Game Artisan · Laayoune, Morocco

Indie Game
Dev & Community
Activist

Crafting games rooted in retro culture, experimentation,
and Moroccan identity — from Laayoune.

Retro game enthusiast and collector, I design and experiment with gameplay systems while building a living gaming ecosystem in Southern Morocco.

LAAYOUNE · SOUTHERN MOROCCO
Hicham El Koursi El Alaoui — Game Artisan
WHO I AM

An artisan who builds
games and communities

Indie developer · Retro collector · Community activist

Based in Laayoune. I combine a deep passion for retro game culture with hands-on game development and grassroots community work. I don't just make games; I build the ecosystem that makes game culture possible in places where it didn't exist before.

Retro Game Enthusiast & Collector

Deeply rooted in 90s gaming culture. I collect, play, and draw creative inspiration from the games that shaped the medium , studying what made them feel timeless.

Game Artisan

I approach game development as a craft , exploring mechanics and systems through hands-on experimentation, game jams, and indie projects built with intentionality.

Community Builder

Founder of Saharian Geeks , the first gaming association in Southern Morocco , and co-founder of Creative Hive, Laayoune's first game studio. Building where others haven't yet.

Advocate for Gaming Education

Running training sessions, workshops, and mentoring for young people , transmitting not just skills, but also gaming culture and its creative legacy to the next generation.

"I see game development as a form of craftsmanship , combining creativity, culture, and experimentation. Inspired by retro games, I focus on mechanics, feeling, and player experience rather than just visuals."
MY WORK

What I do,
concretely

Game development · Community organizing · Education & transmission

My work spans three interconnected domains. As an indie developer I prototype, experiment, and create games. As a community organizer I bring people together around shared passion. As an educator I pass on skills, culture, and mindset to the next generation of Moroccan game makers and passionates.

Game Development

  • Prototyping and experimenting with gameplay mechanics
  • Game jams & indie projects
  • Co-founder of Creative Hive — first game studio in Laayoune

Community & Events

  • Organizer of Global Game Jam Laayoune (2020—2026)
  • Founder of Saharian Geeks — first gaming association in the south
  • Member of the Moroccan Game Developers (MGD)

Education & Transmission

  • Game development Master classes
  • Workshops and mentoring for young talent
  • Retro gaming culture awareness
FEATURED PROJECTS

Projects &
Game Creations

Games we are working on under Creative Hive studio in Laayoune

These projects are more than games, they are experiments in storytelling, cultural identity, and game feel. Each one is an attempt to answer a different question about what games from Southern Morocco can look and feel like.

ARCHEOTRONIC screenshot
ARCHEOTRONIC

An archaeological exploration game blending puzzle mechanics with cultural storytelling. Navigate ancient ruins, decode artifacts, uncover forgotten histories.

RYA7 screenshot
RYA7

Platformer with special controls and gameplay, we are experimenting both new mecanic and cultural integration especially the saharian culture Spoiler : we are trying to integrate Mlehfa(traditional Outfit) as tool and weapon

CHAI REACTION screenshot
CHAI REACTION

Our first client commanded a game about Mroccan tea, we are now in ideation and Prototyping phase we can't share more about it for now

Games built for fun in Game Jams

Echo Navigation screenshot
ECHO NAVIGATION

A sonar-based navigation game. Explore a dark world using sound echoes to perceive your environment and find your way through the unknown.
THEME : ECHOES

Bubble Savior screenshot
BUBBLE SAVIOR

A fast-paced arcade game where you protect people from falling thanks to your bubble power. Quick reflexes, escalating chaos, satisfying pops.
THEME : BUBBLE

COMMUNITY & IMPACT

Building the Scene
from the Ground Up

Milestones, recognitions, and what we built together in Southern Morocco

From the first Global Game Jam in Laayoune to national media coverage, every milestone here represents something built collectively , proving that game culture belongs everywhere, including the far south of Morocco.

2020—2026
EVENT

Global Game Jam Laayoune

Organized and led 6 consecutive editions of the world's largest game jam in the far south of Morocco , building a local developer community from scratch, year after year.


You can read the repport here or listen to the interview

FOUNDED
ASSOCIATION

Saharian Geeks

Founded the first gaming association in Southern Morocco , creating a formal space for game culture, education, and community in Laayoune.

FOUNDING
STUDIO

Creative Hive

Co-founding Laayoune's first independent game studio , a creative hub for local developers to produce original games rooted in Moroccan culture and identity. And thanks God we already have our first client, wanting a game about TEA and Culture.

NATIONAL
MEDIA

Medi1TV Coverage

Featured on national radio, bringing visibility to Southern Morocco's emerging gaming scene and demonstrating that the industry can grow beyond major urban centers.


You can listen to the interviews below

NATIONAL
ECOSYSTEM

Morocco Gaming Expo

Participated as a Member of the MGD in the MGE, contributing to the national gaming ecosystem stage and connecting the southern scene to the broader Moroccan game industry.

I also participated in MGI, where I presented my project to the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, demonstrating that Laayoune is an active part of Morocco’s emerging gaming ecosystem.

ONGOING
EDUCATION

Youth Training & Mentoring

Running game development workshops and retro gaming culture awareness programs, transmitting passion and skill to the next generation.

GET IN TOUCH

Let's build something
together

Collaborations, workshops, speaking, or just to talk games

Whether you want to collaborate on a project, invite me to speak about game development in Morocco, or simply connect around shared passion for games and community , I'd love to hear from you.

hic.elalaoui@gmail.com