A game is the hardest digital project to get right: if it is boring, people close it and never reopen it. I design mechanics, levels, art and interfaces, and follow development through to publication on the stores.
When you need someone who knows how to design a game
You have a game idea and want to know if it holds up
Before spending months on development, a playable prototype is worth it: a few weeks are enough to know whether the mechanic is fun.
You want the audience to play with your brand
A game for an event, a campaign, a launch. It works if it is first of all a good game, and only then a message.
You want to make training less boring
Points, levels, challenges and instant feedback applied to courses and procedures: gamification, when it is designed in rather than stuck on.
You want to show something that is not there
Augmented and virtual reality for fairs, museums, events and products: content that appears in real space, or environments to explore.
What I do
Game design
- Concept, rules and game loop
- Level design and difficulty curve
- Game economy, in-app purchases and unobtrusive advertising
- Design document and prototypes, including on paper
Art and interface
- Art direction and visual style
- Vector illustration and 2D animation
- 3D models and environments optimised for real time
- Interfaces designed for the thumb and for small screens
Development
- Unity and Godot, for iOS, Android and desktop
- AI-assisted development, with testing on real devices
- Cloud saves, leaderboards, achievements
- Versions in several languages
Publishing
- Listings for the App Store and Google Play
- Screenshots, trailers and press materials
- Updates and relaunches after release
- Managing long projects, with several people and several games in parallel
AnAlphaBeta Studio
In 2017 I co-founded AnAlphaBeta Studio, an independent game development studio. Its first title, Project Loading, was chosen by Apple as Game of the Day on the App Store across Europe and by Google as Game of the Month on Google Play. In 2026 it returned to the stores, rebuilt from scratch on current technology, while other games are in development.
Running a game studio teaches things that are useful in any digital project: holding design, code, art and communication together for months, deciding what to cut, getting real people to try the work early and listening to what happens.
How I work
01
Idea and rules
We write down what the player does, why it should be fun and what brings them back.
02
Prototype
A rough but playable version, to have people try straight away. This is where almost everything that matters is discovered.
03
Production
Final art, levels, sound, interface, testing on old and new phones.
04
Release
Store listings, materials, publication. Then player data, and updates.
Games, apps and interactive projects
Project Loading
Arcade puzzle for mobile: Game of the Day on the App Store in Europe, back on the stores in 2026. View the project
Immaginifico AR Experience
Animation, illustration and augmented reality for Graphic Days InTheCity 2022. View the project
A Good Opportunity
Design and UI/UX of an app for the Piedmont and Aosta Valley regions, on iOS and Android. View the project
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to develop a mobile game?
A great deal depends on size: a small game for an event and a title to publish on the stores with years of life ahead are different projects. The most sensible way to start is a prototype, which costs a fraction of the total and tells you whether it is worth going on.
Unity or Godot?
Unity has more ready-made tools for ads, purchases and store services, and is the most solid choice for commercial mobile. Godot is lightweight, open and licence-free, excellent for 2D games and projects that must run everywhere. I use both and choose according to the game.
Do you also handle publishing on the stores?
Yes: accounts, listings, images, age ratings, in-app purchases, privacy and build submission. It is a part that takes longer than expected, and is best planned from the start.
Does gamification really work for training?
It works when game mechanics are tied to what has to be learned: a challenge that requires applying the procedure, not a badge awarded for opening a page. Designed that way it raises course completion; added as decoration it is ignored after two days.
You may also be interested in
3D rendering and product animation
AI consulting and automation
Partner for agencies and studios
Have a game in mind?
Tell me the idea, who it is for and which devices it should run on.
Email
valentino.chiarla@gmail.com
Where
Turin, Italy. I work with companies, agencies and studios in Piedmont, in Milan and across the rest of Italy, in person or remotely.