Culture Bridging from Malawi wins best overall game at Pan-African Jam 2026
Nigeria's Border Shifter claimed the $500 runner-up prize, while PROTOCOL: UBUNTU from Malawi finished third, earning $250
Global Game Jam, in partnership with Lagos Games Week, has revealed the winners of the Pan-African Jam 2026, with AndromedaGhost Games' Culture Bridging from Malawi taking the best overall game award and a $1,000 cash prize.
Running virtually from April 24th to May 11th, the jam invited developers across Africa to create games around the theme "Play Without Borders," drawing more than 30 entries across 12 nations.
Nigeria's Border Shifter claimed the $500 runner-up prize, while PROTOCOL: UBUNTU from Malawi finished third, earning $250. Both Culture Bridging and Border Shifter also received national recognition as the best games from their respective countries.
Special categories and national winners
In the special categories, Idle Borderless Trade from Benin won best mobile game and a $500 prize. Chase Kapoaka from Madagascar claimed best board game, earning $250 in cash and $1,000 in manufacturing credit from Panda Game Manufacturing.
Spirit Walker, a collaboration between developers from Benin and Senegal, took the best international team award.
Pan-African Jam 2026 winners
- Best Overall Game: Culture Bridging by AndromedaGhost Games (Malawi)
- Runner-Up: Border Shifter (Nigeria)
- Third Place: PROTOCOL: UBUNTU (Malawi)
- Best Mobile Game: Idle BorderlessTrade (Benin)
- Best Board Game: Chase Kapoaka (Madagascar)
- Best International Team: Spirit Walker (Benin & Senegal)
National winners
- Benin: Idle BorderlessTrade
- Botswana: Mfecane
- Burkina Faso: Highschool Breaker
- Egypt: Ballistic Chicken
- Ethiopia: Skybound: Beyond the Borders
- Ghana: Farmers
- Kenya: YUUH! Better Trade
- Madagascar: Chase Kapoaka
- Malawi: Culture Bridging
- Nigeria: Border Shifter
- Tunisia: The Sacred Forest
"One of the best things about what we get to do at Global Game Jam is use our platform to help bring games to the world," said GGJ executive director Maria Burns Ortiz. "The Pan African Jam is a powerful example of how game development talent exists everywhere.
"We're so grateful to have had the chance to work with the team at Lagos Games Week on this jam and excited about not only the future of game dev in Africa, but about what's happening on the continent right now."
