Gamification for businesses
Pixel art video games for marketing, contests, training, schools and events.
Gamification for businesses uses games to get people to do something: discover a product, learn a rule, enter a contest, stop at a stand. I design and draw these games in pixel art: short, played in the browser or on a phone, nothing to download. My portfolio has 76 of them, for brands, institutions, schools and TV channels.
- What: short HTML5 games that open from a link or a QR code
- What for: marketing, contests, training, schools, events
- Who does what: I handle the idea, game design and pixel art; development is done with a team of developers, or I deliver the art only if you already have developers
- Timing: from 3 weeks up
What is your goal? The right game for each one
The kind of game comes from the goal, not from the latest trend. This is how I have matched them in my projects so far.
| Your goal | The game it needs | One of my examples |
|---|---|---|
| Launch a product or a show | A short advergame people replay and share |   LOL – The Game for Prime Video, Fruit Man for Frullà |
| Run a prize contest | A game with scores, a leaderboard and prizes |   Explore E-Taly for Be Charge, HERA Eco Games for Gruppo HERA, with leaderboards by province and green prizes |
| Teach rules and behaviours | A serious game made of missions |   Reddy – Safe, Go! and Zero Morti sul Lavoro on workplace safety |
| Talk to students | An educational game with questions |   University Escape for UniCredit, The Information Tower against fake news |
| Communicate sustainability | Mini games and quizzes |   HERA Eco Games, Missione RAEE, Uno Scatto per l’Ambiente for Gruppo HERA |
| Explain a technical topic (B2B) | A simple, direct arcade game |  8-bit Cloud Native for Kiratech |
| Celebrate an award or an anniversary | A celebration game with a leaderboard |   Innovator of the Year for Pasqua Vini, Desert Dash for AKJOHNSTON |
| Tell a science story | A mission-based game |  ESA Space Quest for the European Space Agency |
| Bring a fair or an event to life | A live game on the big screen, with phones as controllers | Live Games |
Four stories, from goal to game
ESA Space Quest – living the astronaut life. The European Space Agency wanted everyone to find out what life is like on the International Space Station. The game has five missions, each one a job astronauts really do on board.
Explore E-Taly – a contest you play. For Be Charge, Plenitude’s charging network, you drive an electric car through Italian cities drawn in pixel art, and every game ends with a quiz. From 20 February to 20 April 2023, scoring at least 1,000 points entered players into daily prizes, and the final leaderboard had ten electric scooters up for grabs.
Zero Morti sul Lavoro – a serious topic where young people are. For the Italian trade union UIL’s campaign, workplace safety becomes a pixel art game: simple rules and a message that reaches people who would never read a leaflet.
Innovator of the Year – an award you can play. In 2023 Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine was named Innovator of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. To celebrate, we made a match-3 with grapes and wine glasses, a worldwide leaderboard and content about the winery’s vineyards.
Why pixel art
- It stands out. Among everyday content, pixel art catches the eye and speaks to several generations: people who grew up with 80s and 90s video games, and kids today.
- It is light. The games open in seconds even on older phones and slow connections: useful at school, at fairs, on social media.
- The characters become yours. Products, mascots and real people become pixel art characters, like the comedians in LOL or the smoothie in Fruit Man.
- It ages well. A retro style does not go out of fashion like graphics chasing the latest trend.
Before asking for a quote: 5 useful questions
- Who are you talking to? Customers, students, employees, visitors at a fair.
- What should players do at the end? Remember a message, leave their contact, enter a contest, come back to play.
- Where will it be played? On your website, on social media, in class, on a big screen.
- How long will it stay online? A two-month campaign or a game that stays for years.
- Do you need a prize or a leaderboard? With a prize you also need contest rules, handled by whoever runs the contest.
You don’t need every answer to write to me: we’ll get there together.
How I work and how long it takes
- Tell me your goal: audience, deadlines, where it will be played.
- Proposal: the game idea, timing and cost.
- Drafts: characters, settings and first screens to approve.
- Production: pixel art, animation, development and testing.
- Launch: the game goes online, with materials for your website and social media.
A game usually takes from 3 weeks up, depending on levels, characters and languages. I can handle the whole game or the art only.
FAQ
What is the difference between gamification, advergames and serious games?
Gamification is using game mechanics outside games. An advergame is a branded game made to promote something. A serious game teaches something: safety, sustainability, financial literacy.
Do people need to download an app?
No: my games open in the browser, on phones and computers, from a link or a QR code.
Does it work for a small business too?
Yes: a short game with a few levels costs less than you might think, and can be worth more than many sponsored posts.
Can a video game be a prize contest?
Yes, like Explore E-Taly for Be Charge or HERA Eco Games for Gruppo HERA: scores, leaderboards and prizes. The contest rules and permits are handled by whoever runs it.
Can it be used at a fair or an event?
Yes, with Live Games: everyone plays together on the big screen, using their phones as controllers.
Can I get the art only?
Yes: if you already have developers, I deliver pixel art, animation and game design.
How long does it take?
From 3 weeks up, depending on how many levels, characters and languages you need.
Got a goal? Let’s turn it into a game
Write to me from the contact page and tell me who you are talking to and what you want to achieve.