143. Shutting Down Twin Drums: Bridging Cultural Stories With Technology, Entrepreneurial Learnings

In this episode, host Sophie Vo Vo engages in a deep and insightful conversation with Allan Cudicio, an Italo Ghanaian game developer, about his journey of founding Twin Drums in 2019 and eventually closing it in 2024, as the studio behind The Wagadu Chronicles.

Allan provides an intimate look at the highs and lows of his entrepreneurial venture, discussing the challenges of raising funds as an indie and innovative IP studio, the importance of diverse cultural representation in gaming, and the emotional toll of shutting down his company.

We delve into the difficulties and learnings from innovating with a niche and culturally rich IP, and the broader implications for underrepresented founders in the gaming industry.

The episode also highlights the essential role of mentors, the inevitability of failure as a part of growth, and the ongoing quest to bridge cultural stories with modern technology.

Closing a studio marks the end of a business, but it doesn’t have to signify the end of the movement to bring more cultural representation into games. There is a growing demand among the gaming audience to discover such content and stories. If you’d like to explore this further, get in touch with Allan.

01:40 Meet Allan Cudicio: From Berlin to Ghana

02:01 The Birth of Twin Drums and Wagadu Chronicles

03:42 Challenges and Learnings as an Entrepreneur

12:46 The Importance of Representation in Gaming

21:44 Building and Scaling a Remote Team

24:38 Testing and Early Feedback

25:08 Navigating Market Changes and Innovation Challenges

27:17 Financial Struggles and Fundraising Hurdles

28:32 The Emotional Toll of Shutting Down

30:06 Reflecting on the Entrepreneurial Journey

34:18 Embracing Failure and Looking Forward

39:13 Cultural Heritage and Future Aspirations

43:50 Final Thoughts and Advice for Entrepreneurs

We are thrilled to be working with PlaytestCloud as our key partner in expanding Rise and Play’s impact in 2025! Greetings from Berlin from Sophie and Dana 👋 🇩🇪

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