CityQuest: How a Ghanaian Developer is Using Gaming to Boost Tourism and STEM Education

A Ghanaian game developer has launched an innovative platform that marries digital gaming with tourism promotion and STEM education, positioning Ghana as a destination for immersive learning experiences. CityQuest, created by Mathias Asamoah, is designed to help players discover Ghana's cultural heritage, historical landmarks and natural beauty through interactive adventures rather than traditional textbooks or tourist guides.

The platform tackles a fundamental challenge Asamoah identified during a visit to Cape Coast: people struggle to protect and appreciate places they have never truly learned about. By combining gameplay with real locations across Ghana, CityQuest aims to foster environmental consciousness and national pride in a new generation of learners and visitors.

From Inspiration to Innovation

The concept emerged from Asamoah's personal experience walking along Cape Coast's beaches, where he witnessed both extraordinary natural beauty and serious environmental degradation from plastic waste and neglect. This prompted him to question how technology could make learning engaging enough to inspire genuine care for Ghana's environment and heritage.

Drawing on his background in a family of educators, Asamoah recognised the limitations of classroom-based teaching and sought to create experiential learning through digital platforms. CityQuest integrates science, engineering, environmental sustainability and cultural lessons into gaming narratives set in real Ghanaian locations.

The first digital adventure, titled Kruya, is now live and set along Labadi Beach. The game was inspired by YouTuber IShowSpeed's viral visit to Ghana and the cultural energy captured during his stop at the Shea Butter Museum. Players can explore interactive versions of these locations whilst solving STEM challenges and learning about local traditions.

Bringing Gaming Offline: Real-World Experiences

Beyond its digital platform, CityQuest is expanding into live tourism experiences through CityQuest Originals. Two early offerings demonstrate the concept's breadth:

• The Accra Party Bus Adventure transforms city tours into interactive games where participants solve puzzles inspired by the capital's landmarks
• First Day in Ghana turns Jamestown's historic streets into a game board, inviting players to discover hidden locations and meet local characters

Revenue from these experiences will fund continued development of the digital platform and expansion to other regions. This hybrid approach creates multiple touchpoints for engagement—digital gaming attracts players globally, whilst live experiences generate tourism revenue and deeper local connection.

Why This Matters for Ghana

CityQuest arrives at a critical juncture for Ghana's tourism and education sectors. The country has long struggled to compete regionally as a tourism destination despite significant cultural and historical assets. At the same time, Ghana's education system faces persistent challenges in making learning engaging and relevant to students' lived experiences.

By positioning gaming and digital experiences as tools for tourism promotion and education, Asamoah addresses both challenges simultaneously. International gaming communities could discover Ghana through CityQuest, whilst Ghanaian youth gain interactive ways to learn about their own country. The platform's explicit focus on environmental sustainability also aligns with growing global and local concerns about climate change, flooding and pollution.

Asamoah's ambition extends beyond Ghana: he plans to expand Kruya across all 16 regions before rolling out adventures across Africa. This regional growth potential could establish Ghana as a hub for technology-driven tourism innovation on the continent.

The project's success will depend on partnerships with government tourism agencies, educational institutions and investors. However, the early launch of Kruya and the tangible offline experiences demonstrate that the concept is moving beyond vision to implementation.