Ghanaian startup CityQuest Africa is using technology and interactive gaming to create a new way for people to explore the country’s tourism and cultural destinations. Founded this year by Mathias Asamoah, the startup has launched a free browser game that combines tourism and edutainment by turning destinations into playable adventures.
The platform allows players to follow clues, complete local challenges, discover hidden stories and interact with destinations through an online experience designed to make learning about Ghana more engaging. The broader aim is to encourage players to move from discovering destinations online to visiting them in person.
Asamoah said the company is also developing CityQuest Originals, a range of paid, real-world experiences. One of these is First Day in Accra, which turns the historic Jamestown community into a real-life game built around a series of activities for visitors to complete. Another is the Accra Party Bus Adventure, a private group experience that combines sightseeing with challenges, knockout competitions and entertainment.
Connecting Tourism, Culture and Technology
CityQuest Africa plans to build a wider African platform that allows cities, museums, tourism operators, resorts and cultural institutions to turn their destinations and stories into interactive experiences.
The company intends to work closely with local guides, tourism operators, cultural institutions and community partners. According to Asamoah, local partners bring their knowledge of each destination, while CityQuest provides the technology, game systems, stories, branding, customer experience and distribution.
This approach could create opportunities for tourism businesses and communities to present familiar destinations to new audiences, particularly younger travellers who are already comfortable with digital entertainment and interactive content.
The early response has been positive, with players showing interest in how the browser game presents Ghanaian locations, characters and environmental themes. Media organisations and potential institutional partners have also expressed interest in the wider concept.
Asamoah said different groups are already identifying different uses for the platform. Tourism organisations see it as a new visitor experience, educators see potential for a more engaging learning tool, while cultural institutions can use it to make heritage more accessible. Brands and event organisers, meanwhile, can see opportunities to connect with younger audiences through original entertainment.
Building the Model in Accra Before Expanding
CityQuest has so far been mainly bootstrapped through Asamoah’s personal resources and his own development, marketing and creative work. The startup has deliberately kept its operations lean while testing the concept.
“We have intentionally started lean, using technology and partnerships to prove the concept before taking on the costs associated with a larger operation,” Asamoah said.
The company is now exploring early-stage funding, sponsorships and strategic partnerships to support the launch of its physical experiences, improve its technology and expand the platform.
Its immediate focus is on turning early interest into repeat bookings, strong customer reviews and sustainable partnerships, starting with its first physical experiences in Accra.
Jamestown has been selected as the starting point because of its history, community, culture and accessibility. Asamoah said the area provides an opportunity to test whether an entire neighbourhood can successfully become a playable tourism experience. The location also gained international attention after American YouTuber IShowSpeed visited Jamestown during his Ghana tour.
Following the establishment of a repeatable flagship operation in Accra, CityQuest plans to expand to Cape Coast and other destinations in Ghana. Cape Coast has particular significance for the company because it is where the original idea began.
In the longer term, the startup aims to take the model across Africa, creating experiences shaped around the history, culture, challenges and character of each destination. If successful, CityQuest could offer tourism and cultural organisations another way to attract visitors while making African destinations more interactive, accessible and relevant to a digital generation.
