Falafel Games (Arabic Historical Online Strategy)
Falafel Games, founded in 2011 by Lebanese entrepreneur Vincent Ghossoub and visionary Syrian game designer Radwan Kasmiya, is a pioneer of Arabic-language historical massively multiplayer online (MMO) strategy. Kasmiya had previously authored *Under Ash* and *Under Siege* in Damascus. Merging Chinese free-to-play server infrastructure in Hangzhou with operations in Beirut, Falafel Games authored historical epics such as *Knights of Glory* (Fursan Al-Majd), attracting millions of gamers across the Middle East.
Founding: Bridging Hangzhou and the Levant
Having pioneered political gaming in Damascus with *Under Ash*, Radwan Kasmiya partnered with Vincent Ghossoub in 2011, traveling to Hangzhou, China to master high-concurrency MMO browser server engines. Falafel Games was forged to combine China's advanced free-to-play backend architectures with authentic Middle Eastern historical epics.
Knights of Glory and the Golden Age of Islam
The studio's flagship title, *Knights of Glory* (Fursan Al-Majd), let players build empires set during the Umayyad and Abbasid eras. With authentic classical Arabic prose, historical weaponry, and deep alliance warfare, the title became a massive hit across the GCC and Levant, establishing that Middle Eastern historical themes commanded intense domestic engagement.
Resilience and Cultural Legacy
Navigating the devastating Syrian civil war and Lebanon's acute economic collapses, Falafel Games demonstrated extraordinary artistic perseverance. Radwan Kasmiya remains universally regarded as the founding father of Levant video game design.