Post
A metroidvania about grief and Bantu mythology, made by a team determined to put African stories in gaming.
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU by Surgent Studios (founded by actor Abubakar Salim) is a metroidvania rooted in Bantu mythology, following a young shaman named Zau who bargains with the god of death to bring back his father. Zau wields the masks of Sun and Moon, switching between aggressive fire combat and defensive ice abilities. The game draws from real Central and Southern African spiritual traditions, giving its world and story a cultural specificity rarely seen in gaming. The platforming is fluid and the boss fights are visually spectacular. It is also deeply personal; Salim created the game as a way to process his own father's death, and that sincerity permeates every story beat.
Example
The boss fight against the Great Spirit, where you switch between Sun and Moon masks mid-combo to break through alternating defenses, and the fight's narrative context (confronting a manifestation of denial) gives every hit emotional weight beyond just dealing damage.
Why it matters
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU brought Bantu mythology to a global gaming audience for the first time. It proved that cultural specificity is a strength in game design, not a niche limitation, and expanded what stories the metroidvania genre can tell.
Related concepts