Let’s be real: gaming has long had a diversity problem. For decades, the industry has been overwhelmingly white—on development teams, in boardrooms, and box art. Black creators have been largely shut out, and games that reflect Black culture or celebrate Black excellence? Practically nonexistent.
But that’s changing.
A growing number of Black developers and designers are reshaping the rules. From board games to card games to video games, they’re building worlds where Black stories take center stage and innovation doesn’t have to come with an asterisk.
So whether you’re queueing up your next Friday night game or ready to hit download, these Black-owned games deserve a spot in your rotation.
Board & Card Games by Black Creators
Trials & Triumph
Trials & Triumph is the brainchild of Chicago defense attorney April Preyar, and it’s more than just a game. It places players in real-life courtroom and police scenarios, helping teens and families learn how to safely and smartly navigate the justice system.
Black History Flashcards
Black History Flashcards from Urban Intellectuals are designed to fill in the gaps that traditional education skips over. Each card highlights a figure or event that shaped Black history, offering quick, powerful lessons with every shuffle.
Rap Godz
Rap Godz, created by Omari Akil, lets you build your rap career from scratch. Players record albums, gain fans, and chase chart-topping success while navigating the highs and lows of the hip-hop industry.
The Entrepreneur Game
The Entrepreneur Game by Elliott Eddie turns business ownership into a hands-on experience. Players learn how to launch, grow, and sustain a company using real-world financial concepts—all while competing to become the ultimate mogul.
Rhyme Antics
If you’ve ever dreamed of dropping bars with a dictionary in hand, Rhyme Antics is your game. Created by Chantel Calloway, it challenges players to freestyle using complex vocabulary, turning a party into a grammar-powered rap battle.
Don’t Break The Rules
Designed by a survivor of childhood abuse, Don’t Break the Rules makes tough but important conversations easier. It’s a family-friendly board game that helps parents talk to kids about body safety and boundaries—with game pieces, a spinner, and helpful discussion guides included.
Life As A BlackMan
Life As A BlackMan pulls no punches. Designed by Chuck Sawyer, this powerful board game simulates the life of a young Black man in America, giving players a firsthand look at social, cultural, and systemic challenges faced on the path to success.
Blitz Champz
Blitz Champz, created by football phenom Adrienne Smith, blends fast-paced card play with football strategy and math skills. Whether you’re calling plays or doing quick calculations, this game scores big with both kids and adults.
CultureTags
Culture Tags quizzes your knowledge of Black cultural slang and acronyms. Think of it as a pop culture scavenger hunt—call out the phrase, drop the meaning, and celebrate language that’s shaped generations.
University of Dope
University of Dope turns hip-hop trivia into a competitive classroom experience. Debate lyrical legends, recall iconic album drops, and prove your rap knowledge in this debate-style card showdown.
Kulture Karaoke
Bring the party with Kulture Karaoke. This music card game challenges players to sing or guess lyrics from 90s and 2000s hip-hop and R&B classics—it’s the ultimate lyrical warm-up for any crowd.
One Gotta Go
One Gotta Go forces your squad to choose which option doesn’t belong among four choices. It’s a fast-paced debate storm that sparks laughter, drama, and juicy arguments galore.
Black Card Revoked
Black Card Revoked puts your cultural street cred on the line. Answer trivia about Black pop culture, history, and language—and fail too many? That “black card” gets revoked in the most hilarious way possible.
Black Uno
Black Uno puts a cultural spin on the classic card game. Keep the familiar Uno rules, but watch for Black culture trivia that doubles up as reverse, skip, or draw cards. Classic meets cultural realness.
Tabu for the Culture
Tabu for the Culture is Taboo’s soul sibling. Describe Black historical figures, pop culture moments, and slang—without saying the “forbidden” words. Perfect for teams that know their history.
Damn Gina
Channel your inner Martin with Damn Gina. This trivia game challenges superfans of Martin to recall the best one-liners, episodes, and moments from the show. Say it like Gina—or you’re out.
Girlll
Girlll is the ultimate “girl’s night” conversation game. With prompts like “My wildest celebrity encounter” or “Tea I can’t spill yet,” it sparks candid chats, laughter, and a few secret reveals.
Top 3! R&B/Hip-Hop Version
In Top 3! R&B/Hip-Hop Version, guess the top songs, artists, or lyrics based on hints. Play solo or team up to showcase your deep cuts and mainstream bops knowledge.
Black Legends
Black Legends is a card game that celebrates Black icons from around the world. Each card features a different legend—scientist, artist, leader—with trivia that educates as much as it honors.
PO’ UP! Card Game
Relive your college years with PO’ UP!, a card game packed with nostalgia, campus memories, and prompts that celebrate Black excellence and the uniquely college journey.
Black Wall Street: The Board Game
Learn history while you play with Black Wall Street. This board game dives into the economic success of Tulsa’s Greenwood District and teaches financial literacy through immersive, interactive play.
Video Games by Black Developers
Swimsanity!
Swimsanity! is a multiplayer underwater shooter created by brothers Ahmed and Khalil Abdullah of Decoy Games. Dive in for frantic, fast-paced gameplay with diverse modes that keep the action flowing and teamwork essential.
She Dreams Elsewhere
She Dreams Elsewhere, developed by Davionne Gooden, is an introspective RPG that explores mental health through surreal storytelling and dreamlike landscapes. It invites players to reflect and feel while navigating a rich narrative.
Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan
Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan is an action RPG rooted in African mythology from Cameroonian studio Kiro’o Games. Players experience epic combat, beautiful art, and a story that brings African legends to life.
Hair Nah
Hair Nah is a browser-based reaction game from Momo Pixel that responds to the chaos of people touching Black women’s hair. You dodge intrusive hands as the ridiculous and hilarious situation unfolds onscreen.
Sasha Says
Sasha Says is a kid-friendly mobile game from Adrian McDaniel and Tremayne Toorie. It combines Simon Says and Bop-It mechanics to give Black youth playful representation and interactive fun.
Chrono Ghost
Chrono Ghost, developed by Kelly Davis of NiteTime Studios, is a platformer built around time manipulation. Players solve puzzles and survive hazards while rewinding, pausing, and fast-forwarding through intricate levels.
DA PAPER BOY
DA PAPER BOY is the first release from 3D Dojo Studios. This 3D obstacle-delivery game follows a teenage paperboy on a wild route full of challenges. It launched in April 2025 and got solid reviews for its creativity and charm.
Black Salt Coreuption
Black Salt Coreuption is a fast-paced 3D arena fighting game that blends comic book flair with arcade-style combat. Developed by Owen Ratliff and Jesse Wright, the game features a diverse cast of characters from two original comic universes, battling it out in fully immersive environments. With fluid movement, cinematic animations, and a strong focus on representation, Black Salt Coreuption brings something fresh to the fighting genre both in gameplay and in purpose.
Dot’s Home
Dot’s Home is a powerful narrative game that puts housing inequality front and center. Players step into the shoes of Dot, a young Black woman in Detroit, as she time-travels through major moments in her family’s housing history, including redlining, gentrification, and eviction. It’s free to play, deeply moving, and essential for anyone curious about the intersection of justice and housing.
We Are Chicago
Developed by Michael Block, We Are Chicago is an immersive adventure sim that follows a Black teenager navigating friendships, family, and survival on the South Side. It’s part story, part reality check, and all about breaking stereotypes.
Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield
Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield is a fast-paced side-scrolling runner set in a stylized, futuristic Detroit. Created by Neil Jones, the game challenges genre norms while spotlighting a Black protagonist in a world that’s as bold as its soundtrack.
SweetXheart
Created by Catt Small, SweetXheart is a slice-of-life visual novel that follows a Black woman working in tech. From microaggressions to messy mornings, it’s a real-world look at identity, ambition, and making space in a world that wasn’t built for you.
El Paso, Elsewhere
El Paso, Elsewhere is a supernatural third-person shooter with serious noir vibes. Developed by Xalavier Nelson Jr., the game dives into love, loss, addiction, and monsters—literal and emotional—in a motel full of vampires.
The Elite of Mboa
Developed by Cameroon’s Kiro’o Games, The Elite of Mboa puts players in the shoes of a young official fighting corruption from inside the system. The game combines political strategy with sharp commentary on modern Africa.
Black-Owned Gaming Companies
Decoy Games
Decoy Games is an indie studio founded by brothers Ahmed and Khalil Abdullah. Best known for the underwater multiplayer shooter Swimsanity!, the team focuses on creating fun, fast-paced games that spotlight diverse characters and cooperative gameplay. They’ve carved out a space in the indie scene for Black developers, and they’re just getting started.
NuChallenger
NuChallenger is the brainchild of Shawn Alexander Allen, a former Rockstar Games dev who broke away to do his own thing. The studio merges art, activism, and gameplay, most notably in Treachery in Beatdown City, a beat-’em-up that blends tactical combat with sharp cultural critique. NuChallenger proves that video games can punch up while still being fun.
Kiro’o Games
Cameroon’s first video game studio, develops games inspired by African myths and legends, aiming to share African stories globally.
Kiro’o Games is Cameroon’s first game development studio, founded by Olivier Madiba. Their flagship title, Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan, draws on African folklore and political themes, offering a fresh take on the action-RPG genre. Kiro’o’s mission is to center African storytelling in gaming and inspire a new generation of creators on the continent.
Strange Scaffold
Strange Scaffold is a studio led by Xalavier Nelson Jr., whose games are anything but ordinary. From organ trading in space to vampire slaying in a haunted motel, the titles coming out of this team are wild, weird, and full of heart. Nelson’s work shows that experimental games can be deeply personal and socially relevant.
Black Sands Entertainment
Founded by Manuel and Geiszel Godoy, Black Sands Entertainment is a powerhouse in indie publishing. While it’s known more for comics than video games, its titles—like Black Sands: The Seven Kingdoms—are rooted in African history and mythology. The company’s focus on representation and education has earned national attention, including a deal on Shark Tank.
