The African history game
Learn African history, one story at a time
Read a clue, make your guess, then hear the story. A free game for anyone who wants to know more about where we come from.
Try one
vaccinated 2.5 million children and planted 10 million trees in four years, then his best friend had him shot.
In 1983 he took power in Upper Volta at 33 and renamed it Burkina Faso, "the land of upright people." He sold off the government's Mercedes fleet, banned forced marriage and refused foreign debt, telling the world "he who feeds you controls you." In 1987 his closest ally, Blaise Compaoré, seized power in a coup, killed him, and ruled for the next 27 years.
Nearly 1,000 more stories open Sunday 8 NovemberWho keeps a people's history?
In West Africa, the answer was a jeli. You might know them as griots. You didn't apply for the job: the word jeli means blood, and you were born into it.
Jelis held their people's whole history in their heads. Every king had one. One of them, Balla Faseke, stood among the fires the night before the battle of Kirina and talked an army out of its fear. Read his story
If a family forgot, that piece of history was gone. Now it's our turn to remember.
Do you know these stories?
Six of the stories waiting for you in the game. Tap one to make your guess.
She forced a king off his throne over women's taxes. Then soldiers threw her from a window for her son's music.
A hintWest Africa, 1940s
Your guess:
Find out on Sunday 8 November.
He gave away so much gold on his way through Cairo that it stayed cheap in Egypt for about twelve years.
A hintWest Africa, 1300s
Your guess:
Find out on Sunday 8 November.
She sang against apartheid at the UN, so South Africa cancelled her passport and locked her out for 30 years.
A hintSouthern Africa, 1960s
Your guess:
Find out on Sunday 8 November.
She paid rural women to plant trees. Police teargassed and beat her, and she kept planting.
A hintEast Africa, 1970s
Your guess:
Find out on Sunday 8 November.
A quiet civil servant by day, he turned the alleys of old Cairo into world literature, and survived a knife attack outside his home.
A hintNorth Africa, 1950s
Your guess:
Find out on Sunday 8 November.
He told a king to his face what colonial rule had done. Within seven months of independence, he was dead.
A hintCentral Africa, 1960
Your guess:
Find out on Sunday 8 November.
Everyone starts as a Listener
"You sit with the elders and listen."
You can begin knowing nothing at all. We're starting with the people who made history. Its music, its buildings and its big ideas are on the way. This history belongs to all of us, so if something from your part of Africa is missing, you can tell us right there in the game.
Questions people ask
What is Jeli?
Jeli is a free African history game from Lughayangu. You read a clue, make your guess, then hear the story. The more you learn, the further you climb the Jeli's Path.
What is a griot?
A griot, known among the Mande people of West Africa as a jeli or jali, is a keeper and teller of history. Griots hold a people's story in memory and pass it on through speech and song, from one generation to the next.
Is Jeli free?
Yes, Jeli is free to play.
Do I need an account?
You can start playing straight away as a guest. An account keeps your progress safe and lets you carry it from one device to another.
What is in the game?
Nearly 1,000 stories from African history. We're starting with the people who made it, from the emperors of Mali to today's builders. Its music, its buildings and its big ideas are on the way.
Which parts of Africa does it cover?
All of it. The game works through five regions: North, West, East, Central and Southern Africa.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes. Jeli runs in your phone's browser, so there is nothing to install.
Can I suggest something for the game?
Please do. There is a suggest button at the top of the game, and every suggestion comes to our team.
When does Jeli open?
Jeli opens on Sunday 8 November 2026.
Be there when the doors open
Jeli opens Sunday 8 November. Leave your email and we'll tell you the moment it's ready.
One email when Jeli opens. That's all.