Xelabyte Studios, a Nigerian game development company, has announced the launch of MerjUp, a mobile arcade puzzle game that combines merge mechanics with physics-based, skill-driven gameplay. The game asks players to toss cans into a play area where matching cans collide and merge into higher tiers. The studio is using this release to build original consumer gaming IP while competing for global player attention from Nigeria.
A Physics-Driven Merge Experience
MerjUp does not rely on simply tapping two identical objects together. Where a player tosses a can, how it collides with other cans, and how the board develops all contribute to the outcome. The studio points to titles such as Suika Game as evidence that physics and merging can be compelling, while aiming to build its own identity around the concept.
Modes, Progression, and Replayability
The game offers three modes designed to expand the core loop and keep players engaged. Puzzle mode includes 100 campaign levels, Classic mode presents timed score challenges, and Survival mode asks players to race against a growing stack. Daily challenges, rewards, leaderboards, and progression systems give players additional reasons to keep improving their scores.
Original IP and Studio Ambition
Xelabyte Studios was founded in May 2026 by Xela Oladipupo with a clear focus on building consumer gaming IP rather than developing products for clients. Oladipupo said the studio is not claiming to have invented a new genre, but it wants to create a distinct identity around physics-based merging. The team aims to prove that a game built in Nigeria can compete for the same global player attention as one built anywhere else.
Competing for Global Attention
Oladipupo noted that Africa has a large and increasingly connected young audience, yet comparatively few globally recognized consumer game IPs originate from African studios. Xelabyte plans to test user acquisition in Nigeria and internationally, including in markets with larger mobile gaming and advertising economies. This strategy is meant to validate the game locally while pursuing growth in more mature mobile markets.
Early Traction and Platform Rollout
MerjUp is available for free on Android through Google Play, with an iOS release also part of the rollout. The game currently has around 400 players, and Oladipupo said he does not want to exaggerate the studio's early traction. He added that the most valuable signal so far has been watching people understand the core mechanic quickly and become competitive about improving their scores.
A Focus on Skill and Depth
The studio emphasizes that every toss involves decision-making about aim, collision, board development, and chain reactions. Players are not simply matching objects in a static puzzle, but managing a dynamic play area that reacts to each move. This skill-based depth is central to the studio's broader goal of turning a simple mechanic into a competitive pursuit with lasting appeal.
With MerjUp, Xelabyte Studios is entering the mobile puzzle market with a clear emphasis on original IP, skill-based play, and global ambition. The studio's early focus on modes, progression, leaderboards, and user acquisition testing reflects a long-term approach to building a sustainable audience. As the team works to expand the game's reach, MerjUp offers an early example of how Nigerian studios are positioning themselves in the global gaming economy.
Source: Disrupt Africa