Video Game ”Relooted” Allows Players to Virtually Return Artifacts to Africa
JOHANNESBURG, south Africa - A new video game, ”Relooted,” is offering players a unique way to engage with the contentious issue of African artifact restitution by allowing them to virtually return looted items to their countries of origin. Developed by South African studio Lion Game Studios, the game casts players as members of a resistance movement tasked with reclaiming cultural treasures currently held in Western museums.
The game arrives amid growing global pressure for European and North American institutions to return artifacts acquired during the colonial era. While physical repatriation efforts face complex legal and logistical hurdles, “relooted” provides a platform to raise awareness and spark conversation about this sensitive topic, potentially reaching a wider audience through the popular medium of gaming. The success of films like “Black Panther” demonstrated a potential appetite for African-centered narratives amongst both the African diaspora and Western audiences, inspiring the developers to explore this intersection of entertainment and social commentary.
“Relooted” is set in a futuristic Johannesburg and tasks players with infiltrating museums, navigating security systems, and ultimately “relooting” artifacts. According to studio founder Raphael Myres, the game aims to be both entertaining and educational.”The whole game is this invitation to learn,” Myres said.
The game’s premise has garnered support from academics like Professor Chika Okeke-Agulu, who believes video games are an ideal format for addressing complex past issues. “Far from trivializing the debate, it makes it accessible,” Okeke-Agulu stated. “The producers of relooted have used this knowledge producing platform to point to this important history and topic that is of relevance to Africans. I’m all in.”
A demo of “Relooted” is currently available on Steam, though a full launch date has not yet been announced. Lion Game Studios hopes the game will encourage Western gamers to engage with African history and the ongoing debate surrounding the restitution of cultural heritage.
