A South African video game Relooted uses high-tech heist gameplay to highlight the issue of stolen African artefacts and the global debate around cultural repatriation…
Technology is usually used to recreate history but a new video game called Relooted is rewriting history itself. Developed by South African studio Nyamakop, this heist-style video game is turning a contentious global issue – the return of cultural artefacts stolen during colonial rule back to the countries where they belong – into an interactive digital experience.
Released in 2026 for Windows and Xbox Series X/S, this game lets you play as Nomali, a parkour expert who breaks into Western museums to retrieve looted African artefacts and take them back to the countries where they belong. The game mixes storytelling, gameplay mechanics and real historic research to provide a commentary on cultural ownership.
By mixing high-tech gameplay with historical commentary, Relooted is a great example of how digital platforms are also tools for exploring and commenting on culture, history and justice. As mentioned on the official website: “Recover 70 artifacts that exist in real life, all of which are of huge cultural, historical, and spiritual significance to the people they were taken from.”
A High-Tech Heist Game with a Historical Mission
Long story short, Relooted is a game that involves planning and executing heists in various museums across Europe. Players need to scout the museum, prepare an escape route and then proceed to complete the heist while avoiding security systems. After reclaiming the stolen artefacts, the player needs to avoid lasers, drones and other digital obstacles.
As Nomali is a parkour expert, that is also part of the game with players required to use wall-jumping, sprinting and grappling to escape the museums.
As famous PC Gamer and reviewer Lincoln Carpenter puts it: “A crew. A job. A plan. Toss those ingredients together, and you’ve got yourself a classic heist – but with a few twists. Your crew members are everyday citizens with pretty normal careers from different countries in Africa. The job is to liberate African artefacts from Western museums. And the plan? Well, that’s up to you to create.”
Real Artefacts in a Digital World
As mentioned earlier, one of the key differentiators of this game is the use of real historical artefacts. Players are required to steal around 70 artefacts from museums around the West that have been stolen from Africa over the centuries.
One of the 70 stolen treasures is an Asante gold mask from Kumasi which was taken during the destruction of the Asante Empire’s capital in the 19th century. Another is the skull of Mangi Meli, a Tanzanian leader, which was removed after he was executed by German colonial forces.
By scanning the objects in the game, players can learn about their histories and the circumstances under which they were stolen. So, the game acts like a history lesson as much as an interactive gaming experience.
The game has been created to highlight a dark statistic that came out during a 2018 report commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron: an estimated 90% of sub-Saharan Africa’s cultural artefacts are held outside the continent, mostly in Western collections.
Africanfuturism and a Technological Vision of the Future
Relooted is set in 2099 and revolves around the ‘Africanfuturism’ vision of the continent. Unlike traditional Afrofuturism, which is a fantastical version of the future, Africanfuturism is centred around a grounded future that is shaped by African culture and realities.
Diversity is the very essence of this game as it is part of its creation. Voice actors and contributors from 10 different African countries participated in its creation to ensure linguistic and cultural authenticity.
And through its motion capture, animated cinematics and detailed digital environments, it highlights the growing prowess of the African gaming industry.
The Last Word
Relooted is not just another video game. It is a commentary on cultural discourse. For decades now, governments and museums have been reluctant when it comes to the topic of returning these stolen artefacts. While there have been some rare instances where some of the treasures have been returned, like the Benin Bronzes, most museums have resisted repatriation.
Video games have added another dimension to this discourse. By making people – especially children – aware of the situation and allowing them to experience the feeling of returning these artefacts to their rightful homes, even in a fictional setting, it is turning a complex political topic into something interactive and accessible.
Relooted is more than just a game. It is also a historical reflection and cultural dialogue – one digital heist at a time.
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