The new indie game studio Kashkool Games has unveiled Sheba: A New Dawn, a Metroidvania action RPG based on Middle Eastern heritage.
The game from the studio in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, signals the ambition of the emerging region and its recognition of how fast games are growing among young gamers in the area. The game is launching later today on the PC on Steam. It will come later on the Microsoft Xbox Series X/S.
The game, created by a studio run by three brothers, promises to weave classic gameplay with tactical combat, ancient kingdoms, and jinn mysticism, offering players a journey through the tapestry of Middle Eastern culture and heritage. It also has a retro style that has been making a comeback among multiple generations of gamers.
Sheba: A New Dawn marks a significant milestone for Kashkool Games. Developed by the Almansoori brothers – Omran, Haroon, and Edrees – the game follows the adventures of Enar, a humble shepherd, and Mirah, an escaped jinn prisoner, as they navigate interconnected realms, battle legendary monsters, and uncover ancient mysteries.
Omran Almansoori, CEO of Kashkool, said in a statement, “Growing up, we never saw game characters or stories that authentically represented our country’s people and culture The Middle East has amazing stories, deep history, and rich heritage that we want to share with the rest of the games industry and the world. We wish to build game experiences that bridge that gap and feel great responsibility to highlight the region’s talent and potential.”
Gameplay
The game has classic Metroidvania gameplay, combo-based combat with customizable fighting styles, over 67 unique jinn, monsters, and bosses, and a variety of puzzles and power-ups to discover. The game’s authentic Arabic setting and narrative voice promise to immerse players in a world rich with history and mythology.
The game follows Enar, a humble shepherd, who encounters Mirah, an escaped jinn prisoner who upends his world and triggers a chain of events. Together they must traverse interconnected realms while facing legendary monsters and unraveling ancient mysteries to set things right and help Mirah uncover his true fate.
The team designed a game with heavily populated levels that encourage exploration and keep the player in motion. The combo-based combat has 45 different skills and elemental finishers that make each
encounter feel like an action fight.
It has semi-tactical combat with customizable fighting styles with RPG attributes and level-ups. There are collectible rewards and a variety of puzzles to solve as well as power-ups and abilities to collect.
Origins
The journey of Kashkool Games from passionate gamers to successful indie developers underscores the potential of the Middle East’s gaming industry. The Almansoori brothers grew up obsessed with playing games on the family PC.
They eventually created their own games to challenge one another, then decided to start their own studio. But first they had to learn everything they could about game development and running a studio, which was challenging in a region with no game curriculum or even a business license category for such endeavors.
Once they got older, their father suggested they either give up gaming or get serious about it. So they set out to learn everything they could, from what goes into game development, how to run a studio, programming and design – all self-taught because there were no games curriculum available.
In an email to GamesBeat, the brothers said they grew up with RPGs and loved them.
“So we decided to focus on making unique RPG style games mashed along various of genres with a huge emphasis on the rich Middle Eastern culture, mythology, and history. It’s time for this region to share its heritage with the world and contribute to the gaming industry,” they said. “We also aim to show, in our games, how ‘fun’ can a game be in the perspective of the Middle Eastern gamer. Having that in mind, we chose our first game to represent the ancient civilization of Sheba, which was in the middle east 1000BC.”
A civilization known to be under The Solomonic Dynasty. According to their religion and history, King Solomon was the greatest king the world have and will know. He ruled over human, animals, and even jinn. So in their fantasy story, they tell the player that jinn are creatures, just like human, but made from scorching fire. They are not ghosts and they do still exist.
They even had to learn how to license their company in an emerging market such as theirs because the government had no idea how to qualify it. They studied engineering and sought to learn everything they could, all while holding down full-time jobs and working part-time developing their first game.
They started the company in 2016, and they completed the Unity-based game themselves with funding from the family. That’s a pretty long and determined effort.
Despite facing challenges such as a lack of formal game development education and business infrastructure in the region, the Almansoori brothers’ determination and vision have propelled them to release a game on the global stage. They see the game as a testament to the power of games to bridge cultural divides, foster understanding, and celebrate the diverse narratives of our world.
“We chose a tough journey, and we believe our next step is even tougher. Yet, we have come to realize that the more we go deep in this journey, the more we make new friends who are ready to support us and stand besides us,” the brothers said. “That eases our journey and makes it more pleasant. We did not expect a game developing journey to be so cooperative and collaborative. We also came to learn that this kind of collaboration is what is needed in the game industry in the MENA region, and this is exactly what Kashkool Games is planning to deliver.”
Kashkool is the first game studio in Abu Dhabi to receive global recognition for its first title. Sheba: A New Dawn is among the Top 3.2% wish-listed games on Steam worldwide, and the seventh most popular upcoming Metroidvania. It is the first game from the Middle East to achieve this level of recognition.
One of the recent rivals is the triple-A game from Ubisoft: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Other
Metroidvania competitors are Rin: The Last Child, Winds of Arcana: Ruination, and Tales of Kenzera:
Zau.
Other game-related Abu Dhabi game-related start-ups include: Rumbling Games (indie game studio), Lamsa World (kid’s edutainment platform), m3diate (VR collaboration platform), T7D Gaming (esports app), CaptoGlove (glove-based hand machine interface), and Ubisoft Abu Dhabi.