by Muhammad Tahir Abdullahi
Plum Farms is a multi-region agricultural strategy simulation game built for the CANEX Create-Thon 2026. Set across three distinct Nigerian geopolitical zones—Ogun, Kano, and Enugu—the game challenges players to build, optimize, and scale a 5-year agricultural empire while navigating realistic economic and environmental constraints. The core motivation behind Plum Farms is to gamify modern agribusiness management, highlighting key operational dynamics like regional moisture decay rates (e.g., Kano's harsh Harmattan weather vs. Ogun's humid climate), livestock upkeep, and value-addition manufacturing pipelines (converting raw cassava into Garri or raw grains into livestock feed). Built iteratively using Dala Studio and client-side web technologies, the game features: Dynamic Multi-Region State Management: Real-time regional climate mechanics, auto-irrigation systems, and custom decay rates. Agribusiness Operations: Farm plots, livestock feed schedules, and factory bulk-processing units. Interactive Onboarding UX: A built-in modal tutorial system and HUD quick guides ensuring smooth player progression from single-state farming to global expansion. Note: Game was created using the websites and apps mode, rather than the typical game mode because of snags and constraints met initially.