At today’s Day of the Devs stream, Sithe Ncube, producer at South African game studio Nyamakop, shared a sobering statistic.

“A French government report estimated that 90% of sub-Saharan African cultural heritage is in the possession of Western collections.” (Translation: Un rapport du gouvernement français a estimé que 90% du patrimoine culturel de l’Afrique subsaharienne est en possession de collections occidentales.)

Ncube added, “That is millions upon millions of deeply important cultural, spiritual, and personal artifacts—including human remains—that aren’t in their rightful place.”

In Relooted, Nyamakop’s upcoming puzzle platformer, you’ll be staging high-tech heists to reclaim 70 of these invaluable artifacts and return them to their rightful owners in Africa.

The game is set in a near future where a new international treaty mandates that African artifacts on public display in Western museums must be returned. Unfortunately, museums have exploited a loophole by sending these pieces to private collections, thereby retaining possession of them.

Players will coordinate a crew of vigilante thieves from a hidden base in South Africa to select which artifacts to retrieve from abroad.

The heist mechanics consist of three phases: scouting, execution, and escape. During the initial phase, you’ll map out security features. In the second phase, stealth is key as you plot an escape route. Finally, you’ll grab the artifact, set off alarms, and navigate your escape route quickly.

From the trailer shown, the gameplay looks superb, showcasing a seamless flow where players can dynamically adapt their strategies in real-time while executing smooth parkour movements to evade capture.

I’m excited to try out these heists, though I’m not confident I’ll be able to match the finesse shown in the trailer. You can wishlist Relooted on Steam now.