Relooted: A Video Game's Quest to Repatriate African Artifacts

A new South African video game, "Relooted," enables players to retrieve African artifacts from Western museums through a series of heists. The game's premise aligns with an ongoing campaign for the repatriation of cultural treasures taken during the colonial era.

"Relooted" offers a hopeful, utopian feeling regarding the return of African artifacts, turning a complex real-world issue into an interactive mission.

Players assume the role of Nomali, a South African sports scientist and parkour expert, who navigates museums to recover 70 real objects. These items include an Asante gold mask, originally taken by the British army and now in London's Wallace Collection, and the skull of Tanzanian King Mangi Meli, transported to Germany after his execution in 1900.

A Legacy of Colonial Plunder

Historically, hundreds of thousands of culturally significant items were removed from Africa during the 19th and 20th centuries by European colonial powers. A 2018 report commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron estimated that over 90% of Africa’s material cultural heritage is held outside the continent. This stark statistic highlights the immense scale of historical cultural displacement.

Real-World Repatriation: Progress and Standoffs

Institutions such as Berlin's Ethnologisches Museum and Cambridge University have begun to address this legacy by returning Benin bronzes to Nigeria. However, other prominent institutions, including the British Museum, have not yet proceeded with similar returns of looted objects, underscoring the ongoing challenges and varied approaches to repatriation.

The Game's Vision: A Digital Hope

Ben Myres, CEO of Nyamakop, the game's developer, initiated the game's development in 2018 after a personal experience at the British Museum, observing the Nereid Monument from Turkey. Myres stated that while real-life repatriation is often complex and protracted, the game aims to provide a "hopeful, utopian feeling" regarding the return of these artifacts. This digital fantasy offers a compelling alternative to the slow pace of real-world negotiations.

Crafting an Africanfuturist Narrative

The game was developed by a diverse team from more than 10 African countries, with voice actors from the countries represented by Nomali's heist crew, adding a layer of authenticity. Mohale Mashigo, the game's narrative director, created an "Africanfuturist" vision for the continent, depicting cities and countries functioning effectively. In a clever reversal, Europe and the United States are depicted generically as "The Old World" and "The Shiny Place," a parody of Western representations that often stereotyped Africa.

Symbolic Returns and Personal Insight

Fictional museums are featured in the game, with one significant exception: the Museum of Black Civilisations in Dakar, which serves as a symbolic return point for all recovered objects. This choice reinforces the game's central theme of cultural homecoming.

Game producer Sithe Ncube emphasized the inclusion of the Kabwe Skull, a 300,000-year-old fossil from her home country, Zambia, which is currently located in London's Natural History Museum. Ncube described the game's creation as an insightful experience, revealing to her the truly extensive scale of artifact looting in Africa.