Legends of Lagos

The Sandbox DAO Grant Program OPEN: Season Rewards & Game Creation
1

Please complete the form below to submit your game project proposal for consideration.

1. Who is your team?

I am currently the only confirmed team member for this project and will serve as the Project Lead, while actively recruiting experienced VoxEdit artists, Game Maker builders, and cultural writers to join the team and deliver on all outlined milestones.

  • Team Name:
  • Main Contact (Name & Role):
  • Team Members & Roles:
  • Are you a known builder in The Sandbox community?
    Yes [ :white_check_mark:] No
    If yes, please list past projects and provide links:
  • Are you an existing studio?
    Yes [ :white_check_mark:] No
    If yes, please provide links to previous projects:

2. Project Overview

  • Game Title: Legends of Lagos

  • Game Genre:
    ā˜ Platformer ā˜ Arcade ā˜āœ… RPG ā˜ Shooter ā˜ Visual Novel ā˜ Other:

  • Short Description of the Game (2ā€“4 sentences):

  • Legends of Lagos is a narrative-driven RPG adventure set in a reimagined Lagos, Nigeria. Players explore bustling districts, uncover ancient shrines, and interact with Yoruba deities like Sango and Yemoja through branching quests, cultural challenges, and hidden storylines. The game features original voiceovers, vibrant voxel-style assets, and is designed to be both immersive and educational. It will also be released as a remixable game template to help other creators tell their own city-based stories.

  • Do you have previous experience building this type of game?
    Yes [:white_check_mark: ] No
    This will be my first officially published project using The Sandbox Game Maker, but I have experience designing game narratives and quests in writing and creative development. I am actively learning the Game Maker tool and recruiting experienced Sandbox builders to ensure high-quality delivery.
    Please share relevant links or examples:

3. Motivation

  • Why are you applying for support from The Sandbox?
    Iā€™m applying for support from The Sandbox because this project ā€œLegends of Lagosā€ aligns directly with the platformā€™s mission of empowering creators to build meaningful, interactive content. I believe this grant will help bring an underrepresented cultural story into the metaverse while also expanding the diversity of narratives available within the Sandbox ecosystem. With funding, I can recruit skilled collaborators, create high-quality assets, and deliver a remixable game experience that others can build upon.

  • Why did you choose to build this project in The Sandbox?
    The Sandbox offers the perfect tools for this project: VoxEdit and Game Maker allow creators like me to bring stories to life without needing to code. Its focus on user-generated content and cultural expression makes it an ideal platform for Legends of Lagos. Additionally, the ability to publish assets and remix templates means this project can live beyond a single playthrough inspiring other creators to build their own city-based mythological adventures.

4. Timeline

  • Planned Milestones (include estimated dates):

    • GDD Submission:(August 2, 2025)
      The full Game Design Document (GDD) will be completed, outlining the gameā€™s story, quests, core mechanics, characters, map layout, and asset needs.

    • Vertical Slice: (August 9, 2025)
      A working scene demonstrating key gameplay elements including one full quest, dialogue, and a playable deity encounter will be built and reviewed.

    • Blockout Check: (August 13, 2025)
      All major game areas will be blocked out with placeholder assets and navigation paths. Full quest logic will be mapped and prepped for final implementation.

    • Alpha Check: (August 18, 2025)
      A rough version of the full game will be playable from start to finish, with all quests functional, assets integrated, and major systems in place.

    • Beta Check: (August 24, 2025)
      The game will be refined, voiceovers added, bugs fixed, and polish applied. This version will be close to final and ready for packaging.

    • Post Production / Launch: (August 28ā€“29, 2025)
      The final version will be submitted to the DAO, along with the remixable template, screenshots, gameplay footage, and the full reporting package.

5. Team Location

(Note: This does not influence acceptance. It helps us assess budget alignment and fair compensation.)

  • Country/Countries of Team Members:

The core team, including most contributors to be recruited, will be based in Nigeria, to enable in-person collaboration, local cultural accuracy, and participation in IRL meetups. However, the project will also involve remote team members or developers from other regions for specialized roles or technical input, ensuring flexibility while maintaining strong local grounding.

6. Future Plans & Sustainability

  • What are your plans for maintaining or expanding the project after launch?
    After launch, Legends of Lagos will be updated with new quests, mythological content, and community feedback. The game will also be released as a remixable template to inspire similar projects across Africa and beyond.

  • Do you have a monetization strategy?
    [ :white_check_mark:] Yes No
    If yes, describe it briefly:
    We plan to monetize selected in-game assets (characters, props, outfits) through the Sandbox marketplace with royalty-based earnings.

  • How do you plan to attract and retain players over time?
    Weā€™ll retain players through immersive storytelling, cultural voiceovers, seasonal updates, and remixable community content tied to African folklore.

7. Milestone Deliverables

For each milestone, please confirm your understanding and ability to deliver:
I fully understand and confirm my ability to deliver all milestone requirements listed below as part of the Legends of Lagos project

:round_pushpin: GDD Submission

  • [:white_check_mark: ] Synopsis of game
  • [:white_check_mark: ] Concept art, mood board
  • [:white_check_mark: ] Game mechanics
  • [ :white_check_mark:] Marketing & monetization plan
  • [ :white_check_mark:] Budget breakdown

:round_pushpin: Vertical Slice

  • [ :white_check_mark:] Focused demo level including Gameplay, FTUE, Narrative, Fun, Art Direction, and Technical review

:round_pushpin: Blockout Check

  • [:white_check_mark: ] Level-wide check of terraforming, pathing, interactions (fights, NPCs, quests)

:round_pushpin: Alpha Check

  • [:white_check_mark: ] First pass review of user experience, narrative, level design

:round_pushpin: Beta Check

  • [ :white_check_mark:] Final gameplay feedback with detailed grading

:round_pushpin: Post Production

  • [:white_check_mark: ] QA
  • [:white_check_mark: ] Trailer and screenshots
  • [:white_check_mark: ] Community channels active
  • [:white_check_mark: ] Monetization ready
  • [:white_check_mark: ] (Optional) Beta community playtest
  • Where did you hear about the grant program?
    [:white_check_mark: ] This forum
    Discord
    Twitter/X
    A friend or community member
    Questbook
    Other: ___________
2 Likes
2

Hello @Aremion, thank you for your submission. The concept sounds interesting and I would love to play it.

I will say that approaching an RPG as a first project in The Sandbox is ambitious, but I am glad to see that you are seeking out experienced collaborators. I donā€™t know how many builders are local to Nigeria, but I know there are plenty of talented builders who might be able to help remotely.

Do you have a portfolio of other work youā€™ve done: game credits, demos, jam projects, etc?

All of the milestones being in August might be a little tight on your development schedule. If you could organize a GDD a bit earlier, maybe mid July, it will give you more time to work methodically through other milestones and digest any feedback.

In order to approve a grant, I need to have a grant amount for the request. I understand that while youā€™re still looking for collaborators, it might be hard to know how much they will cost to hire. For now I am happy to get to know you, and let me know when you have a budget set and we can continue the approval process from there.

Hereā€™s a checklist to condense what I just wrote above:

  1. Share socials and/or portfolio of previous game work.
  2. Assemble your team and set a total budget.
  3. Check your milestones and distribute the budget across them.
  4. Iā€™d recommend working towards your GDD even before full budget approval. It will mean your first milestone will be completed fast and will help set the course. Even if your grant is not approved, your GDD can live on as a pitch or concept for something else.
1 Like
3

Thank you so much for the thoughtful response and encouragement.

  1. While I havenā€™t built a game before, Iā€™ve had a long-standing passion for storytelling and game design, particularly in the Web3 space. During my research into The Sandbox ecosystem, Legends of Lagos naturally came to life as a concept I felt deeply connected to and Iā€™m very motivated to bring it to reality.

  2. Iā€™m currently in discussions with four potential collaborators, a mix of close connections and skilled friends to join the project. Some may volunteer, but I also intend to fairly compensate contributors. Based on scope, Iā€™m estimating a total budget of $7,000, covering asset creation, Game Maker development, voiceovers, and reporting.

  3. The budget will be distributed across key milestones, with payments tied to actual progress:

*GDD Submission: $300 (planning, writing, concept art)

*Vertical Slice: $1,200 (core demo logic, quests, visuals)

*Blockout Check: $1,000 (map layout, interactions, asset setup)

*Alpha Check: $1,200 (full playthrough, rough assets)

*Beta Check: $1,500 (refinements, voiceovers, polish)

*Post Production: $1,800 (QA, media kit, trailer, documentation)

  1. Iā€™ve already started outlining the GDD and will aim to submit it by mid-July as suggested, I agree this will help build early momentum and show clear direction.

Lastly, Iā€™d love to stay connected with you during the process, do you have an X account I can follow and drop a chat?

Thanks again for the support and guidance.

1 Like
4

@KamiSawZe

5

Hey @Aremion, the budget looks reasonable, Iā€™ll just need to see the GDD and some portfolios for you and your team so I can assess everything.

Youā€™re welcome to check me out on Twitter
where Iā€™m the most active. Youā€™ll also find me on The Sandbox discord around this time almost every day answering questions about the platform, gamemaker, and voxedit.

2 Likes
6

@KamiSawZe Thanks for your prompt response and I truly appreciate the budget approval. Just gave you a follow on X, Iā€™d love to connect further as I continue assembling the team. Iā€™m currently in talks with a few local talents and Iā€™m also looking to get connected with Sandbox builders with your help, Iā€™ll keep you posted as things develop. The GDD is in progress, and your guidance as I shape this out would mean a lot.

1 Like
7

Thereā€™s no Message option on your X

8

Had to lock down DMs to people I follow only because of constant scam spam. :expressionless_face:

2 Likes
9

I understand that, it gets crazy.

10

@KamiSawZe Iā€™ve got the GDD ready, waiting for your response

1 Like
11

Hi @Aremion, letā€™s move forward with this! Thank you for your patience.

I will need you to first complete this KYC and let me know when thatā€™s been approved. Then Iā€™ll DM you details on invoicing for the first milestone.

@Geraldine could you kindly mark this grant approved?

1 Like