The Lonesome Guild, a triumph of kindness: here is the best Italian video game

Critics and players alike are in no doubt: *The Lonesome Guild* is a true gem of Italian video game production. The game, developed by the talented Turin-based team Tiny Bull Studios and published by Don’t Nod, has just drawn huge crowds and received rapturous applause, winning the most prestigious award in the Italian gaming industry.

At the Italian Video Game Awards, the ceremony organised by IIDEA to recognise excellence in Italian game development, the game was awarded the most prestigious prize: Best Italian Game (Italian Game of the Year). As a testament to how it has managed to win over not only the judges but also the hearts of fans, the title also took home the Community Spotlight Award, the prize voted for directly by the public. The Lonesome Guild confirms the current strong momentum in Italian game development.

Set in the world of Etere, which is under threat from a mist known as Solitudine, the game places the player in the role of Ghost, a spirit with no memory who leads a band of animal characters as original as they are fragile. The game’s true strength lies in the way it weaves gameplay and narrative together: powers grow alongside the bonds between the protagonists, and cooperation becomes a central mechanic, not merely a theme within the story.

Reviews from the specialist press and users are very positive (with an average approval rating of 96% on Steam).

Visually colourful and brimming with personality, underpinned by a delicate soundtrack and surprisingly mature writing, *The Lonesome Guild* explores friendship and vulnerability without resorting to rhetoric. A few shortcomings emerge in the inventory management and in some of the less inspired puzzles, but the end result remains of high quality. Its strength lies in the fact that it does not attempt to overturn the conventions of the genre through brute force or a staggering budget, but chooses to ‘humanise’ it. It is a modern fairy tale about the power of friendship that will guide you along at a leisurely pace. A well-deserved Best Italian Game award. A game that focuses not on spectacle, but on empathy. And that is precisely why it leaves a lasting impression.