Malagasy video game Kalanoro channels local folklore, backed by Orelsan

Kalanoro, an action-platformer-adventure game developed by the Malagasy studio Red Raketa, draws on the folklore of Madagascar. The story takes place on the island of Lemuria, where the dictatorial witch Raneny imposes forced industrialization and organizes a grand concert in her honor. Players control Kalaleky, a small Kalanoro—a hairy spirit from Malagasy folklore—who must travel by bus to recruit lemur musicians and stage a rebel concert to end the witch's reign. The game has been in development since 2019 and gained crucial support after the creators met French rapper Orelsan during a trip to Madagascar six years ago. Orelsan helped them find studio space and connected them with French publisher New Tales. As a thank-you, Orelsan appears as the character Lemursan. The soundtrack features collaborations with Malagasy musicians, including Jyeuhair, who gained fame on Netflix's rap competition show Nouvelle Ecole. A demo is already available on Steam, and the full game is scheduled for release in summer 2026 on Xbox Series, Switch, PS5, and Steam, making it the first Malagasy game to launch on all major platforms.