SenAm Games‘ founder, Senad Hrnjadovic, has been involved in the games industry for years, but it was the Pokémon obsession of his two older children that made him realise the power of games as a learning tool. It got him thinking. “In the shortest amount of time, the kids picked up a vast amount of knowledge about the Pokémons and their universe. Why not offer this kind of deep learning to young muslims and let them learn about the story and life of the Prophet Muhammad?” That’s when Hrnjadovic came up with the game Al-Sirah.
In the game players can choose between a local Mecca boy or girl aged ten as the protagonist. They are free to explore historically-inspired cities of Mecca and Medina and walk the streets as they might have been 1,400 years ago. In their adventures they get to meet and interact with the people who shaped the foundations of Islamic history. So, the Prophet Muhammad himself, his uncle Abu Talib, Hisham ibn Amr, and others. True to Islamic tradition, Muhammad will not be depicted visually or audibly in any form. Instead, in scenes where he is present, the camera will switch to his viewpoint.
Founded in 2018 by CEO Senad Hrnjadovic, SenAm Games is an independent game development studio based in Munich, Germany. Currently the company has four employees and a network of diverse freelancers spread across the globe. “We have a solid track record of developing and releasing three games in the last seven years, including client work,” Hrnjadovic says. “The detective visual novel Hauma, that we released in 2022, was our own debut game.”
Islamic history accessible
The story and life of the Prophet Muhammad is considered a central pillar of knowledge for Muslims around the world. And so, for Hrnjadovic, Al-Sirah is more than just a game. He regards the project as a mission to reach young Muslims through interactive storytelling. “By making Islamic history accessible, fun and educational, we aim to inspire the next generation to connect with their heritage,” he says. Hrnjadovic also believes that the game could build bridges between people of different beliefs. “The game is also very well suited to non-Muslims, who can learn new things about the history of Islam in a fun way.”
He continues, “Video games are the most influential media of our time, but Islamic content has been painfully neglected. Al-Sirah changes this by providing a playful, immersive experience rooted in Sirah, a prophetic biography, and the birth of Islam. The authenticity and accuracy of the themes and topics are very important, that’s why we plan to work with Islamic scholars and academic experts. But we will always put an emphasis on the game being fun and engaging.“
Great formula
In order to make the game appealing to the whole family, the studio opted for a bright and cartoony look of the graphics. The style was carefully chosen to accommodate several goals, says Hrnjadovic. “We want it to be fun and engaging for the primary target group of 10/12 year olds and show Arabic and islamic history and culture in an authentic and mindful way. Plus, a smaller indie dev team should be able to handle the scope. That’s why we choose a stylised abstract art style, similar to what could be found in an animated kids show.”
SenAm plans to build upon the 10-minute demo that’s out now to try and release the game in Oktober 2026. That is if they can get the financing in place. The team is looking for €50.000 through the recently launched Kickstarter. “We already conducted lots of playtests with children from the age group 10-12 years and really feel that we have hit upon a great formula for the game. Our hope is that many generations of young Muslims will be able to internalise the stories and events of the Sirah through exploration and gameplay of Al-Sirah.”
Check out the Al-Sirah Kickstarter campaign here.