Google has announced the ten studios selected for the inaugural 2026 Google Play Indie Games Fund Africa, a $1 million initiative designed to support independent game developers across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Announced through the Google Developers newsletter, the programme aims to address some of the challenges facing African game studios, including access to funding, international distribution and the resources required to scale their businesses.

The selected studios will receive a share of the fund as non-dilutive financing, meaning they will not need to surrender equity in exchange for the investment. They will also gain access to commercial and growth resources, one-to-one mentorship from Google Play specialists, and tailored technical support from Unity.

According to Google, the initiative is intended to help developers optimise their games, build sustainable businesses and introduce distinctive African stories and gameplay experiences to players worldwide.

The ten selected studios represent four countries: South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya. Their projects span puzzle games, action platformers, narrative adventures, rhythm games, simulations and casual mobile experiences.

Clockwork Acorn (South Africa): Founded in 2014 by industry veterans, Clockwork Acorn focuses on timeless games and developing local talent. Its title Jetstream is a minimalist puzzle game with more than 100 hand-crafted levels, in which players steer a plane through the clouds.

Deluxe Entertainment Studios (Nigeria): This independent studio builds visually bold games rooted in African imagination. Rasta Santa is a 2D action platformer set in Lagos, starring an undercover cop dressed as Santa who takes on traffickers to rescue children and protect an orphanage.

Disputed People (South Africa): Founded in 2023, the studio makes character-driven games. Mitts and the Divine Recipes is a retro-inspired 3D adventure set in the cozy world of Epicuria, where players gather divine ingredients and cook meals that grant special abilities for solving puzzles.

Fer Factor (Nigeria): The Lagos-based team is behind Chore Master, a cozy cleaning game in which players scrub stains and turn messy rooms into spotless spaces using simple, intuitive controls.

Gazuntype Entertainment (Nigeria): The solo alias of Tade Ajiboye, who has spent more than a decade making games and VR experiences in Nigeria. Go North is a narrative exploration game where players guide Dara through distinctive mazes, collecting magical items and unravelling a dark mystery.

Leti Games Limited (Ghana): A pioneering Ghanaian creative technology studio focused on authentic African stories. Sweave is a rhythm-based hyper-casual game inspired by traditional African weaving, in which players steer a weaving ball across a digital loom, avoiding cultural obstacles and fighting bosses.

Maliyo Games (Nigeria): Founded in Lagos in 2012, Maliyo makes games celebrating African culture for global players. Safari City combines match-3 puzzles with renovation, as players rebuild a run-down town into a thriving community.

Studio Bo (South Africa):The Cape Town animation and games company is known for playful visuals and quirky humour. Idle Sands is a cozy 2D idle-clicker where players run a fleet of robots that clean a beach, dig up treasure and automate the work.

Vetkoek Studios (South Africa): A youth-owned studio making accessible mobile games with African themes. Taxi Ranked is a retro-style casual driving game that captures the chaos and humour of South Africa’s minibus taxis, with comic-book visuals, several modes and deep vehicle customisation.

Weza Interactive (Kenya): Founded by twin brothers Odongo George Ahere and James Ahere, Weza builds culturally rich original worlds. Riziki is a free-to-play rhythm adventure following twins Nabo and Moja across Africa, as players tap and swipe to Afrobeats, Amapiano and Rhumba to restore harmony to the world around them.

Funding remains one of the toughest barriers for game developers across the continent, and non-dilutive capital lets studios keep full ownership of their companies and IP. Pairing that money with platform expertise and engine support could give these teams a better shot at standing out in crowded global storefronts in an increasingly volatile games industry.