a South African team primarily but, working on Relooted, we’ve been lucky to have people from over a dozen African countries contribute to the project! That was important because the game’s core theme – African artifact repatriation – is one that affects all African countries. A final favorite fact about the game is that all the artifacts in the game are real! These artifacts have such great stories and history to them that it’s easy to think they were made up, but they are real objects that you can see in museums (maybe not the right museum though).

How has the Developer Acceleration Program impacted your game creation journey? 

The Xbox team has been so amazing to work with! The program has given us the space to enhance the game and make it better. I think without the support from the Developer Acceleration Program team it’s quite possible we wouldn’t have been able to even finish Relooted – so in some ways the impact of DAP was fundamental to us.

What’s ahead for your game?

The game is out now! Stop reading and start reclaiming – it’s out on Xbox Game Pass & it’s Xbox Play Anywhere.

Studio: Strange Scaffold

Location: El Paso, Texas

Interviewee: Xalavier Nelson Jr., Studio Head

Coming soon, will be available with Xbox Play Anywhere.

Please give us a brief description of your game. 



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