In 2023, I attended a game producing course, invited by Ivan Venturi — a pioneer of the Italian video game industry.
It was my first real dive into this universe, unfamiliar to me both culturally and technically. I discovered a fast-growing sector with broad audience reach and impressive economic scale.
I quickly realized how diverse and specialized the industry is, involving not only programmers, but also writers, musicians, designers, artists, animators, and producers.
I began collaborating with production studios on characters, environments, and game interfaces, while deepening my understanding of the industry’s creative and technical demands.
My focus was on character design and user interface.
One project that particularly resonated with me—partly because it’s set in a dystopian version of my hometown, Bologna—is Vespera Bononia.
In this dark reimagining of Bologna, plagued by ominous presences and hostile creatures inspired by Monstrorum Historia by Ulisse Aldrovandi—16th-century naturalist and professor of logic, philosophy, and natural philosophy—four characters move through a constantly shifting townscape.
Our protagonists, Iris, Anna, Sante, and Noah, battle nightmarish foes in a fast-paced action-roguelite where enemies take shape and move from one class to another as ever-changing souls. The gameplay blends third-person shooting, magic, and bullet hell elements in a relentless fight for survival.
For this project, I designed the concept art for the game environments, the four main characters, and an extensive range of monsters and bosses, all inspired by Aldrovandi’s fascinating illustrated atlas.
The game was developed and published on Steam by Power Up Team.
For the production company Operaludica, I handled the redesign of the visual elements for the video game Dragonero – L’Ascesa di Daiquir (available on Steam), based on the fantasy comic series of the same name published by Bonelli Editore.
The game is a 2D turn-based fantasy RPG set in the Dragonero narrative universe, combining world map exploration with classic dungeon crawler dynamics.
The project was developed by integrating the potential of AI platforms with a solid traditional design foundation, including visual documentation, hand-drawn sketches, and vector work created in Adobe Illustrator.
Below are some work-in-progress screenshots showcasing the creative process and design solutions adopted.
Hand-drawing still stands out as a distinctive and personal touch in the concept design process. Artists like Yoshitaka Amano, Armand Serrano, and Sanjay Patel (who I really admire) are seen as masters of style and technique in the video game industry, thanks to their long-standing contributions to animation and visual development.
Meanwhile, the widespread use of AI in creating game content has sparked ongoing debate—raising questions about artistic quality and the future role of human creatives in the industry.
In this context, traditional drawing retains a sense of authenticity, almost like a stamp of originality. Personally, I’ve really enjoyed going back to basics—paper, eraser, and pencil—to sketch out characters and environments, setting aside the graphic tablet for a while. I then processed those drawings through various AI platforms, which produced results that were different, but just as interesting in their own way. It’s not about replacing hand-drawing, but combining both worlds to explore new creative possibilities—a fascinating blend of human touch and machine intelligence.
For Power Up Team, I designed the navigation interface for the game APPennino, Treasures Among the Mountains, under the supervision of Silvia Teodosi. The app promotes the Bolognese Apennines through an interactive and engaging experience tailored for families. It features a map highlighting historic shops and cultural landmarks, leading children on a treasure hunt with on-site quizzes and games. By collecting virtual stamps, users can unlock prizes, encouraging comprehensive exploration of the region. The project also supports local businesses and fosters a stronger connection to the area’s culture and traditions. This project was particularly meaningful to me, reflecting my deep affection for these places.
For Bondman Clicker, I created the game’s logo and cover design. The app focuses on fast-paced land cultivation: the goal is to click on plots of land and harvest as many vegetables as possible within a time limit. As levels progress, the game becomes increasingly challenging, introducing obstacles to avoid. By improving their score, players accumulate resources that can be used to purchase new hoes.
Some of the material I have designed—primarily character and environment studies—is frequently used by development teams to create vertical slices.
These are playable prototypes that allow publishers and investors to evaluate a game’s potential, representing a critical step toward securing public, European, or private funding necessary for the game’s development and publication.
For this reason, other projects I’ve worked on are currently “unshowable,” as they have not yet been published or made accessible to a wider audience.
But as soon as possible, I will update this section
I am always eager to take on new projects and explore exciting opportunities. For this reason, I am more than happy to have a conversation or delve deeper into potential collaborations.