Safari City and the First-Time User Experience
The October 2025 edition of the GameUp Africa Meetup featured another engaging learning session, this time focusing on one of the most critical aspects of game design: the First-Time User Experience (FTUE). Leading the session was Chenwie Asanag, Game Engineer at Maliyo Games, who took participants behind the scenes of Safari City, Maliyo’s flagship match-3 […]
Behind the Code: How Safari City Was Built
The September edition of the GameUp Africa Meetup offered a deep dive into the making of Safari City, a match-3 renovation game and Maliyo Games’ flagship title. This month’s session featured two speakers: Micheal Fagbemi – Lead Game Engineer at Maliyo Games, who unpacked the tools and tech powering Safari City. Alongside, Nicole Gesare – […]
GameUp Africa Alumni Panel & Gamescom Walkthrough
The August 2025 GameUp Africa Meetup took a unique turn, bringing together a panel of GameUp Africa alumni who shared their journeys into the game industry, followed by a live walkthrough from Program Manager Dorothy Orina, who represented African creators at Gamescom in Germany. This session not only highlighted the growth of our community but […]
GameUp Africa 2025: 5 Years of Powering Africa’s Next Game Creators
In 2021, GameUp Africa launched with a mission to provide aspiring African game developers with access to skills, mentorship, and opportunities to break into the global games industry. This year, we celebrate five impactful years of building talent and growing a vibrant pan-African community of game developers. ~ Five Years of Impact Since the launch […]
The Making of Safari City: Building a Hit Game
The July edition of the GameUp Africa Meetup featured an in-depth session on the making of Safari City, a vibrant, narrative-driven mobile game developed by Maliyo Games. Led by Christopher Adomako, lead project manager and gameplay programmer, the session provided a rare glimpse into the creative, technical, and cultural decisions that shaped the development of […]
GameUp Africa Elite: Real Studios. Real Projects. Real Skills.
For the past four years, GameUp Africa has empowered thousands of aspiring creators across the continent—equipping them with in-demand skills in game development, design, art, and audio. While talent is abundant, many young people lack clear pathways into the fast-growing game industry. So we’re going a step further! Introducing GameUp Africa Elite – a sustainable […]
Navigating Career Transitions: Finding a Path That Works for You
At the May 2025 edition of the GameUp Africa Monthly Meetup, we had the privilege of learning from Thomas Winkley, Lead Creator Advocate at LEGO, who brought his dynamic career journey front and center with an insightful talk titled “Navigating Career Transitions.” From sales floors to the global game development stage, Thomas’s path has been […]
The Maliyo Games Junior Internship 2025: Shaping the Future
At GameUp Africa, we’ve trained thousands of aspiring game developers, and we’ve seen firsthand the power of mentorship and hands-on learning. We believe that early exposure to game design and development can ignite a lifelong passion, nurture creative thinking, and equip young minds with practical skills for the industry. This July, Maliyo Games will be […]
Remote Teams, Real Impact: Building Culture in Global Game Studios
As game development becomes increasingly collaborative and cross-continental, understanding how to thrive in remote and globalized teams has never been more important. At the April meet-up, we were joined by Leyla Mamedova, Cinematic Pipeline Manager at ZeniMax Online Studios, who delivered a powerful session on Remote and Globalized Teams. Drawing from her experience working with […]
Great Teams Matter More Than You Think in Game Development
Great games aren’t just about brilliant ideas or cutting-edge technology—they’re built by great teams. This was the key theme at the GameUp Africa March Meetup, where Marco Colombo, Client Programmer and Cell Founder at Supercell, shared valuable insights on building strong, effective teams in game development. With over 12 years in the industry, working across […]
