The first indigenous chess game in Nigeria, based on historical events in Lagos, is about to be released.
The app, known as ‘1851Agidingbi Game,’ is titled after the year 1851, which corresponds to the year Lagos was attacked by the infamous English warship HMS Bloodhound.
The game software, which will be available for download following the October 16 launch at Red Door Gallery in Lagos, is accessible in single-player and multiplayer modes as well as a board game.
This chess-style game is a contemporary-styled method for spreading Lagos to the rest of the globe via the digital landscape. It is a totally immersive and expressive game. It was thus established to educate components of Lagos history while also enhancing the intelligence quotient, mental awareness, risk analysis, leadership capabilities, and other areas of intelligence.
The game includes a checkered board design with the six pieces Erelu- Kuti of Lagos as the Queen Mother, Oba of Lagos as The King, Adamu Eyo as The Rook, Omo Ogun Eko as The Pawn, Eletu- Odibo as The Bishop, and Abagbon as The Knight, similar to the traditional features of the chessboard. Users can play as either the Eko Defenders or the British Invaders while playing the ‘1851 Agidingbi Game.’ Before beginning to play the game, players must first grasp the basic story of the Lagos invasion, which is divided into four parts: feud, envy, greed, and invasion.
Oba Kosoko and his uncle, Oba Akitoye, got into a fight, which started the feud. According to the creator of the game, Oludamola Adebowale, “Plans are in top gear for the launch of the game board in December to commemorate the 170th year anniversary of the British invasion of Lagos”.
Adebowale further revealed how the project was transformed from just a dream to reality, adding that “The 1851 Agidingbi Game’ is a very personal project. It is not just with the game but with the narrative around it. The history of Lagos with particular reference to the British invasion has never been explored before”.
“Agidingbi actually started as an experiment from an exhibition that I had in 2017 at the Lagos Book and Art Festival. I did something around Lagos history and we had over 20 art illustrations that were displayed. The game board that gave birth to this app was actually on display. I saw the way people interacted with it and it was beautiful. At that moment, I saw an opportunity and I saw a product,’’ he disclosed.
The lockdown at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic created some free time for Adebowale to work on the app which he described as his “pandemic experiment” “I worked on the design as well as the legal component of the project. In years to come, I will be doing quite a number of projects where I will be infusing history, culture and technology to form an educational or innovative tool to boost the economy, socio-cultural part of our lives and to promote and preserve history,’’ he added.