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Real name: Danar D. Kayfi

Also known as: Danar Dev

Birthplace: Baghdad, Iraq

Biography: Indie game dev from Kurdistan/Iraq | Host of مقهى صناع الالعاب 🎙️ | Manager of GameZanga 🎮 | GI 100 Game Changer 2020 🌟 Danar Kayfi (also known as Danar Dev or Danar D. Kayfi) is an independent Iraqi Kurdish game developer, educator, community organizer, and advocate for the MENA indie game scene. He is based in Erbil, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and has been active in game development since 2012 building a career that spans solo indie creation, game jams, workshops, podcasting, and regional game ecosystem building. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Kayfi is of Kurdish heritage. He lived in Amman, Jordan, for 13 years before returning to Erbil. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering and a Master’s degree in Computer Science, both from Philadelphia University in Jordan. He operates under the Danar Dev label (a one-person indie studio focused on mobile, web, and PC games) and has also been linked to projects under Istikan Studio. His work emphasizes accessible, meaningful games that often blend entertainment with social commentary, drawn from real-world events. He primarily uses the Unity engine and frequently collaborates with freelancers and fellow developers.