KEY POINTS
- Lagos Life recreates everyday life in Lagos, allowing players to earn virtual money, pay rent and interact online.
- Creator Shalom Rayhamen reported more than 3.3 million players and 28 million visits since launch.
- The UK based Nigerian developer says she plans to work on the game full time and expand it to other African countries.
MAIN STORY
A Nigerian made browser game that simulates everyday life in Lagos has attracted millions of players since its launch in early October, with its creator reporting millions of visits and plans to expand the virtual world to other African cities and countries.
Lagos Life allows players to create characters, find jobs, earn and spend virtual naira, pay rent and chat with other users in real time. The game can be played through a web browser without downloading an application.
Its creator, Shalom Rayhamen, a Nigerian developer based in the United Kingdom, said in a post on X on Wednesday that the game had recorded 3,387,866 players in total, with 161,676 online when she published the update.
Rayhamen also reported 4,495,785 visits on the day of the post and 28 million visits overall. She said the game earned about $46,900 in its first four days. These figures were reported by the developer and have not been independently verified.
The game gives players one of two starting profiles. “Nepo”, derived from “nepo baby”, represents those born into wealth and connections, while “Lapo”, a reference to LAPO Microfinance Bank, represents players who start with limited resources and may rely on small loans.
Rayhamen has said she drew inspiration from The Sims 3 and Lagos Run, another Nigerian browser game in which players drive a danfo.
The game’s rapid growth has also attracted online attention. WeeTracker, citing Google Trends data, reported that Nigerian searches for “Lagos life” increased by more than 5,000 per cent in the week following its launch.
In an interview with Zikoko, Rayhamen said she planned to leave her job to focus on Lagos Life and her other personal projects full time. She also indicated that the game could expand into other African countries, with major announcements expected in the coming weeks.
“I can say with full confidence that Lagos Life isn’t dying out anytime soon,” she said.
Rayhamen said scaling the game had been challenging because she remained its only coder, but the growing number of players had encouraged her to continue developing it.
Abuja and Port Harcourt have also been added to the virtual world, extending the game beyond its original Lagos setting.
THE ISSUES
Lagos Life places familiar urban pressures, including finding work, paying rent and managing limited money, at the centre of its gameplay. Its two starting profiles also introduce a contrast between players who begin with financial advantages and those who have to build their virtual resources from a weaker position.
The browser based format means users do not need to install a separate application to play. However, the reported player and visit figures are developer supplied and should not be treated as independently audited audience measurements.
The game’s longer term prospects will depend partly on whether Rayhamen can maintain development, manage technical demands and retain users as the virtual world grows.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“I can say with full confidence that Lagos Life isn’t dying out anytime soon.” – Shalom Rayhamen, creator of Lagos Life, in an interview with Zikoko
WHAT’S NEXT
Rayhamen has indicated plans to devote herself full time to Lagos Life and her other personal projects. She has also hinted at expansion into other African countries, although the supplied report does not name the countries or provide a launch timetable.
BOTTOM LINE
Lagos Life has attracted significant reported online activity by turning familiar experiences of Lagos living into a multiplayer browser game. Whether that early interest translates into sustained growth will depend on the developer’s ability to keep the game running, improve it and expand its audience.
Source: WeeTracker and Zikoko
