NARRATIFY Manifesto

Africa knows the West better than the West knows Africa.

While epic Viking wars, elves, orcs and soldiers — along with predictable love stories — continue to dominate screens worldwide, African imaginaries remain underestimated, appearing only as exceptions when they surface at all. Yet these imaginaries represent an invaluable reservoir of tales, legends and stories that are simply waiting to be heard, seen, and experienced.

This is where NARRATIFY steps in: to reveal extraordinary stories to an audience constantly seeking novelty, and to support their creators toward international recognition — so they can inspire vocations and become role models for the generations of tomorrow.

Who We Are

NARRATIFY is a company led by Jennifer Lufau and Mickaël Newton. Drawing on over a decade of experience in AAA studios, fifteen years of sustained associative engagement, and ongoing collaboration with stakeholders across the world's creative and cultural industries, our regular immersion in the field gives us real-time insight into local dynamics and grounds our expertise in transmission rather than disembodied inspiration.

NARRATIFY highlights, supports and advises video game studios, as well as institutional and educational bodies developing unique and innovative projects. These successful collaborations are designed to enrich experiences, the pleasure of play, and the spirit of discovery — building a richer understanding of the diversity of the world around us.

In Video Games, Africa Barely Exists

Most cultural fields are beginning to wake up: from Afrobeats in music to Afrofuturism in literature and cinema, Africa, the Caribbean, and people of the African diaspora around the world are revealing an unsuspected reservoir of stories and cosmogonies — impressive, centuries-old tapestries that refresh and even redefine the codes of modern works.

And yet, on the global video game stage, Africa barely exists. When it is depicted in virtual worlds, the misrepresentations are many: conflict zones, poverty, exploitation. Clichés are the norm. On the creative side, developers have little or no access to the development kits that PlayStation, Nintendo and Xbox distribute so readily elsewhere in the world. As for players, the lack of game servers on the continent results in poor online performance, placing African esports players at a disadvantage in online competitions.

While Africa may sometimes face structural limitations, many barriers to growth are artificial — the result of human decisions that isolate rather than integrate. The potential, however, is undeniable: according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, nearly 60% of the African population is under 25 (close to one billion individuals in 2023), and the total number of gamers in Africa is estimated at 349 million in 2024, up from 317 million in 2023 (+10%), according to a Newzoo / Carry1st study.

A Method Both Reassuring and Committed

Our method is rooted in co-creation. We support creative companies in integrating authentic, immersive Afro-diasporic narratives through research, script review and co-development. At the same time, we help elevate creators from the African diaspora by showcasing their games to a global audience through tailor-made events designed to maximize their adoption potential. NARRATIFY therefore combines consultancy and event strategy to address complex industry challenges: lack of cultural authenticity, disconnect from lived experience, and the need for clear societal impact and responsibility.

This responsibility unfolds at several levels:

• Raising awareness and building understanding of cultural representation issues in a polarized world
• Mobilizing our network of local researchers, historians and storytellers to support the creation of immersive, authentic worlds
• Proposing options to support societal causes we care deeply about (education, heritage preservation, digital inclusion)

We do not lecture, and we do not alter your content. We share guidance, resources and expertise so that you can make informed, strategic decisions. Through research, listening and collaboration, we transform cultural inspirations into meaningful narrative and gameplay drivers. This work is carried out hand in hand with knowledge holders and local partners — storytellers, creators, developers, artists, designers and researchers from the continent — to ensure the most authentic and grounded feedback.

Beyond Success

Shifting the gaze is not a break from video games — it is how they evolve.

Because beyond commercial success, we believe that video games have a role to play in our society. As interactive media capable of infinite representation, they do not simply shape our imaginaries — they allow us to see the world with sharper eyes and can even transform the way we relate to one another.

Ultimately, video games can also help build a more just and equitable world.

A game rooted in the Yoruba universe can resonate with the global communities of God of War or Assassin's Creed. A universe inspired by Sahelian traditions can offer the same richness as The Legend of Zelda or Final Fantasy — provided these works are crafted with respect, rigor, and the active involvement of those who carry this knowledge.

NARRATIFY: Africa enters the game.