Sheba: A New Dawn Available Now on Steam

When it comes to Metroidvanias or Indie games in general, I love things that are a little different than what I’m used to. I love playing games that explore unique cultures and things I’ve never experienced. A new Metroidvania just released that seems like it scratches that itch nicely.

Sheba: A New Dawn is a new Metroidvania created by a studio in Abu Dhabi, known as Kashool Games. The game utilizes Middle Eastern culture to build the bases and aesthetic of the world of Sheba: A New Dawn. Here is what the press release says about the game:

“Sheba: A New Dawn is a Metroidvania Action-RPG that follows Enar, a humble shepherd, who encounters Mirah, an escaped Jinn prisoner who upends his world and triggers a chain of events. Together they must traverse interconnected realms while facing legendary monsters and unraveling ancient mysteries to set things right and uncover his true fate.”

Omran Almansoori, Kashkool’s co-founder and CEO commented on their development goals, stating: “Growing up, we never saw game characters or stories that authentically represented our country’s people and culture. The Middle East has amazing stories, deep history, and rich heritage that we want to share with the rest of the games industry and the world. We wish to build game experiences that bridge that gap and feel [a] great responsibility to highlight the region’s talent and potential.”

Studio founders the Almansoori brothers spent their formative years playing games on the family computer. They created games eventually in order to challenge one another, and ultimately decided to start their own studio. Sheba: A New Dawn is the culmination of that dream, aiming to showcase their culture’s rich history. I’m very excited to experience Sheba: A New Dawn, as well as more games that explore the culture of the Middle East.