The 2025 edition of Bologna Game Farm, like the previous one, will feature mentorship sessions open to the entire gaming ecosystem in Emilia-Romagna.
The initiative is promoted and coordinated by the City of Bologna, co-funded by the Emilia-Romagna Region, organised with technical support from IIDEA and, once again this year, in collaboration with the City of Bologna’s Centre for Emerging Technologies (CTE COBO).
Bologna Game Farm is a strategic project aimed at consolidating the gaming industry within the region, offering advanced training programmes and creating an ecosystem conducive to innovation and growth.
The open mentorship days provide a valuable opportunity to explore key issues relating to the production and development of video games. These sessions, which serve as a platform for sharing and reflecting on the experience gained during the accelerator programme, are open not only to the winning teams of the Bologna Game Farm call for proposals, but also to all students and professionals in the gaming sector working in Emilia-Romagna. The sessions will take place at the Serre di ART-ER, the headquarters of the Bologna Game Farm accelerator, within the Giardini Margherita (Via Castiglione, 136 – Bologna).
The mentorship programme has been structured to cover the various stages and skills involved in the life cycle of a video game, providing practical tools and specialist knowledge of great relevance to the sector.
The sessions will take place from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm according to the following schedule:
Friday 19 September 2025: Budget & Business – A session dedicated to financial strategies, budget management and sustainable business models for video game projects.
Wednesday 15 October 2025: Game Design – An in-depth look at the principles and methodologies for creating engaging gaming experiences.
Wednesday 19 November: Programming – A focus on the technical aspects and essential programming tools for software development in the gaming sector.
Wednesday 17 December 2025: Graphics & Arts – An exploration of 3D modelling techniques and art direction applied to video games.
Thursday 15 January 2026: Applied Games and Cultural Heritage – An analysis of the use of video games as a tool for promoting cultural heritage and in applied contexts.
Thursday 12 February 2026: SFX, Music, Localisation, etc. – Fundamental elements of the user experience: from sound design to the soundtrack, through to localisation strategies for the global market.
Networking opportunities
At the end of each mentorship day, from 6.00 pm, networking events for developers will be organised by IPID (Italian Party of Indie Developers). These sessions offer a unique opportunity to foster the exchange of knowledge, create new professional synergies and strengthen cohesion within the region’s game development sector.
How to take part
Participation in the mentoring sessions is free of charge and is subject to registration, subject to availability, to ensure the highest quality of interaction and learning. The registration link is available on the ‘Events’ page of the Bologna Game Farm website. Further information on networking events and IPID’s activities is available on the IPID.dev website.
Bologna Game Farm 2025 remains a strategic initiative for the Emilia-Romagna Region, investing in training and talent to support the development of a sector with high potential for economic and cultural growth.