Nigeria’s Maliyo Games, a leading African game developer, has partnered Disney Games to release a mobile game inspired by the new animated series Iwájú, now premiering on Disney+.
Maliyo Games is a Lagos-based game development studio that creates African-inspired games for mobile users with over 40 games in its portfolio.
It has now collaborated with Disney to launch Iwájú, Rising Chef, an ode to Nigeria’s culinary creations with players serving up hot plates of national delicacies such as Jollof Rice, a festive rice dish popular across West Africa.
“This collaboration resonates with Maliyo Games’ core mission: to unleash African talent and create high-quality games for a global audience. The Disney Iwájú: Rising Chef project exemplifies our team’s capacity to deliver exceptional mobile games. I am immensely proud of the dedicated team at Maliyo Games, who embraced this challenge with passion, poise, and creativity,” said Maliyo Games founder and CEO Hugo Obi.
Sonoko Isioka, executive director of product development at Disney Games, said Maliyo Games was the perfect studio to bring this authentic African-driven story to life with an original game.
“Through this collaboration with Disney and Kugali, Maliyo Games has captured the essence of Iwájú by bringing their own vision, talent and expertise to a unique game inspired by vibrant Nigerian culture and cuisine,” she said.
