Danfo Simulator creator Joseph Ojo: “This game is bigger than a trend"

The danfo is a familiar part of daily life in Lagos, from conductors shouting their routes to the rush of crossing Third Mainland Bridge. For solo developer Joseph Ojo, it was a world worth bringing into a video game.

Ojo, founder of Rock and Paper Studios, started building Danfo Simulator: Open World after testing the driving mechanics in a much larger open-world version of Lagos. The experiment was so much fun that he decided to focus on the danfo experience instead.

We spoke to Ojo about building the game, working with limited funds and why he chose to finish the project rather than rush it out to catch the recent web games trend in Nigeria.

Bijetic: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? How did you initially get into the games industry?

Joseph Ojo: I'm a solo developer and 3D artist based in Lagos. I also work as a scriptwriter and creative director, and some of my scripts have been reviewed by the BBC and PBS. I'm self-taught: I learned 3D art first, then picked up Unity so I could build the worlds I was designing.

Rock and Paper Studios is my studio for games and content. Right now it's just me on the game, with partners helping on specific pieces.

Talk to us about Danfo Simulator. What sparked the idea? When did development begin, and what stage is the game in right now?

The danfo is the heartbeat of Lagos. Everyone has a story from one: the conductor shouting the route, the Pidgin banter, the rush down Third Mainland Bridge. No game had captured that, so I built it. Development began around last year, but I kind of left it to focus on other projects.

Around June- July, I was planning an ambitious Lagos open-world game, and I built the now Danfo Simulator world as a test to see how it all goes, so I added the Danfo to drive around the new world I built, and it was so much fun that I decided to just do a Danfo simulator instead.

So I just started polishing the game and adding simulator content and mechanics to it. The game is finished and launches October 27th on Android and PC.

What are some challenges you faced throughout the development process? Were there any moments where you felt the game might not come together? And how is development currently being funded?

The hardest part of solo development is scope and funds: building a whole open-world city alone, with limited hardware and unreliable power is very challenging. There was a time when I thought it wouldn't even work anymore and almost gave up on it due to some financial setbacks as my freelance gig wasn't paying as much as it used to.

Then, with some encouragement from a very close online friend Timothy and the thought of where I was going aswell was what gave me the needed strength to persist.

And a few months after the web games started trending in Nigeria, I saw it as an opportunity to announce the game to the world and an official launch date was set. Some were saying to just launch it as it is and follow the trend, but this game to me is bigger than a trend. Also, I chose a one-time unlock so players aren't choked with it.

Speaking of the trend of web games lately, what do you make of it?

Web games do lower the entry barrier, since there's no store approval or fee. But the Play Store reaches far more players on their phones, and that's where most Nigerian players are.

I chose Android first for that reason. But I'd say web is a good place to start, and stores are where you grow, especially for an ambitious game like this.

Many developers struggle with discoverability on storefronts. Who is the primary audience for Danfo Simulator and what is your plan for distribution and player acquisition?

The main audience is Nigerian and African players who recognise this world, plus anyone curious about Lagos. It launches on Google Play (free download with the first mission free and a one-time unlock of ₦2,999 and on itch.io for PC at $3.99. iOS comes later.

For acquisition I'm building in public on X, working with creators and sites like this, and currently looking on partnering with local brands.

What do you think makes your game stand out, and what part of the experience do you most want players to enjoy?

It's authentic Lagos and an open world of a fictional Lagos, which I'm not sure has been done before in Nigeria. Real areas like Third Mainland Bridge, Oshodi and Pidgin dialogue, and radio stations you'd actually tune into. I want players to enjoy driving through the chaos, picking up passengers and running routes the way a real danfo driver would.

What are your expectations for Danfo Simulator after it launches? And how does the game fit into Rock and Paper Studios' long-term vision?

First, I want players to enjoy it and tell me what they want next. After launch, I plan to add more areas and content, and an online version, Lagos Online, a month or two later.

Long term, Rock And Paper Studios is about telling Nigerian stories through games and showing that world-class games can come from Lagos.