Santimanitay: Race to the Stage

Known as the greatest show on earth, Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is a festival of beauty, colour, and pageantry. All aspects of Carnival have a rich and storied history; music, costuming, and performance. As well-known as the festival may be, not many people know actual historical information, such as, in what year the first Panorama was held, or who was the first winner of the International Soca Monarch competition, or even when the Canboulay Riots occurred in Port of Spain. Santimanitay: Race to the Stage was developed to help share and preserve this knowledge through engaging gameplay, memorable characters and challenging questions. But fear not, no prior knowledge is needed to play, enjoy and even win at Santimanitay!

The word “Santimanitay” is derived from the French, sans humanité, which means, without humanity or without mercy. The term is commonly used by calypsonians to punctuate their verses during extempo competitions. These extempo battles see calypsonians indulging in freestyle competition with one another in a battle of lyrical quality and wit.

The goal was to create a game that captured the spirit and fun of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival while preserving important aspects of the country’s history and culture. As a result, the design needed to reflect the fun, colour and vibrance of the festival while remaining appealing to all ages and cultural backgrounds.