What if a card game could tell the story of a culture?
What if a card game could tell the story of a culture?
Introducing Kentiba
Kentiba meaning (Mayor), is an educational strategy card game inspired by Eritrean culture, language, and community traditions.
The project transforms cultural knowledge into an engaging tabletop experience while introducing players to Tigrinya vocabulary, symbolism, and neighborhoods with the Country.
The goal was to create a product that felt authentic enough for Eritreans while remaining approachable for people experiencing the culture for the first time.
The Challenge
Many educational products about African cultures focus heavily on history while overlooking everyday language, traditions, and community interactions.
The challenge was to design a game that:
• Encourages cultural learning through gameplay
• Appeals to both Eritrean and non-Eritrean audiences
• Creates an intuitive visual language despite bilingual content
• Balances education with competitive strategy
• Builds a cohesive brand across cards, packaging, and marketing
Project Goals
Design a memorable product that:
✓ Celebrates Eritrean identity
✓ Teaches Tigrinya vocabulary naturally
✓ Creates replay-ability
✓ Uses modern visual design while respecting tradition
✓ Builds a scalable visual system for future expansion packs
What I Learned
This project strengthened my ability to:
Transform complex information into intuitive visual systems
Design within tight spatial constraints
Build scalable design systems
Balance aesthetics with usability
Create products that communicate across cultures
Impact
Kentiba demonstrates how thoughtful visual communication can preserve culture while creating an engaging product experience.
The project successfully:
• Simplified bilingual information into an intuitive card system
• Built a recognizable visual identity
• Created a scalable product framework
• Blended storytelling, illustration, and information design
• Showcased cultural authenticity through modern design principles
What I Learned
This project strengthened my ability to:
Transform complex information into intuitive visual systems
Design within tight spatial constraints
Build scalable design systems
Balance aesthetics with usability
Create products that communicate across cultures