Bologna Game Farm, Emilia-Romagna’s B2C public accelerator for the video game sector, conceived and coordinated by the Municipality of Bologna, is launching its fourth-year accelerator program today, extending to the entire country for the first time thanks to the involvement of the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy and CTE COBO.
The acceleration program, which will once again be held this year at the Le Serre di ART-ER inside the Margherita Gardens in Bologna, includes, among other activities, in-person mentorship days concentrated in monthly sessions. During these events, the mentors-coordinated by Ivan Venturi, with the Project Manager Sara De Martini and the support of the tutors-will delve into topics such as game design, the technological aspects related to the development of vertical slices, economic sustainability, and much more.
2025 kicks off with a big change: the mentorship days will be open not only to BGF winners, but also to those studying or working in video games in Emilia-Romagna.
Below is the complete schedule of meetings with the topics that will be covered:
– January 16, 2025 game design review, team definition, technology plant, product design
– February 13, 2025 coding/tech (IT)
– March 11, 2025 2D/3D asset production
– April 10, 2025 audio, music, locations
– May 9, 2025 “Bologna Game Farm, we’re playing!” (to be confirmed)
– June 5, 2025 overall budget, publisher proposal deck, pitch, A/B strategy (publisher/self-publishing)
To attend, you have to fill out a form at this link, choosing one or more dates and indicating a brief reason for the request to participate.
Admission is free while seats last, and meetings will be held at the Bologna Game Farm accelerator inside the Serre dei Giardini Margherita (via Castiglione 136, Bologna).
Below we recall this year’s eight winners, who received a contribution of up to 25,000 euros each in addition to the custom-made acceleration course by IIDEA:
Samuele Canina (Turin) with “Darwake”: 2D adventure game with puzzle components that uses the collaboration between the protagonist and his owl companion. The narrative focuses on the dream dimension, which, enriched by detailed graphics, offers a dark and engaging gaming experience.
We Are Muesli srl – Impresa Sociale (Milan) with “In Their Shoes”: narrative game composed of everyday life experiences in contemporary Milan, offering an empathetic perspective on the personal stories of the seven characters.
Digital Mosaik srl (Modena) with “Astro Ski”: VR video game that allows you to compete in space ski races on different planets. An interplanetary skiing experience with a futuristic twist that uses a third-person perspective to make VR more accessible.
AC Software srl (Bologna) with “Bad Water”: game that combines the City-Builder genre with elements of Tower-Defense. In a post-apocalyptic world devastated by a flood, the player must build a floating city during the day and defend it at night from creatures called Bloots, formed from a mysterious oily substance.
RuneHeads srl (Milan) with “Journey to the Void”: Roguelike Deck-Builder with turn-based strategic RPG elements. The story follows a young hero who tries to recover the heart of a corrupt Ancient Being to stop his influence on the Continent.
Paper Tigers (Brescia) with “The island of crossed destinies”: 2D narrative game set in 19th-century colonial Malaysia. The player takes on the role of Captain Marlowe, who is busy solving the mystery of a crime (and his own past) through investigations and deductions.
Unrelated srl (Turin) with “Lofsöng”: an exploration game based on an environmental narrative that investigates the concept of “deep time” and communication between eras. The player travels through desert landscapes to discover and reconnect past and future to create a bridge of communication between generations.
Filippo Cicchella (Bologna) with “Road to Yvhalon”: VR game set in a fantasy world inspired by ancient civilizations, where the player explores the relationship between man and divinity through Soulslike gameplay mechanics.