MTN Ghana has announced the winners of its maiden game developer contest, with three innovative projects inspired by Ghanaian folklore, family life and cultural heritage emerging as the overall top performers.
Team Akofena, led by Caleb Mantey, took the ultimate prize, followed by African Household Drama, led by Abigail Yaa Selasi Birikorang, and Path Puzzle, led by Apau Gyedu Ebenezer, in second and third positions respectively.
The contest, organised as part of activities marking the 30th anniversary of MTN Ghana, seeks to encourage the development of indigenous video games that reflect Ghanaian and African stories, traditions and experiences.
The maiden edition of the MTN Ghana DigiFest game developer contest was held on Monday, October 26, 2026, at the E.A. Jackson Auditorium of the Engineering Facility of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.
Held on the theme, “Build, Showcase and Defend Your Game,” the competition brought together game developers to demonstrate their creativity, present their projects and defend their innovations before a panel of judges.
The announcement of the winners followed hours of reviewing and assessing the competing projects, drawing excitement and jubilation among participants and supporters.
The competition featured two categories: university students and industry game developers, with the top three participants in each category receiving recognition and technology prizes.
Speaking to journalists ahead of the announcement, Yaw Antwi Boadu, Manager for Video and Gaming at MTN Ghana, said the initiative was part of the company’s broader efforts to encourage local game development and create opportunities for young people in the digital entertainment industry.
He explained that although gaming had become a major activity among the youth, much of the content consumed in Ghana was developed outside the country.
According to him, MTN Ghana intends to help change that trend by providing a platform for local developers to create games that reflect the country’s cultural identity and experiences.
“MTN Ghana knows that gaming is a big thing, and the youth love it. MTN is trying to bring the people within the space, but all that we see is that people are engaging in games that are brought from outside,” he said.
He added, “We want to create the games from within so that people will enjoy our games, and through the games, we will be able to tell our stories from our setup in Ghana and Africa, projected to the world.”
Mr. Boadu said the initiative was expected to help Ghanaian developers move beyond consuming foreign gaming content to creating original products that could compete in the international market.
He noted that locally developed games could serve as an important channel for projecting Ghanaian culture, traditions and storytelling to a global audience.
The initiative also seeks to provide an avenue for young people with an interest in gaming and technology to develop their skills and explore opportunities within the growing digital economy.
Mr. Boadu disclosed that MTN Ghana had already established a collaboration with KNUST, beginning with an artificial intelligence competition, and described the maiden game developer contest as another step in the partnership.
He said KNUST was selected to host the first edition of the game development competition as part of the ongoing collaboration between the telecommunications company and the university.
According to him, the contest would become an annual event, extending across university campuses and the 16 regions of Ghana.
He explained that the initiative would create opportunities for both university students and community members to participate, develop their ideas and showcase their gaming projects.
The competition is also expected to identify promising developers for further support and professional development.
Mr. Boadu said the best participants would be selected for mentorship to help them strengthen their skills and improve their projects.
“With the contest, we are going to pick three winners from each of the two categories: the university students’ category and the community members’ category, and a grand winner will also be selected. The final people will be selected and will be given mentorship,” he added.
The planned expansion is expected to widen participation and create opportunities for aspiring developers who may otherwise have limited access to platforms for showcasing their innovations.
Team Akofena emerged as the overall winner with a browser-based 2.5D fighting game that reimagines Ghanaian heroes and folk legends as playable characters.
The project was developed by Caleb Mantey, Nicholas Abakah Eshun, Wilson Worlako Aziaka and Bismark Agyare, with Caleb Mantey serving as the team lead.
The prototype features three playable legends, two stages, local two-player matches and a guided training mode designed to help players familiarise themselves with the game’s mechanics.
A major feature of the game is its accessibility. It runs through a web browser without requiring players to install a separate application.
The developers have also designed it to target budget Android smartphones, potentially making it accessible to a wider range of users who may not have expensive gaming devices.
The game supports keyboard, controller and touchscreen inputs, giving players different options for interacting with the platform.
Its concept combines entertainment with cultural storytelling by transforming Ghanaian heroes and folk legends into characters within a modern fighting game.
The project demonstrates how local developers can draw on the country’s cultural heritage to create original digital products capable of attracting both Ghanaian and international audiences.
By presenting traditional stories through an interactive platform, Akofena also offers an opportunity to introduce younger generations to Ghanaian folklore in a format that appeals to contemporary gaming audiences.
African Household Drama, led by Abigail Yaa Selasi Birikorang, secured second place overall with a choice-based storytelling game inspired by growing up in a Ghanaian household.
The project draws on familiar family situations and parental reactions to create an interactive experience in which players make decisions that determine how their stories unfold.
Depending on their choices, players may successfully avoid trouble or find themselves caught in more complicated and humorous situations.
The game focuses on humour, nostalgia and recognisable cultural experiences, using everyday family interactions as the foundation for its storytelling.
Its concept seeks to transform familiar household experiences into an engaging digital adventure, allowing players to explore the consequences of their decisions.
The project also highlights the potential of interactive storytelling to represent Ghanaian social life and cultural experiences in an industry where locally inspired narratives can provide a distinctive identity.
By drawing on familiar family dynamics, the game could resonate with players who recognise the experiences depicted in its stories while introducing international audiences to aspects of Ghanaian household culture.
Path Puzzle, led by Apau Gyedu Ebenezer, finished third overall with a three-dimensional maze game inspired by Ananse’s quest for a gourd of wisdom.
The game challenges players to rotate blocks to open pathways and guide Ananse to his destination before time runs out.
It features 15 handcrafted levels, with the puzzles becoming progressively more demanding as players advance.
The project combines problem-solving challenges with folklore and character dialogue, creating an interactive experience rooted in Ghanaian storytelling traditions.
Like Akofena, Path Puzzle has been designed for low-end Android smartphones, reflecting an effort to make the game accessible to users with relatively limited device capabilities.
The use of Ananse, a familiar figure in Ghanaian folklore, provides a cultural foundation for the puzzle adventure while introducing traditional storytelling to a modern gaming format.
The project also offers players an opportunity to exercise their reasoning and planning skills as they navigate increasingly complex challenges.
STUDENT CATEGORY WINNERS.
In the university students’ category, Team Sankofa emerged as the winner, with Isaac Appiah-Quansah and Derrick Makafui Zevor making up the team.
Team Megamind, represented by Moro Abdul Latif, placed second, while Team Four Goal finished third.
Team Four Goal comprised Clement Asare, Appiah Felix and Wisdom Kwame Agbanyo.
The student category provided a platform for university-based developers to demonstrate their technical abilities, creativity and potential to contribute to Ghana’s growing digital and creative industries.
The participation of students also highlighted the importance of providing opportunities for young people to translate their ideas into practical digital products.
INDUSTRY CATEGORY WINNERS
In the industry game developer category, Team Akofena took first place, followed by Team African Household Drama in second position and Team Path Puzzle in third.
Team Akofena comprised Caleb Mantey, Nicholas Abakah Eshun, Wilson Worlako Aziaka and Bismark Agyare.
African Household Drama was represented by Abigail Yaa Selasi Birikorang, while Apau Gyedu Ebenezer led Path Puzzle.
The three projects also occupied the first three positions in the overall rankings, reflecting their strong performance in the competition.
Their success demonstrated different approaches to game development, from culturally inspired combat and interactive storytelling to three-dimensional puzzle-solving based on Ghanaian folklore.
ATTRACTIVE TECHNOLOGY PRIZES.
The competition offered technology prizes to the top three winners in each of the two categories.
The first-place winners were awarded an Apple MacBook Pro M5, while the second-place winners received a Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra. The third-place winners were awarded an Apple iPhone 17 Air.
The prizes are expected to provide useful technological resources for the developers as they continue to build their skills and refine their projects.
Beyond the material rewards, the competition is intended to create a platform for identifying promising talent and supporting the development of original gaming products.
The proposed mentorship programme is expected to provide further opportunities for selected participants to improve their projects and strengthen their prospects within the industry.
BOOST FOR GHANA’S CREATIVE ECONOMY
The maiden MTN Ghana game developer contest highlights the potential of the gaming industry to contribute to Ghana’s digital economy while promoting local culture and creativity.
The global gaming industry provides opportunities for developers to create entertainment products that can reach audiences across national boundaries. For Ghanaian developers, incorporating local stories, characters and experiences could help distinguish their products in an increasingly competitive market.
The three overall winning projects illustrate the range of possibilities.
Akofena uses Ghanaian heroes and folk legends to create a fighting game, African Household Drama turns familiar family experiences into interactive storytelling, while Path Puzzle adapts Ananse folklore into a maze adventure.
Together, the projects demonstrate how cultural heritage can serve as a source of inspiration for modern digital entertainment.
The focus on accessibility is also significant, particularly as games designed for budget smartphones and browser-based platforms could reach users who may not have access to expensive gaming equipment.
With MTN Ghana signalling plans to extend the competition across university campuses and all 16 regions, the initiative could provide a broader platform for discovering and nurturing game development talent.
The annual contest and proposed mentorship opportunities are also expected to encourage participants to move beyond prototypes towards developing more refined products for wider audiences.
For Ghana’s creative industry, the initiative presents an opportunity to combine technology, entrepreneurship and cultural expression while creating new pathways for young people interested in digital innovation.
As the country explores opportunities in artificial intelligence, software development and other emerging technologies, initiatives that encourage local content creation could help strengthen the capacity of Ghanaian developers to compete internationally.
The maiden contest has therefore placed a spotlight on the potential of indigenous gaming—not only as a source of entertainment but also as a means of telling Ghanaian stories, preserving cultural identity and opening new opportunities within the digital economy.
