South African Teen, 17, Develops Free Offline Multiplayer Game to Bring Friends Together

Lerato Arigato has developed Rogun Army, a free Android shooter that allows more than 16 players to compete on the same Wi-Fi network or mobile hotspot without an internet connection.

A 17-year-old South African game developer is looking to revive the excitement of offline multiplayer gaming with the launch of Rogun Army, a free action shooter designed to bring friends and families together without requiring an internet connection.

Lerato Arigato, who has been developing games for approximately nine years, created the game to recreate the local multiplayer experience that made older mobile games popular among young players.

Available on the Google Play Store, Rogun Army supports more than 16 players on the same Wi-Fi network or mobile hotspot, allowing users to play together without using mobile data or connecting to the internet.

Inspired by Mini Militia

Arigato says the idea behind Rogun Army came from his childhood experiences playing Mini Militia – Doodle Army, a game remembered by many players for its local multiplayer functionality.

He explained that the game’s original appeal was its ability to let friends host matches and compete against one another without needing an active internet connection.

However, he believes subsequent updates changed aspects of the experience that originally made the game special.

“When I was a kid there was a game called Mini Militia – Doodle Army,” Arigato said. “It let you host a game and play with your friends without an active internet connection. As time went on this game received a lot of updates that changed its core DNA.”

After realising that other players shared his frustrations, he decided to develop an alternative that would bring back the simplicity and social experience he remembered.

The development and testing process took approximately a year.

What makes Rogun Army different?

Built using the Unity game engine and C# programming language, Rogun Army is a top-down shooter featuring multiple maps, character skins and a variety of weapons.

Players can choose from weapons including submachine guns, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles and revolvers.

The game’s defining feature is its local multiplayer capability. Players can host a session using a mobile hotspot or shared router, allowing others on the same network to join.

The game does not require players to create accounts or connect to the internet to enjoy its local multiplayer experience.

Rogun Army is rated Everyone 10+ and is available as a free download for Android users.

Arigato has also been releasing regular content updates, reporting an average of several updates per month as he continues to improve the game and expand its features.

A young developer with years of experience

Although he is only 17, Arigato has spent a significant portion of his life learning how to develop games.

He began experimenting with Scratch as a young child before moving to Unity around the age of eight in 2016. Since then, he says he has created hundreds of projects.

His work has attracted attention from several South African media and gaming platforms, including Stellenbosch University’s MFM 92.6 radio station, G-Cover Magazine and X Factored Youth.

He has also shared his work with the Make Games South Africa community, connecting with others interested in developing games locally.

Arigato describes himself as “overly ambitious and passionate”, qualities that have helped him pursue his projects from an early age.

His long-term ambition is to work at an established game development studio to gain industry experience before eventually becoming a full-time independent developer.

For now, his focus is on getting more players to discover and experience Rogun Army.

Encouraging people to connect offline

Rogun Army offers a different approach in a gaming environment increasingly dominated by online multiplayer experiences.

Rather than requiring players to connect to distant servers, the game encourages them to gather in the same physical space and compete using devices connected to a shared local network.

Its offline functionality may also appeal to players who have limited access to affordable internet services but still want to enjoy multiplayer gaming with friends.

While the game’s long-term success remains to be seen, its development demonstrates how young South Africans are using their technical skills and personal experiences to create products for a wider audience.

At 17, Arigato is already building a portfolio of projects and working towards a career in the gaming industry.

His latest release reflects a straightforward idea: gaming can be more than an individual experience on a screen. It can also be a reason for people to put their phones together, spend time with one another and enjoy some friendly competition.

Where to get Rogun Army

Rogun Army is available for free on the Google Play Store. Android users can search for the game by name or use its package identifier, com.forbiddenbox.rogunarmy.

To play with friends, users can connect their devices to the same Wi-Fi network or mobile hotspot and join a local multiplayer session.

As Arigato continues developing the game, he hopes to reach more players and establish himself as one of South Africa’s emerging young game developers.

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