You know, those mobile cooking games like “Cooking Mama” where you can cook up everything from the Portuguese egg tart to the Spanish paella. When playing these games, did you ever think, why can’t I cook up molokhia or some man’oushe?
That is because Arab culture and experience barely stream through into the mobile gaming world. Thankfully, a couple of game developers decided that enough was enough and made their very own Arab mobile games:
Sobia King
We are going to start off with the MBC Group, the famous Saudi media conglomerate that is collaborating with leading gaming developers to bring localized Arab games to life. One of their unique games is called Sobia King, which is all about giving you the opportunity to experience running an authentic Egyptian juice shop.
In this game, you’ll serve up many customers by mixing the right juices with the right fruits and other ingredients. You’ll get to make different colored juices with different toppings like Oreos, nuts, and fruits. You can’t get more Egyptian than that!
Madame Afaf
If you are Egyptian, then you will probably know who Madame Afaf is, the famous public employee who works in governmental institutions in the administrative department and is known to handle all your paperwork. Thing is, she is not everyone’s cup of tea as she is known to boast a lazy, cold, and harsh attitude.
Seeing how she is such a cult-like figure in Egyptian culture, the MBC Group collaborated with a game developer to create a game all about Madame Afaf. In the game, you’ll have to go through a series of complex mazes that guide you to Madame Afaf, and along the way, you’ll have to pick up the required paperwork.
Chef’s Abu Ashraf Cooking Cart
Across Egyptian culture, one of the most beloved staples is Foul Mudammas (Egyptian Fava Beans) and no one makes them quite like the owners of cooking carts found across the streets of Egypt. Now, you can actually get to live the life of a foul cart owner through MBC Group’s Chef’s Abu Ashraf’s Cooking Cart.
In this game, you’ll get to cook up many traditional Egyptian dishes, from foul to falafel to tahini. Finally, we can live out our dreams of making virtual Arab food on our mobile phones.
Arab Cooking Game
Continuing the theme of food is the “Arab Cooking Game” made by Mars Studio, which is all about owning a massive food booth where you can whip out Iranian dishes representing cities like Tehran and Mashhad. From succulent kebabs to Arabic coffee, the booth does it all.
Arabian Heroes
If you are craving a little action with an Arab twist, there is even a mobile game just for that.
Known as Arabian Heroes and brought to life by Pixelhunters, a 3D animation and game design company in Dubai, this game lets you become one of the Arabian Heroes family, where your job is to protect the desert from an invasion of crows corrupted by an evil sorcerer.
Whimsical and out-of-the-box, Arabian Heroes is an addictive game that will test your speed and agility, as well as your ability to multitask. Have your whole family download it and see who is the best at Arabian Heroes.
Each of these games lets you play with Arab characters in worlds immersed in Arab culture, bringing Arab representation in mobile games to new and unprecedented heights. With more progress, Arab mobile games can begin to join the mainstream.