An East African Dark Fantasy

The Mara Witch

She was the one they buried. She is the one who returned.

64
Days
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00
Hours
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Mins
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00
Secs

Until the Witch Awakens

The Story

A Legend Older Than the Savanna Itself

Deep in the lands between Kajiado and the forgotten coast, Leboo is raised as a protector — trained by a Guardian who speaks in the tongue of the Maa. But the journey he is sent on is not what it seems.

Every village liberated. Every boss defeated. Every power earned. All of it feeds the Witch. All of it was her design.

The Mara Witch is a third-person action-adventure rooted in East African mythology — Maa, Giriama, Kikuyu — with combat that evolves across four regions and a twist that reframes everything you thought you were doing.

Gameplay screenshot from The Mara Witch
The World

From the Savannah to Kilimanjaro

Four regions. Three combat styles. One inevitable betrayal.

Coast region
Central Kenya
Mount Kilimanjaro
Combat
Mythology & Lore

The Old Fears Have Names

The world of the Mara Witch is woven from the living folklore of East Africa — the spirits, customs, and warnings passed down across generations. We build on these traditions with respect, not invention.

The Irimu — a one-eyed ogre of Kikuyu folklore The Irimu · In-game creature

The Irimu

ee-REE-moo · the ogre of the Agĩkũyũ

In Kikuyu (Agĩkũyũ) tradition, the Irimu is a shape-shifting ogre — a devourer that walks between the human and the monstrous. Old stories describe it taking the form of a man to enter a homestead, only to reveal a second mouth hidden at the back of its head, or a body that shifts toward the leopard.

It belongs to a wider Bantu lineage of marimũ — flesh-eating spirits invoked to explain the dangers that lurked beyond the firelight and the edge of the village. To meet an Irimu in a tale was to be tested: by wit, by courage, or by sacrifice.

In The Mara Witch, the Irimu stalks the borderlands you must cross — a guardian of the threshold between the world you know and the one the Witch is remaking.

Ngai

The God of the Mountain

The Agĩkũyũ revered Ngai (Mwene-Nyaga), the supreme creator who dwells upon Mount Kenya — Kĩrĩnyaga, the mountain of brightness. Prayers were turned toward its peaks; the snow was said to be the shimmer of his presence.

Mĩario

Stories After Dark

Ogre-tales were told at night, by fire, to children — equal parts entertainment and warning. To survive the Irimu in a story, the hero relied on cleverness and the bonds of family, not strength alone.

Thabari

The Threshold

Across East African custom, the edge of the homestead marked the boundary between the safe and the wild. To cross it at the wrong hour, or to invite the wrong guest inside, was to risk everything — a fear the game makes literal.

The Game's Lore

From these traditions we shaped a story of our own. A child raised to be a protector. A people freed, village by village. And a truth that turns on its head: every victory has been feeding something far older — and she has been waiting for you all along.

Available on Steam

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Wishlist Now.

Be the first to know when the Mara Witch awakens — wishlisting on Steam alerts you at launch and helps us reach players across the world.

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Get in Touch

We'd Love to Hear From You

Press inquiries, partnership proposals, or just want to talk East African mythology — reach out. We read every message.

Email Info@themarawitch.com
Follow on X @the_marawitch
The Studio

Urban Gurus

Home of Interactive Dreams

Urban Gurus is an award-winning interactive studio based in Nairobi, Kenya, crafting games and immersive experiences rooted in African stories, art, and imagination. From virtual reality to dark fantasy worlds, we build interactive dreams that carry our heritage forward — and invite the world to step inside it.

2021
Founded
Nairobi
Kenya
Kalasha
Award Winners
Epic
MegaGrant Recipient
Kalasha Award — Game of the Year Epic MegaGrant Featured in National Geographic Business Daily

Past work includes Mchupa (Ukwenza VR), Heritage VR, the Milele Museum, and I Hear You — a Kenyan Sign Language experience. The Mara Witch is our most ambitious world yet.