Abya Yala: Bacatá
Muisca culture · Cundiboyacense high plateau
A video game saga · Unreal Engine 5
ABYA YALA
Video games inspired by the ancestral cultures of the Americas.
Abya Yala is a game development initiative that seeks to rescue and share the legacy of pre-Columbian civilizations through immersive experiences built with cutting-edge technology.
/ What does Abya Yala mean?
Abya Yala is the name the Guna people — native to the territories that are now Panama and Colombia — give to the American continent. It translates as «land in full maturity» or «land of vital blood», and for decades it has been adopted by indigenous communities and movements across the continent as the continent's own name: the one that existed before any imposed name.
We chose this name because it sums up the franchise's mission: to look at the continent from within and tell the stories of its original peoples from their own roots — their myths, their architecture, their science and their way of understanding the world — and not from the gaze of those who arrived later.
Building an interactive library of ancestral cultures.
The goal is not to create a single video game, but a collection of experiences that allow players to explore pre-Columbian cultures through narrative, exploration, architecture, mythology and interactive education. Each title in the saga will be dedicated to one culture, deeply researched and built to the technical standard of a modern production.
/ The planned saga
One culture at a time, starting at home: the original peoples of Colombia.
Abya Yala: Tairona
Tairona culture · Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Abya Yala: Quimbaya
Quimbaya culture · Middle Cauca river valley
Abya Yala: Zenú
Zenú culture · Caribbean plains
Future cultures of the Americas
The whole continent as the horizon
First title of the saga
Abya Yala: Bacatá
Abya Yala: Bacatá is the first video game of the saga. Set in the Cundiboyacense high plateau before the European arrival, players will explore a world inspired by the Muisca culture: its myths, its architecture, its social organization and its spiritual relationship with nature.
Bacatá — the Muisca name for the territory we now know as Bogotá — was the heart of the Muisca Confederation, one of the most sophisticated social organizations of pre-Columbian America. The game recreates that world with the detail and respect it deserves.
Current development status
Historical research
Advanced
3D modeling
In progress
Village construction
In progress
Gameplay systems
Early
Narrative
Early
Motion capture
Exploring
Technologies
Unreal Engine 5BlenderMetaHumanMotion captureHoudiniC++
Gallery
/ Cultural goals
Abya Yala is a video game project, but also a stance on how these stories should be told.
Cultural preservation
Turning myths, architecture and traditions into interactive experiences that keep them alive for new generations.
Educational outreach
Playing should also mean learning: every space, object and story in the game is grounded in research.
Responsible representation
Portraying original peoples with dignity and rigor, avoiding stereotypes and exoticization.
Historical research
Each title is built on documented archaeological, anthropological and historical sources.
Collaboration with experts
We seek to work with historians, anthropologists and communities to validate every creative decision.
/ Roadmap
Bacatá's path, phase by phase.
Phase 1
Current phasePlayable prototype
Core mechanics, explorable village and first quest.
Phase 2
Public demo
Free version to gather community feedback.
Phase 3
Steam page
Official presence and wishlist as a measure of interest.
Phase 4
Crowdfunding campaign
Community funding to scale up production.
Phase 5
Early access
Early launch with growing content alongside the community.
Phase 6
Launch
The full version of Abya Yala: Bacatá.
Get involved
I'm looking for people interested in helping build this vision: collaborators, sponsors, media and, above all, people who believe the stories of Abya Yala deserve to be played.
Areas where you can contribute
HistoryAnthropology3D artConcept artProgrammingMusicNarrativeMarketing